On November 4, 2025, Ashesi University hosted the 2025 Global Business School Network (GBSN) Beyond Conference, themed “Entrepreneurs, Enterprises, and Ecosystems.” The event brought together representatives from diverse organizations, including industry leaders, grassroots cooperatives, and government agencies, to explore how business education and innovation can accelerate Africa’s growth.
Delivering an address, Patrick Awuah, Founder and President of Ashesi University, highlighted the role of resilient ecosystems in driving sustainable development. Drawing from Ashesi’s own experience, he emphasized diversity, collaboration, buffers, and constant exploration as the foundational elements of thriving enterprises and economies. “Whether in business or nature, resilience comes from diversity, feedback loops, and the ability to adapt,” he noted, stressing the importance of education, policy, and industry acting not as isolated entities but as interconnected systems that fuel progress.
Throughout the day, panel conversations and breakout discussions expanded on these themes. Sessions explored human-centered and regenerative entrepreneurship, healthcare innovation through collaboration, and the use of tourism, data, and artificial intelligence to advance academic growth across the continent.
Opening the panel conversations, Gordon Adomdza, Executive Director of the China Europe International Business School in Accra, led a discussion on the key factors reshaping the West African economy. The session highlighted emerging opportunities in renewable energy, digital innovation, manufacturing, and agriculture. Panelists Mike Ogbalu III, CEO of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS); Carl Manlan, IMAGINE Leader at IMAGINE; and Kofi Dadzie, Tech Governance Consultant with the Frontier Tech Governance Initiative, identified regional value chain development and innovation-driven competitiveness as critical levers for unlocking growth in a shifting global order, one defined by trade integration, climate pressures, demographic change, and political transitions.
Subsequent conversations centered on nurturing Africa’s next generation of business leaders and redefining business education to meet development priorities. Panelists examined emerging sectors, including renewable energy, digital innovation, manufacturing, and agriculture, while also emphasizing the importance of equipping young Africans with entrepreneurial, technical, and leadership skills. Speakers emphasized the need for stronger collaboration among education, industry, government, and civil society to close talent gaps, align business education with Africa’s development priorities, and build innovative ecosystems capable of driving transformative change.
