Past | Programs | Past | Global Business School Network | Africa | Asia

Locations

Past Programs

Establishment of the Association of African Business Schools (AABS)

GBSN facilitated the creation of AABS, the purpose of which is to promote excellence in business and management education in Africa by supporting graduate business schools through capacity building, collaboration and quality improvement. AABS programs focus on developing the institutional capacity to teach leadership and other managerial skills to improve management of African organizations. The association strives to enhance the relevance and contribution of business schools to policy discussions on African development, including contributing to research and policy development.

ISM Management Case Study Project

GBSN worked with the Institut Supérieur de Management (ISM) in Senegal to produce business case studies of Francophone African companies. The project was funded by GRAVITAS Capital Advisors, an independent investment advisory firm, ISM, as well as a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

To make management training programs more relevant to the needs of local businesses, organizations, and entrepreneurs, GBSN worked with the United States International University (USIU) to build its capacity to develop business case studies that address actual problems faced by managers and entrepreneurs in the region.

To develop a world-class program for training current managers, GBSN worked with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration to develop key MBA course modules as well as a strategic plan for quality improvement. The project also convened African and other emerging market business school directors and international accreditation groups to formulate quality standards that can be applied systematically in the African context.

Small Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management Training Program

To address the training needs of small enterprises and entrepreneurs in Nigeria, GBSN assisted Lagos Business School’s Enterprise Development Services expand its small enterprise training programs to include a series of short courses in key management topics, culminating in an entrepreneurship degree program.

On July 12, 2007 GBSN convened its International Advisory Board for Health Management along with several other experts and practitioners in the field of health management for a one-day workshop. This workshop focused on best practices and lessons learned in teaching leadership and management to health professionals, and using Business Schools as a venue for strengthening human resources for health in developing countries. This was made possible by a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Teaching the Practice of Management

To disseminate best practices in business teaching throughout Africa, GBSN worked with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), in partnership with Lagos Business School (LBS) and other network schools, to develop a case method teaching workshop in South Africa for faculty across the continent. The program promoted the development of a peer support network for African business faculty who use discussion-based, practice-oriented teaching methods.

Food for Thought

A nascent private sector, far too few qualified faculty members, marginal primary and secondary preparation, and historical ambivalence - or even antagonism - between higher education and the private sector all serve to exacerbate the legacy of insufficient financial investment in graduate management education activities.

-"Assessment of Graduate Management Education", William Davidson Institute, University of Michigan Business School (2003)