The Xth Global Conference edition – «All actors of rupture?» – took place in the exceptional surroundings of the Domaine de Chantilly during the 6th, 7th and 8th of July, 2015.
Objectives of the conference were to spread knowledge, empower and build excitement around this theme.
“All actors of rupture?”
During this tenth edition, the debates will be structured around three major themes, highlighting possible actions. We will first consider “The resources we are using”, which depend on our rapidity to implement good practices; then we will focus on “The models we are building”, which are closely linked with our capacity to created theoretical concepts and we will finally approach “The world we are shaping”, which will reflect our ability to change our lifestyles.
During three days, the Global Conference will give a voice to those who dared to take the risk, and who succeeded, and will bring tools likely to change the way our society is working, in order to multiply this virtuous initiatives and to make us all actors of rupture.
© Olivier Toussaint
Download the summary of the Xth Edition
This entire Focus is available in the video below (French)
Speakers
Mr Didier Acouetey (President AFRISEARCH),
Mr Frank Aswani (Vice-President and Director of Strategic Relations, African Leadership Academy),
Mr Benoit Le Bars (Founder & Managing Partner, Lazareff Le Bars),
Mr Christian Kamayou (Fondateur de MyAfricanStartUp)
Moderator
Mr Eric Bazin (Cofoundeur of Ateliers de la Terre)
Education, training and entrepreneurship are the main development levers for an innovative and efficient Africa. Currently, unemployment rates are between 80-90% in many African countries. These unemployment rates mainly affect the young in Africa, as 70% of Africans are less than 30 years of age. The talent exists in Africa, however the proper infrastructure to develop these talents does
not. What needs to change is the education system as a whole throughout Africa. The education system needs to innovate and adapt to today’s demands as well as to teach students the skills they need for the jobs and industries that have yet to be created. The education system also needs to teach Africans to have an entrepreneurial mindset. Young Africans will play a major role in shaping Africa’s future and this is reliant upon young entrepreneurs who will change and shape industries of tomorrow. The education system also needs
to help students and young people by providing them access to resources to help develop and implement their entrepreneurial initiatives.
Key ideas:
• There is a current mismatch between the education system in Africa and the skills needed to find employment. With a staggering number of the population under the age of 30, there has to be a shift in the system in order to create new industries and jobs so that these young people can become successful. The African Leadership Academy (ALA) is a unique African education institution. ALA takes the brightest students with different backgrounds from across Africa regardless of their financial situation. By enrolling students from
across Africa with different backgrounds and cultures, ALA teaches these students how to work together as a united Africa. ALA emphasizes an entrepreneurial education and requires their students to become entrepreneurs while enrolled. Each student has to create and start a working business model that is then presented to a panel of potential investors.
• A limitation to entrepreneurial drive is the difficulty that many young Africans have in finding access to resources to help them create and run a business. Mr Le Bars spoke about the hardship many Africans have in navigating the difficult legal networks, especially when setting up a business in multiple African countries. By providing legal advice and help to entrepreneurs they will become successful faster and they will have the ability to create a bigger impact in Africa.