There's some good commentary in a recent edition of the Financial Times about Africa needing a new model for business education put forth by Walter Baets, the director of the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, South Africa.
Basically, he says that right now, Africa is experiencing "another wave of colonization," where western business schools are setting up shop on the continent. Baets is skeptical:
"Almost without exception, these incoming schools talk about bringing pre-existing European/US models to Africa as if this will be the answer to all of the continent?s problems. None, it seems, has paused to consider whether Africa really will benefit from what they are offering, or if they are missing an opportunity to create something better."
He goes on to note that CEIBS "the Harvard of Africa," Duke and Henley are all setting up campuses, based on the western business school model - neglecting the needs of local students and business.
I tend to agree with Baets' premise - that Africa does need something else. However, might not this sequence be the best situation for Africa right now? Seems to me it would be beneficial to have global brand names like Duke coming in to help pave the way for other models. Isn't that what's happening in the Gulf right now? Top schools have been coming in for the past decade, and now specializations in Islamic finance are starting to develop. I think this kind of local adaptation is key to developing new models.
Thoughts?
There's some good commentary in a recent edition of the Financial Times about Africa needing a new model for business education put forth by Walter Baets, the director of the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, South Africa.
Basically, he says that right now, Africa is experiencing "another wave of colonization," where western business schools are setting up shop on the continent. Baets is skeptical:
<blockquote>"Almost without exception, these incoming schools talk about bringing pre-existing European/US models to Africa as if this will be the answer to all of the continent?s problems. None, it seems, has paused to consider whether Africa really will benefit from what they are offering, or if they are missing an opportunity to create something better."</blockquote>
He goes on to note that CEIBS "the Harvard of Africa," Duke and Henley are all setting up campuses, based on the western business school model - neglecting the needs of local students and business.
I tend to agree with Baets' premise - that Africa does need something else. However, might not this sequence be the best situation for Africa right now? Seems to me it would be beneficial to have global brand names like Duke coming in to help pave the way for other models. Isn't that what's happening in the Gulf right now? Top schools have been coming in for the past decade, and now specializations in Islamic finance are starting to develop. I think this kind of local adaptation is key to developing new models.
Thoughts?
