Annual June Convening 2021 Brochure Contents

THE EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE

Welcome

The Annual June Convening June 14-16

Events The Employability Track The Entrepreneurship Track Special Feature on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Onstage Sessions Convening Platform

Convening Schedule

Participating Institutions Welcome 01 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

We warmly welcome you to the Education Collaborative at Ashesi University’s Annual Convening, 2021. Every year, the Collaborative’s Annual Convening brings together stakeholders in higher education to Our drive as the organizing team is to probe into selected areas in African higher education. We are excited to create an experience that will build create virtual opportunities for networking, exchanging ideas, and build- your capacity to impact your institution ing partnerships between you, participants, and institutions. We have made provision for scheduling one-on-one meetings, receiving instant and the continent. updates, sharing ideas through community discussions and viewing the convening agenda even offline.

For the first time, we have included a “Commitment Summit”. The We welcome higher education leaders, faculty, administrators policy Summit provides an opportunity to consolidate insights from the makers, entrepreneurs, developmental partners, and employers across Convening so you can make plans to implement them in your insti- Africa to this year’s Convening. We understand the need to collectively tution. We will announce an implementation grant for projects that prepare for Africa’s future and the changing dynamics of the corporate emerge from the Convening. and entrepreneurial landscape.

Our drive as the organizing team is to create an experience that will Our speakers and facilitators across the continent will share insights and build your capacity to impact your institution and the continent. implementable tools and techniques towards building the capacity of higher-ed institutions. The goal is to develop your institution’s capacity We look forward to the collaborations and partnerships that will to nurture students for successful careers, build entrepreneurship eco- emerge out of the Convening. systems, and rethink strategies for inclusive and diverse campus envi- ronments. We acknowledge and thank our speakers and facilitators for their work in their various fields.

About the Education 02 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021 Collaborative

In 2017, Ashesi University started the Education Collaborative initiative to lead a convening of higher education institutions on the continent to collectively and sustainably raise the bar on higher education outcomes. Four years down the line, the Education Collaborative has proven the readiness of African higher education institutions to share with and mentor each other to succeed. With about 34 institutional network members, the initiative has successfully engaged more than 144 institutions in both face-to-face and virtual Convenings, and piloted an exemplar mentorship program with one higher education institution.

The initiative is already, directly and indirectly, impacting some 250 educators in more than 20 countries in Africa. Over the next 10 years, we are working to build partnerships and collaborations with peer institutions and stakeholders on the continent to improve higher education outcomes speedily.

Why is this important?

The challenge of a youthful population The challenge of unemployment The challenge of economic development By 2050, Africa’s population will reach Africa needs to create a minimum of 263 million young people will lack an 2.5 billion, of which 50% will be youthful 12 million jobs annually to provide economic stake in the system by (UN, 2017). jobs for the 30 million youth who will 2025. enter the labor market by 2030. Tackling Africa’s Higher 03 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021 Education Challenge

Higher education, from universities to vocational institutes, plays a can contribute to their countries' development. There is a critical role in developing talents, skills and leading innovations for mismatch of educational outputs and industry-required capabilities economic transformation. As of 2020, Africa had 1650 higher-ed insti- in the job market, contributing to high graduate unemployment.The tutions (HEIs)1. Overall enrollment of students into these tertiary institu- needed scale and speed for delivering transformation in higher tions has increased in recent years. However, the continent remains far education in Africa is beyond any single institution’s capability. It below the global average at 7%, compared to 29% globally2. requires a collective with a shared agenda, mutual accountability, and uncompromising dedication to the vision for transformation. The increase in enrolment rates, albeit small, have not been matched with an increase in tertiary budgets from ministries of education. This Given that African universities will need to educate approximately has led to a decrease in quality, overcrowded classrooms, an academ- 30 million students by 2050 cumulatively, it is imperative to ic staff deficit of 50%, and an inability to meet the growing demand for re-strategize to get ahead of this4. Through collaborations, aca- tertiary education3. demic professionals in institutions with training or operational defi- cits can receive mentorship when matched with established The World Bank reports that while enrollments more than tripled in the professionals in other exemplary institutions. Such exemplary insti- last decades, tertiary public financing dropped for 33 of the 54 coun- tutions clustered in East, West, Central, North and Southern Africa tries in the region. The Bank, therefore, projects that countries will must serve as beacons to others, achieving excellence in teaching, need a 150% increase in funding to complement their national budg- research, and innovation in various fields, serving as magnets for ets if they want to maintain quality, given the rise in demand. our best and brightest to stay in Africa. The continent is facing a shortage of highly skilled talent, and most tertiary institutions are not generating highly qualified graduates who

1 https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/challenges-and-prospects-africas-higher-education 2 http://www.aaionline.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/AAI-SOE-report-2015-final.pdf 3 World Bank. 2008. Accelerating Catch-Up: Tertiary Education for Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington DC: The World Bank 4 Patrick Awuah at ‘We the Future’ TED Talk 04 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021 The Annual Convening 2021 Building the capacity of institutions to improve African higher-ed outcomes June 14-16, 2021

The 2021 Annual Convening is a 3-day activity-packed set of engagements that seeks to bring together administrators, educators, development agencies and employers onto one platform.

It will feature a mix of hands-on workshops, plenaries, panels, and innovation sessions designed to spark interest and develop institutions’ capacity to nurture students for successful careers, build entrepreneurship ecosystems, and rethink strategies for inclusive and diverse campus environ- ments.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ANNUAL CONVENING:

http://bit.ly/EduCollab2021 ACCESS AN AUDIENCE OF:

HIGHER-ED EXECUTIVES DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES

FACULTY AND STAFF OF HIGHER-ED ASSOCIATIONS HIGHER-ED INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES INDUSTRY PLAYERS/ EMPLOYERS AND POLICY MAKERS

ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPERS Event Format 06 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

Parallel Track Parallel Track Entrepreneurship Employability Onstage Track Track Sessions

Special Feature: Diversity, Commitment Equity and Inclusion Summit Opening Plenary 07 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

June 14 9:00 - 11:00 GMT Collaboratively improving higher education outcomes in Africa The Opening of the 2021 Annual Convening will highlight the value of collaboration for higher education and the Education Collaborative’s approach to improving overall outcomes across Africa. The session will feature current examples of successful initiatives, and various institutions’ commitments and engagements in the network. The plenary will also highlight the impact of the network and how it amplifies the broader transformation agenda for education on the African continent.

Rose Dodd Dr. Alex Awiti Director the Education Vice-Provost, Kader Kaneye Collaborative, Aga Khan University President, ADU Ashesi University Speaker Speaker Speaker

Prof. Jonathan Mba Director, Research and Academic Planning, Prof. Baylie Yeshita Prof. Angela Owusu-Ansah Association of African Vice Chancellor, Provost, Universities Kepler Ashesi University Speaker Speaker Speaker

Patrick Awuah Prof. Samuel Gudu Founder and President, Vice chancellor, Ashesi University Rongo University Speaker Speaker Entrepreneurship Track 08 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

June 14-15 Exploring successful higher-ed models for developing sustainable and efficient entrepreneurship ecosystems The Entrepreneurship track will share hands-on strategies to help higher education institutions (HEIs) build systems to efficiently produce entrepreneurs on the African continent. It will explore successful initiatives, structures, success measurement tools and policies within the HEIs that nurture entrepreneurs. The track will also uncover strategic partnership models between HEIs and other players, including alumni, in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and their inter-dependencies in developing entrepreneurship ecosystems on the continent.

This track is organised by Ashesi University in partnership with Centre for Social Innovations, Ghana

June 14 Dr. Henrietta Onwuegbuzie Director, MBA Programmes, Dr. George Njenga Entrepreneurship Session 1 | 11:30 – 14:45 GMT Lagos Business School Executive Dean of the | Pan Atlantic University Strathmore Business School (Break 12:15- 13:00 GMT) Speaker Speaker Plenary presentation and discussion of exemplar HEI models Dr Gordon Adomdza Entrepreneurship Session 2 | 13:45 – 15:00 GMT Dr. Sena Agbodjah Agyepong Associate Professor, Entrepreneurship interdependency Head of Department of Business Business Administration, Administration, Ashesi University Ashesi University factors and institutional assessment Speaker Moderator Entrepreneurship Track 09 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

June 15

Entrepreneurship Workshop 1 | 10:00 - 12: 00 GMT Ideation and institutional concept development for a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem

Dr Gordon Adomdza Yaw Adu-Gyamfi Eddah Munyi Associate Professor, CEO and Co-founder, Director of Executive Education Business Administration, Center for Social Strathmore BusinessPICTURE School GOES HERE Ashesi University Innovations, Ghana facilitator facilitator facilitator Employability Track 10 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

June 14-16 Redefining career preparation in African higher-ed institutions This track is organised in partnership with Kepler, Rwanda. The Employability Track brings together education and industry practitioners to share practical experiences and conduct focused deliberations on how students can be better guided and prepared for rewarding and dynamic career opportunities. At the end of the sessions, participants are expected to:

Identify successful synergies and gaps between the needs of the labor market and develop strategies to build career-ready competencies in students.

Identify opportunities and processes to sustainably engage employers across Africa for the career development of students.

Build practical tools and skills to leverage on alumni engagement to develop sustainable employment opportunities for students Employability Track 11 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

June 14

Employability Panel | 11:30 - 14:30 GMT (Break- 12:45 -13:00 GMT) Aligning the focus of education in higher education institutions to labor market needs.

Sylvia Kunkyebe Bernard Conyers Dr. Sakah Nsaidzedze Prof. Baylie Damtie Yeshita Lead, Transitions, Supply Chain Director, Managing Director, Big Steps Vice Chancellor, Kepler MasterCard Foundation, Fast Moving Consumer Outreach Network (BONET) Ghana Goods, Unilever Ghana Moderator Panelist Panelist Panelist June 15

Workshop 1 | 10:00 - 12:00 GMT Workshop 2 | 12:30 -14:45 GMT Maximizing employer engagement for sustainable HEIs’ Leveraging alumni relations for effective career development and employment services initiatives career development initiatives in HEIs

Karoli Kolokonyi Abigail Welbeck Michael Quansah Dr. Davis Adrian Wayne Director of Career & Director of Career Services Alumnus, Ashesi University Executive Director/ Principal Consultant Alumni Affairs, Kepler Ashesi University Ashesi University, Ghana Bright Future Global Consultant and Education Service, USA Facilitator Facilitator Facilitator Facilitator Employability Track 12 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

June 16

Employability Case Study | 8:30 – 10:00 GMT Maximizing employer engagement: Ashesi-ETH Zurich

Dr. Marriette Mertens Maxmilian Grau Dr. Nathan Amanquah Dr. Wilfred Elegba Programme Manager, Programme Manager, Head of Engineering Department, Graduate Programme Learning & Partnerships, Learning and Partnerships, Ashesi University Coordinator, Mechatronics ETH4D, ETH Zurich ETH4D, ETH Zurich Panelist Engineering programme, Panelist Panelist Ashesi University Moderator Special Feature 13 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) The place of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education institutional strategy

The special feature is organized in partnership with University of Gondar, Ethiopia. This Special Feature will present the platform to share evidence and explore DEI strategically, including it in institutional strategy. Sessions under this track will bring DEI and its applicability to the forefront in African higher education. The feature will answer these questions:

Why should DEI be a fundamental consideration in developing What are the components of a full DEI agenda for an African a strategy for the African higher education institution? What is higher institution? And how do regional and context differences in it for the institution, the student(s), and the continent? impact this?

June 16

DEI Session 1 | 10:15 - 12:15 GMT DEI Session 2 | 12:30 - 14:15 GMT

Dr Desalegn Menagesha Dr Solomon Mekonnen Leonne Laura Uwizihiwe Dinah Adiko Mrs. Marieke Broersma Mr. Melaku Tekle Associate Professor; Director, CBR and DEI Manager, Kepler, Gender Equality Community based Executive Director, Regional Director,Global Scholars Program, University Rwanda and Social Inclusion Rehabilitation Advisor, Ethiopian Center for One Health Initiative, Ethiopia of Gondar, Ethiopia Consultant Light for the World Disability and Development (ECDD) Moderator Panelist Panelist Panelist Facilitator Facilitator OnStage Sessions 14 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

The Onstage Sessions are featured sessions of the Education and highlight practical innovations by the presenters in their roles Collaborative Annual Convening. They are 30-minute slots that and their engagements on the continent. It is open to all higher-ed allow educators, administrators, and other stakeholders in the stakeholders in Africa and beyond. The sessions are virtual and sector to share thought and innovation with participants in the structured to last 30 minutes. convening. Sessions are experienced-based or research-focused

June 14

Improving teaching and learning in African business schools. Roundtable Discussion 1 | 11:00 - 11:30 GMT Roundtable Discussion 2 | 14:45 – 015:15 GMT

Esther Afoley Laryea Dr. Sena Agbodjah Agyepong Lecturer, Ashesi Head of Department of Business University Administration, Ashesi University Facilitator Facilitator OnStage Sessions 15 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

June 15

12:00 – 12:30 GMT Using evidence to improve employability for young people in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Jennifer N. Udeh Dr. Samuel Asare Head of Programmes and Research Manager, Partnership, Education sub-Saharan ESSA Africa (ESSA) Facilitator Facilitator

14:45 – 15:15 GMT Industry-oriented learning and digital tools for enhancing student career outcomes (In African higher education)

Segun Ogunwale Kominity Digital Co-founder Facilitator Commitment Summit 16 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

June 16

14:30 - 15:15 GMT Agenda setting and ways of implementing insights from the Convening: This session offers participants the opportunity to consolidate their insights from the Convening and set an agenda and commitments for implementation in their institutions. The Education Collaborative will announce an implementation grant to activate projects.

Dr. George Mugabe Rose Dodd Director of Research & Community Director, the Education Service, Kepler Facilitator Collaborative, Ashesi University Facilitator Facilitator 17 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

Convening Platform Whova We have made provision for a seamless network experience this year. Participants can use our conference platform, Whova to navigate, network and participate in sessions via web or mobile phone.

NAVIGATE the event agenda and logistics, even with- out Wi-Fi or data. Access useful information and join discussions through the Community Board.

NETWORK effectively. Plan whom to meet by exploring attendee profiles and sending out messages.

PARTICIPATE in event activities through session likes, comments, ratings, live polling, tweeting, and more. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1va8mrmzd0EV70stE0XVQRhjgCH1I8IOp/viewView guidelines for setting up your Whova Account. Annual Convening Schedule 18 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021 Schedule 14 – 16 June | Time Zone - GMT

General(All) Special Feature- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

June 14 9:00 -11:00 GMT Opening Plenary June 16 10:00 - 11:45 GMT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (1st Session) June 16 14:30 - 15:15 GMT Commitment Summit 12:45 - 14:15 GMT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (2nd Session)

Employability Track OnStage Sessions June 14 11:30 - 14:30 GMT Panel: Aligning the focus of education June 14 11:00 - 11:30 GMT Break in higher education institutions to Roundtable discussion 1: Improving (12:45 - 13:00 GMT) labor market needs; teaching and learning in African business schools 14:45 - 15:15 GMT Roundtable discussion 2: Improving teach- June 15 10:00 - 12:00 GMT Workshop: Maximizing employer ing and learning in African business schools engagement for sustainable HEIs’ career development and employment June 15 12:00 - 12:30 GMT Using evidence to improve employability services initiatives for young people in sub-Saharan Africa Industry-Oriented Learning and Digital 12:30 - 14:45 GMT Panel: Leveraging alumni relations for 14:45 - 15:15 GMT effective career development initia- Tools for Enhancing Student Career tives in HEIs Outcomes (in African Higher Education)

June 16 08:30 - 09:45 GMT Employability case study: Employabil- ity case study: Maximizing employers' engagement: Ashesi-ETH Zurich

Entrepreneurship Track

June 14 11:30 - 15:00 GMT Entrepreneurship Interdependency Factors & Institutional Assessment

June 15 10:00 - 12:00 GMT Workshop: Entrepreneurship ecosystem: Ideation and institutional concept development The Education Collaborative 19 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021 Consulting Committee

Andrew Akoto Angela Owusu-Ansah Frederick Biga Rose Akudugu Senior Project Consultant, Injaro Provost, Ashesi University Vice President at Goldman Sachs. Assistant Director of Finance, Investment Advisors Ltd. Product Manager & Lead for Americas Ashesi University Real-Time Communication, Workplace Engineering

Rukayatu Sanusi Sena Agbodjah Agyepong Rose A. Dodd Executive Director, Senior Lecturer & Head of BA Department, Director, Ghana Climate Innovation Centre Ashesi University Education Collaborative at Ashesi The Organizing Team 20 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021

Prof. Angela Owusu- Ansah Rose A. Dodd Nana Kwabena Owusu Lydia Adobea Dampare Addo Provost and Executive Committee Member, Director M&E and Learning Coordinator Communications and PR Ashesi University

Ophesmur Naa Adjeley Adjei Vanessa Aba Sam Stephen Gyan Communications and PR Coordinator Operations Coordinator Programs Coordinator The Organizing Partners 21 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021 Participating Institutions 22 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021 Participating Institutions 23 • ANNUAL CONVENING 2021 THE EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE

Ashesi University 1 University Ave, Berekuso-E/R PMB CT 3, Cantonments, Accra Ghana T:+233(302) 610 330