Under Tom O’Brien, Boston College was the one of the nation’s best bowl teams with seven straight wins. Now under…

Glad to know you enjoyed your holiday in Kenya and that there is evidence of growth in Kenya!

I note that you were not on a complete holiday from MERC as you noted the opportunities for management training in the NGO sector. This need cuts across all sectors in Africa.

There is definitely a need to fill the gaps in the management and leadership skill in the NGO and other sectors in Africa. Setting up dedicated centres for these sectors will go a long way. With the population of Africa estimated at 933 million and about 500 Business Schools in Africa (perhaps understaffed?), there is clearly a need for more management educators.

This need may be filled in a number of ways:

Atracting and training more management educators

Using management practitioners more frequently to transfer skills

Organising programmes where Management educators from developed countries participate on a part time or even full time basis. (Visits, Sabbaticals and appointments?)

Long distance learning is a cost effective and pragmatic way of filling the management eduaction gaps but for the low internet usage penetration (less than 5%). This is however still an option that can help bridge the gaps.

Business schools could set up centres in partnership with ICT companies who could provide ICT centres in various parts of African countries.

MERC has been at the forefront of making connections between the business schools and organisations in developing and developed economies. This facilitation has produced enduring results.

One suggestion: I accept that networking between the relevant academics is fundamentally important, I believe that it should be balanced by similar networking between businessmen themselves, particularly those in the same professional sector. When I was a Vice-President of the UK’s Chartered Institute of Transport, I had a special responsibility for Africa. During my visits at the in-country meetings of local members, all of course in the transport industry, I noted the valuable exchange of views and ideas taking place. I suggest therefore that emphasis should be also be placed on encouraging the formation of trade/professional bodies, including Chambers of Commerce.

Our staff in Management Sciences for Health also congratulate MERC for the initiative in linking improved management and leadership to the health sector. Managers in health, all over Africa (and other Regions), tell us that they are thrown into positions of responsibility and accountability often with no preparation. They call it “magical thinking” where everyone assumes that just because they are doctors or nurses they will automatically be able to manage whole districts or major programs. Recognizing that they folks want to succeed in these roles and linking business schools to schools of public health is part of the solution.