Africa Education Leadership Awards 2012: No Higher Honour
By John A. Akec
Author (middle) Receiving award from Dr. Kaylash Allgoo, Director Mauritius Qualifications Authority (Left), and Hon. Mrs PolononiVenson Moitoi, Minister of Education, Botswana (Right) |
I was delightfully shocked and elevated to receive an invitation recently
to attend Africa-India Partnership Summit that was scheduled to take place in Le Meridien lle, Mauritius, on 12 December 2012. The
invitation also pointed out that I was going to be honoured with Africa
Education Leadership Award for 2012 during the summit. All happened as planned.
I travelled to Mauritius and participated in that Summit accordingly, and received
the Africa Education Award for 2012 for "Outstanding Contribution to
Education", it says in the invitation letter.
The Africa Education Leadership Awards is an annual event that takes
place in Mauritius and are organised and presented by World CSR Day, in
partnership with CMO Asia, and Stars of Industry Group, among others; all of
which are not-for-profit bodies active in promoting good governance, business
excellence, leadership, sustainability, innovation, and corporate
responsibility both regionally and globally.
The Awards which comprised of a trophy and citation "are of the highest stature and are presented to Individuals and
Institutions who have surpassed several levels of its excellence and set an
example of being a role model and Exemplary Leadership. And also to Individuals
behind the Institution who are building their Institutions through Leadership,
Innovation, Academic and Industry Interface and a supreme objective of Building
future leaders", according to presenters of the Africa Education
Leadership Awards.
Most important for me, this Award is an endorsement of the vision I have
been trying to sell through advocacy work; namely the need for South Sudan to
turn its back on outmoded colonial elitist type of higher education that favours
few bright students, and move towards mass higher education that provides ample
opportunity for most to study at post secondary level. This is because the
increasingly knowledge-based economies of twenty first century demand large
educated and skilled workforce for any country to compete in the global
marketplace, especially in area of science and technology. Not only did I
advocate for it, but have presented policy change recommendations, most of
which are yet to find acceptance by the education establishments in my country.
The Award is therefore a boost for my morale to persevere and stay the course until this
vision comes to full fruition.
Africa Meets Asia in Mauritius to Share Views on "Leadership for
Future"
The Africa India Partnership Summit that coincided with Africa
Leadership Awards and Africa Education Leadership Awards 2012 explored the
potential and avenues for Africa India cooperation and exchanged views on
questions related to leadership for the future- with a particular focus on two
main themes that were the subjects of panel discussions: "Building Future
Leaders – Perspectives," and "Building Strategic Thinking for the
Future."
Dr Bhatia, Founder, World CSR Day opens Africa-India Partnership Summit in Le Meridien Ile, Mauritius |
A View from Le Meridien Ile Maurice: I could not afford to book a room here but lived 20 minutes away by taxi |
Keynote Speeches
The Summit and Leadership Awards were well attended with keynote
speeches on the above themes by Dr. R.L. Bhatia, Founder of World CSR Day; Mrs.
Pelononi Moitoi, Minister of Education, Botswana; Mr. Ronald Dubois, Senior
Advisor, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Mauritius; Mrs. Sheery
Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Ghana; Mr. Walter
Mzembi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, Zimbabwe; and Mr. Sarat Dutt
Lallah, CEO, Mauritius Telecom.
Keynote speakers from left to right: Mrs Poloni Moitoi, Mr. Ronald Dubois, Mrs Sheery Ayittey, Mr. Walter Mzembi, Mr Sarat Dutt Lallah, and Dr.R.L. Bhatia (at the back) |
Presenting his perspective on the theme of building leadership for the
future, Dr. Bhatia the founder of World CSR Day and Indian national, maintained
that a leader is someone with whom you can go where you cannot go alone, that
leaders grow other leaders, and that leaders show during the time of great
crisis. Finally, he said, good leaders create great nations.
Mrs. Moitoi, Minister of
Education, Botswana, on the other hand, stressed that leaders are not grown in
the classroom but are born with talents and instinct for leadership. She shared
how Botswana works tirelessly for the betterment of lives of the populace. She
also encouraged more Africa India partnership.
Mr. Roland Dubois, Senior Economic Advisor to government of Mauritius
pointed out how his country, which is devoid of natural resources such as oil
and diamonds, has invested in its people as the resource for wealth creation
through education and training, pointing out the strategic location of his
country as the meeting point between Africa and Asia.
Mrs. Ayittey, Minister of
Environment, Science and Technology, Ghana stressed the fact that leaders can
grow other leaders by being role models to whom the young can look up to in society;
that leaders should put people and their interests of first, not their own; and
to always strive to bring everyone on board.
Mr. Lallah, CEO, Mauritius Telecom, explained how two decades ago, as
Mauritius Minister of IT and Telecommunications then, he encouraged his
government to invest in fiber optic cables that connected Mauritius to Red Sea,
South Africa, and Malagasy respectively and hence to the rest of the world. He
pointed out how his country is now ripping great benefits because of its easy
and fast connectivity to the world via multiple sub-marine cables. He
underscored the necessity for leaders of our countries to look deep into distant
future and recognize the awaiting opportunities while making investment
decisions now rather than later.
At the end of keynote speeches that were followed immediately by
presenting the speakers with Africa Leadership Awards, Prof. Elsaadani Muhamed,
Vice President, Misr University of Science and Technology, Egypt, announced
that his University will host Africa Education Leadership Awards for 2013 and
invited all to attend.
Panel Discussion on "Building Future Leaders – Perspective"
On the panel entitled "Building Future Leaders – Perspective"
were Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and CEO, The Brand Leadership Group; Vidia
Mooneegan, Senior Vice President, Ceridian Global Workforce Strategy; Dr.
Primrose Kursha, Vice Chancellor, Zimbabwe Open University; and Dr. Lazarus
Hangula, Vice Chancellor, University of Namibia.
In her perspective, Dr. Primrose, Vice Chancellor, Open University of
Zimbabwe emphasized the role that education plays in shaping future leaders.
Leaders should listen and listen when making consultation which should impact
premade decisions, she stressed; pointing out how vitally important for leaders
to also roll up their sleeves and work at operational levels as opposed to
confining themselves to strategic level where it is so easy to get out of touch
with reality on the ground.
Dr. Gangula, Vice Chancellor, University of Namibia described the strategies
his country used to jump start education after independence. He underscored the
necessity to hire foreign expertise in higher education institutions to close
the gap in national human resource.
Panel Discussion on "Building
Strategic Thinking for the Future"
This author participated on this panel. Other panelists included Prof.
Nyeko Pen-Mogi , Vice Chancellor, University of Gulu, Uganda; Dr. Samuel
Donkor, President and Founder, All Nations University College, Ghana; Dr.
Sandip Jha, Chairman, Sandip Foundation, India.
Panellists from left to right: Dr. Kaylash Allgoo, moderator; Prof. Nyeko Pen-Mogi; Dr. Samuel Donkor, Dr. Sandip Jha; and this Author |
Prof. Pen-Mogi pointed out how the idea of a vision for future has been
found wanting in most of Africa. He gave examples of poor town planning approaches
that in the end cost so much money to correct such as allocating residential
areas in swamps regions of his country; only for the government to end up
borrowing large sums of money from World Bank and IMF to construct flood water drainage
systems for such residents, instead of anticipating the risks ahead of planning
and finding remedies. He also lamented how easy it is for national parliaments in
Africa to endorse many plans just because they were brought up by the
presidents, and not for their own merits. Other panellists also presented worthy perspectives that space would not allow to cover in this article.
My Perspective on Building Strategic Thinking for the Future
Author giving his perspective on strategic thinking for the future |
Giving my perspective on the theme of building strategic thinking for the future, I saw a need for Africa to have a mindset that can "plant a tree" as I reminded my listeners how the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher commented on the famous statement by John Maynard Keynes, the twentieth century British iconic economist, when he argued in his time with free market fundamentalists that: "in the long run, we will all be dead." Later on, when Keynes has been long dead, Mrs. Thatcher told a Conservative Party conference in 1980s: "Anyone who thinks like that [Keynes] cannot plant a tree."
While Margaret Thatcher deliberately quoted Keynes out of context as a
putdown on economic Keynesianism, she makes a point of necessity of having a
mindset that is ready to invest in distant future and rip the benefits later. As
Africa plans for the future, I pointed out, there is a need for the leaders of
our continent to get out of the 'here and now mentality' and look further beyond
quick rewards or short-term interests.
Hence, I urged for the need to discard the narrow elitist based higher
education model that benefits privileged few, and move to broader based mass
higher education model that is socially just and in tune with the demand of twenty
first century. Our education systems, as I see it, should emphasize the mastery
of generic skills particularly languages (such as English), numeracy, ICT, and
communications and team work skills over narrow-based specialist skills at
undergraduate level. This is because the
future generations will be frequently changing jobs and professions several
times in their lifetime; thus, demanding constant deskilling, and re-skilling
to keep pace with changing needs of the job market.
We should also empower
women so that they can contribute more effectively to global well being, I
demanded.
Furthermore, education institutions should encourage extra curricula
activities outside the lecture hall and the library to develop talents that can
be of great benefit in later professional life; and teach entrepreneurship to
young so that they can create their own jobs, and be sensitized about the need to
protect environment and responsible use of dwindling earth resources.
I also urged governments to avail
more funds to teaching of science and technology subjects and for private sector
to a play pole in higher education. Last but not the least, we should strive to
increase South-South cooperation in areas of technology transfer, health,
education, and infrastructure development; and devise platforms and mechanisms for sharing experiences on best practice.
Now for Digression: My Conversations with Niccolo' Machiavelli on the Island of Ile
Aux Cerf, Mauritius
Grand Bay a view into the ocean, 10 minutes walk from my hotel |
Mauritius is a beautiful island nation located in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa coast. It has a population of 1.2 million and total GDP of USD 12 billion (purchasing power parity, PPP) and GDP per capita of USD 10,000 (PPP). Its economy is mainly service-based (61 percent of GDP) with tourism making a significant contribution to economy. Industry contributes 29 percent and agriculture 10 percent to the GDP. The country's literacy rate averages 83 percent and with just 10 percent of population living below poverty line. Mauritius capital is Port Louis.
Tourism is a big thing in Mauritius with a Beach Authority to manage their beaches |
Fed up staying inside: I am off to Ile Aux Cerf Island |
At Waterfalls: Somebody got paid by taking me around and taking my photo. Very smart indeed. Relaxed but jealous of clever Mauritians. Not really! |
I was on the maritime nation for 4 days (11 to 15 December 2012). A day before my departure, I
went on a boat day tour of the beautiful Ile Aux Cerf Island in the South East cost
of Mauritius, 45 minute drive from Grand Bay in North East Mauritius where I stayed. The
tour package did not exceed USD 30 (800 Ruppees), and included boat trip to the
island, visit to a waterfall on speed boat, lunch with fish and chicken barbecue and bottomless assortment of drinks. This would hardly be enough for a decent
lunch at your average hotel in Juba, yet it was more than enough for the whole day
entertainment in Mauritius. One big lesson learned.
Got an eye for details? This is it. Every need catered for. Very thoughtful. |
Finally Meet Niccolo Machiavelli!
After touring the island and had lunch, I killed the rest of the time waiting for my boat to take me back to mainland by reading George Bull's excellent translation of The Prince by Niccolo' Machiavelli:
Portriat of Machavelli, by Santi di Tito (Source: Wikipedia) |
After touring the island and had lunch, I killed the rest of the time waiting for my boat to take me back to mainland by reading George Bull's excellent translation of The Prince by Niccolo' Machiavelli:
"First it is to be noted that whereas other princes [read
presidents and prime ministers] have to content only with the ambition of the nobles [read
politicians, ministers, MPs, academics and civil society, italic my addition]and the insolence of the people, the Roman emperors encountered a
third difficulty: they had to content with cruelty and avarice of the soldiers...
This was a hard task and it was responsible for the downfall of many [ouch!, my exclamation], since it
was difficult to satisfy both the soldiers and the populace…," (page 107). This is a difficult one, but sorry, Machiavelli, I could not
possibly comment. I told myself.
Then, continues Machiavelli: "a prince should also show his esteem
for talent, actively encouraging able men [and women, my italic], and
honouring those who excel in their profession. Then must encourage his citizens
so that they can go peacefully about their business…the prince should be ready
to reward men [and women] who do those things and those who endeavour in any way
to increase prosperity of their city or their state…" Unquote (page 123). Well said,
Machiavelli, I thought. Enough advise for today. I will take this last one home to
my country, South Sudan. Thank you.
Time passed quickly, and I was soon on my boat to the shores of Mauritius and on
the van to hotel in Grand Bay. The following morning I was happily on Air Mauritius to Nairobi on my way home… encouraged, refreshed, and with lots of ideas
for the betterment of my country.
Finally, I give my deepest and ineffable gratitude to World CSR Day and its partner
organisations for the good they are doing for our world and Africa; and to
fellow panelists at the Africa India Partnership Summit for sharing their
thoughts on the vital theme of leadership.
Also, I would like to extend my best wishes for a Very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New to all and everyone who has taken trouble to read my
marathon blog article.
I entrust you all in the hands and loving care of the Almighty until we meet again in 2013.
6 Comments:
Very interesting!
By Emmanuel Monychol Akop, At 8:11 AM
With nomads,a bull is decorated with a bell. There may be many bulls in the camp but the one considered to be outstandingly colorful, more docile and has away of sounding the bell to the careful rhythm of its graceful walk gets the shinning metal on its neck. It's usually the greatest envy of other bulls who later try to emulate the 'Chosen One'. They must always bellow the same way, carry themselves with equal docility, civility - all for the pleasure of the owner.
Dr. John A. Akec fits in the Bell analogy. His outstanding contribution to African education shouldn't have brought him anything less than this tremendous honour.
By Paul Baak, At 12:30 AM
good aritical Iam ask you were are you in political arena of south sudan I wash to good hope and your writng change south sudan political movement to freedom as we need in for 2os year
thanks god with you
brother for freedom
Clement Maroor
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