ESMT Berlin launches program in Africa to enhance graduate employability
The six-month IIP includes two academic modules to build business readiness skills as well as a 12-week internship with industry partners across Africa. Professors from ESMT faculty will be teaching pro bono, covering areas such as organizational behavior, corporate strategy, finance, and accounting. The pilot program has received funding support from the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The program starts with 30 master’s graduates. The launch of the IIP will coincide with the “G20 Africa Partnership – Investing in a Common Future,” held on June 12-13 in Berlin and hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Finance, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Deutsche Bundesbank.
On July 3, the first class of mathematically trained Master of Science graduates from eleven countries across Africa such as Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal, among others, will start the first module in Cape Town, South Africa. On average, the participating students are in their early 20s. Internships will begin in South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, and Kenya in mid-August.
The initiators of the IIP, ESMT Founding Dean Wulff Plinke and Associate Dean Nick Barniville, will present the program during the G20 Africa Partnership conference. Facilitating high-level dialogues between G20 and African decision makers, the conference is a central project of Germany’s G20 presidency. High-ranking representatives from civil society, the private sector, and both G20 and African states will discuss opportunities and contributions for sustainable investment and employment promotion.
“The IIP is a pilot program to tackle the issue of youth unemployment in Africa, where many young graduates lack the necessary skills for industry. The program supports the best African talent and provides a clear incentive for entrepreneurship,” commented Prof. Plinke.
About ESMT Berlin
ESMT Berlin is a leading global business school with its campus in the heart of Berlin. Founded by 25 global companies, ESMT offers master, MBA, and PhD programs, as well as executive education on its campus in Berlin, in locations around the world, online, and in online blended format. Focusing on leadership, innovation, and analytics, its diverse faculty publishes outstanding research in top academic journals. Additionally, the international business school provides an interdisciplinary platform for discourse between politics, business, and academia. ESMT is a non-profit private institution of higher education with the right to grant PhDs and is accredited by AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, and ZEvA. It is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion across all its activities and communities.
