Global E-MBA class returns from inaugural module in Uganda

Global E-MBA class returns from inaugural module in Uganda

The Global Executive MBA class which started in 2014 spent last week furthering their skills in innovation and entrepreneurship in Kampala, Uganda. Holding the module in Kampala is a new initiative, one which served to expand participants’ horizons significantly.

“The module in Uganda has been added to push participants’ boundaries and expose them to a business climate vastly different from what they may be used to,” says CBS associate professor Søren Jeppesen, who led the trip alongside Rebecca Namatovu from Makerere University Business School (MUBS). “Africa has experienced significant growth in recent years and there are an increasing number of business opportunities to be explored. By making senior executives acquainted with the key themes concerning doing business and innovation in Uganda, we aim to assist them and their organisations in building the necessary insight needed to assess the potential for entering these markets.”

Lectures were interspersed with company visits to local and international firms, networking and collaboration with MBA students from MUBS, interaction with the Danish Ambassador to Uganda and staff and various presentations by important institutions and company representatives. Participants returned to home turf having been impressed and inspired by the local entrepreneurial climate.

“The module in Kampala gave me a new perspective on an area of the world which I previously knew little about,” commented participant Trine Storgaard Nielsen, Global Account Manager at DSV. “It was particularly interesting to observe entrepreneurship at work in an environment where it is so deeply ingrained in the culture. All in all, the module provided me with insight into what kind of challenges companies face and I look forward to following and facilitating DSV’s growth in this part of the world.”

Troels Mølgaard, Nordic Sales Manager for Dana Lim, agreed:
“It was a fantastic journey, which served to change my pre-existing perceptions of Africa. In Uganda, entrepreneurship is a part of everyone’s lives as a means to survive, whereas in our part of the world, to innovate a product or business usually entails significant technological advancement. On a practical note, I was able to extract some insight into how paint (which is similar to glue) is produced in a different environment thanks to the company presentation and visit at Sadolin Paints.”

The module in Uganda represented the last international module for this Global E-MBA class, which will graduate in June 2016.