Toward an entrepreneurial university in Southern Africa
A delegation of about twenty representatives from academic institutions and partner ministries in Southern Africa, as well as the international organizations Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) and Obreal, visited Montpellier for a study tour from June 2 to 5. The tour took place as part of the international Uniico-Create consortium, an Erasmus+ project in which the AE2i Chair (Lab Entreprendre, UM Foundation, MOMA) is participating. It was an opportunity to discuss how to foster an entrepreneurial spirit as a driver of transformation in Southern Africa.
The project was launched on March 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of the European Erasmus+ CBHE program. Coordinated by the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA, South Africa), Uniico-create is a consortium of some twenty partners, including academic institutions in Europe (Ireland, Finland, France) and Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, and Eswatini), as well as international higher education organizations such asOBREAL, SARUA, and SAQA…Not to mention the Ministries of Education of the relevant member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The objective of Uniico-create is to foster an entrepreneurial spirit in Southern Africa in response to low levels of job creation, startup success, and employability among young graduates.
At UM, the AE2i Chair—supported by the Lab Entreprendre and the UM Foundation in partnership with Montpellier Management—is participating in this international initiative aimed at strengthening university-business collaboration. Led by Professor Sylvie Sammut, the AE2i Chair aims in particular to support entrepreneurs in their strategic development and to foster collaboration between public and private actors in order to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Stronger partnerships between universities and businesses
The itinerary for this multi-day study visit, organized by the AE2i Chair and the UM International Relations Office, includes numerous presentations, particularly on the university’s flagship programs that highlight its role and involvement in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem: the University Innovation Hub (PUI), Lab Entreprendre, MOMA, the Technology Transfer Acceleration Company (SATT) AxLR, the Initium university incubator, and the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole Business & Innovation Center (BIC)… These offer numerous avenues for reflection on strengthened collaborations between universities and businesses for the twenty or so members of the Uniico-Create international delegation.