Fred Swaniker, Ghanaian-born social entrepreneur best known for his African Leadership Academy, aims at producing three million new African leaders over the next five decades, with at its peak 10,000 students sprawled in each of 25 campuses planned across the continent.
The African Leadership University, launched in the beginning of March 2016 is taking a new approach to learning, with students essentially design their own curriculum by identifying their strengths, which are then honed by application in an environment that simulates the real world—before they are immersed in actual work environments through internships.
Courses offered include; Data and Decisions, Real World Projects and Entrepreneurial Leadership.
The university hopes this four-stage method solves one big problem of higher education in Africa: graduates who are a poor fit for the market, or with little inclination to become entrepreneurs and create jobs instead.
The students will also be nurtured towards developing leadership skills from critical thinking to managing complex tasks and teams. These skills leading African figures say are necessary for the continent to create the internal space needed for its own development.
Close to 200 students drawn from more than 30 African countries are already making their way through the inaugural class located in its flagship Mauritius campus. Early this year Rwanda gave the green light for the Kigali campus, as Swaniker’s effort starts to fan out across the region.
“We want to deliver high-quality leadership education at scale, and we want to do it outstandingly.” Commented Swaniker.
Last year we spoke with Fred’s sister, Constance Swankier a sculptural artist, who uses art to encourage and inspire youth to live their dreams. Read about her story here. Source: M&G Africa