On Thursday, 18th of March, LBS Dean and Professor of Strategic Management, Chris Ogbechie delivered a speech at the third session of the CLADEA 2021 Global forum. The global forum organised in cooperation with Montpellier Business School (MBS), Montpellier, France caters to professors and researchers representing top business schools and universities in Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
The CLADEA Global forum comprises a cycle of 8 sessions from December 2020 to October 2022, all structured around the theme “Management between Universality and Diversity.” The forum aims at highlighting the importance of International Partner Associations such as the Association of African Business School (AABS), Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools (AAPBS), Central and East European Management Development Association (CEEMAN), and Global Business School Network (GBSN) in the development of international cooperation.
Professor Chris Ogbechie spoke on the topic – Social Entrepreneurship as a Driver of Growth in Africa: the Role of Business Schools. In his presentation, he highlighted how business schools can adapt to this much-needed change in their approach to teaching for impact and business success.
Ogbechie discussed how business schools can play a critical role in promoting social entrepreneurship ranging from curriculum development to engagement activities and research. According to him, “Social entrepreneurship is the catalyst to drive growth in Africa. It has created a significant number of jobs across sub-Saharan Africa and the jobs created are typically for people from underserved communities. They don’t just exist to support poorer or marginalised groups; they employ them as well.” He concluded by stating the intrinsic interdependence of social and economic development in Africa makes a strong case for social entrepreneurship.
The forum brought together new perspectives on ways business schools can foster a better relationship with the community to accelerate growth and unlock innovation in the current new world reality. This initiative aligns with the schools’ sustainability centre to enable constructive dialogue and collaboration between various stakeholders to find solutions to sustainable development challenges in Africa. The final two sessions will hold on May 6, 2021, and September 9, 2021.
