Catalyst 2030 announced the launch of the Africa Academic Hub at the Annual African Conference on Social Entrepreneurship (AACOSE) held in Nairobi, Kenya in April 2023. This collaborative initiative brings together Catalyst 2030, AACOSE and the African Network for Social Entrepernurship Scholars (ANSES).
The primary objective of the Academic Hub is to harness the collective expertise of university educators to address the complex social and environmental issues faced on the African continent. By fostering partnerships and promoting interdisciplinary approaches, the Academic Hub aims to drive sustainable development and accelerate positive change in Africa through research, innovation and collaborative action.
Facilitating knowledge exchange
This initiative is a platform for strengthening collaboration and facilitating knowledge exchange among academics and social entrepreneurs. The launch event saw the participation of academics and forward-thinking social innovators. Susan Auma Mang’eni, Principal Secretary, State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Kenya emphasised the significance of the launch.
A second Academic Hub launch occurred on 3 May during Catalysing Change Week, spearheaded by Dr Rana Dajani and Dr Rasha Istaiteyeh of the Hashemite University in Jordan and Dr Saleha Khumawala of the University of Houston. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Academic Hub will concentrate on three focus areas:
- The development of educational programmes that teach social entrepreneurship and utilise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as tools to instill new mindsets.
- The promotion of academic research in the field.
- The influencing of policies in the region that help mainstream social entrepreneurship education.
Do you want to learn more?
If you would like to learn more about the Academic Hubs or want to help launch other regional academic hubs, reach out to Debbi Brock debbi@catalyst2030.net.