Naming the elephant on the table: a case for Africa
Kwame Boateng & Ije Ikoku, WG'05 & WG'06
Issue date: 4/18/05 Section: Perspectives
A collective group of students from the Wharton African Students Association (WASA) have been working with the administration to incorporate cases from Africa into the curriculum. We've identified over 300 cases from HBS, the European Case Clearing House and the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa that could be immediately incorporated into our curriculum. Some examples include Woolworth South Africa's expansion strategy for sub-Saharan Africa, AES's entry into the Nigerian energy sector through a recent acquisition, Anglogold's merger with Ashanti goldfields in Ghana, and South Africa Breweries' purchase of Miller USA as a market penetration strategy. In addition to this case database, a number of WASA members are working with Wharton faculty to develop a case study on a private equity portfolio investment in the region. We plan to make this part of the case readings for MGMT809: Private Equity in Emerging Markets, offered in the spring semester each academic year.
There are numerous examples of emerging markets cases that can be used to broaden the scope of our business education without compromising the pedagogical objectives of the curriculum. A region that will account for over 50% of the world's output deserves more than a handful of cases and class time.
The case for Africa and other emerging countries must continue to be made. There are about 346 students out of 825 in the Class of 2006 who are international, and over 30% of the class has interests in emerging economies. Some of these students intend to pursue business opportunities in these countries. This is an indication that there is a need for the school to place more focus on emerging markets to better equip those students who decide to pursue international ventures.
The Wharton School has a proud history. Business education, which we conceived over 100 years ago, has to change to meet the challenges of the future. Who is better positioned to lead the change in business education than the inventor?
There are numerous examples of emerging markets cases that can be used to broaden the scope of our business education without compromising the pedagogical objectives of the curriculum. A region that will account for over 50% of the world's output deserves more than a handful of cases and class time.
The case for Africa and other emerging countries must continue to be made. There are about 346 students out of 825 in the Class of 2006 who are international, and over 30% of the class has interests in emerging economies. Some of these students intend to pursue business opportunities in these countries. This is an indication that there is a need for the school to place more focus on emerging markets to better equip those students who decide to pursue international ventures.
The Wharton School has a proud history. Business education, which we conceived over 100 years ago, has to change to meet the challenges of the future. Who is better positioned to lead the change in business education than the inventor?