A Scottish don urges universities to forge teaching, research, innovation and community engagement partnerships to accelerate institutional development.
Prof John Struthers of the University of West of Scotland (UWS) says the exchange of scholarly ideas and educational resources is key to the growth of universities.
The don, who is also the Mount Kenya University (MKU) Chancellor, says universities can thus contribute more to entrepreneurship and economic development.
He reveals that the Centre for African Research on Enterprise and Economic Development (CAREED) at UWS, where he serves as Director, will for the first time hold its annual conference in Africa. This will be next year, and it will be the eighth edition of the event.
CAREED is a leading research centre dedicated to advancing the understanding of enterprise and economic development in Africa. It brings together a diverse group of researchers, experts, and practitioners to generate valuable insights and evidence-based solutions that foster sustainable growth and prosperity across the continent.
The centre’s research focus is on commodities and exporting; logistics and supply chain management; enterprise and entrepreneurship (including gender enterprise); governance and ethics; and microfinance and social business.
Prof Struthers lauds the African Centre for Career Enhancement and Skills Support (ACCESS) project, which kicked off in 2020 and ends next year.
ACCESS brings together seven partner universities – Leipzig (Germany), IGRIB (Benin), KNUST (Ghana), Ibadan (Nigeria), Tunis (Tunisia), INES (Rwanda), and MKU (Kenya) – to contribute ideas towards employment creation by graduates of African universities.
The MKU Chancellor notes that the various partnerships cultivated by the university are strengthening teaching, research, and outreach initiatives.
