University of West England (UWE) Bristol is set to officially launch the Centre for African Social and Economic Transformation (CASET) — a pioneering initiative designed to foster transformative partnerships across Africa and address some of the continent’s most pressing social and economic challenges.
The Centre will be formally launched at UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus on Thursday, 22 May at an event attended by international representatives from academia, government, and the private sector. The launch will also feature the keynote address and investiture celebrating the appointment of His Excellency, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Executive Governor of Lagos State as the Centre’s Patron.
Among other high-level dignitaries are Her Excellency, Professor Sarah Agbor, former African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) and Board Chair, Forum for Innovation in African Universities (FIAU); Professor Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria, Mr Klaus Schneider, Executive Partner at Schneider and Schaeffer, Germany, and Vice Chancellors from various African countries.
The newly appointed member of CASET’s Advisory Board, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, Chairman of Executive Group and Board Member, Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) will accompany the Governor to the launch along with other senior officials of the Lagos State government.
CASET’s mission is to strengthen ties between African higher education institutions and University of the West of England (UWE), United Kingdom through capacity building, interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange, while removing barriers to higher education.
This will be achieved via transnational education (TNE) partnerships, providing African students access to high-quality, internationally-recognised learning with a focus on entrepreneurship and digital capability.
The establishment of CASET coincides with when many African Youths are disproportionately affected by unemployment compared to their global counterparts. Through targeted entrepreneurship programmes, CASET is committed to bridging this gap and unlocking the continent’s full potential.
Among CASET’s flagship initiatives is the British Council-funded ‘Bridging Borders Project (BBP)’, which is embedding startup ecosystems in University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, and Covenant University.
Professor Paschal Anosike, the Founding Director of CASET and the Project Lead, commented: “By strengthening the capacity of 130+ higher education practitioners to integrate entrepreneurship into the curricula, fostering university-industry collaboration, and equipping over 120,000 students with startup skills, the BBP project aims to drive transformative change in Nigeria’s higher education systems through transnational education.”
Professor Anosike has been instrumental in driving the Centre’s establishment, while leading UWE’s ambition to expand in Africa through TNE partnerships. He brings unmatched experience in forging transformative partnerships across African higher education sector through capacity building, research, youth entrepreneurship programmes, and policymaking.
Professor Sir Steven West, the Vice Chancellor at UWE Bristol said: UWE Bristol recognises Africa as a thriving hub of youthful vibrancy, entrepreneurship, and social innovation.
CASET will serve as our leading platform to unlock this potential through strategic partnerships, interdisciplinary research, and knowledge exchange, co-creating and fostering solutions to the continent’s most pressing challenges”.
Jo Midgley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Registrar at UWE Bristol, added: “The establishment of CASET reinforces our commitment to tackling societal challenges through global collaboration. By focusing on the educational and employment needs of young people in Africa, CASET aligns perfectly with UWE Bristol’s ethos of innovation, inclusion and enterprise”.
CASET also builds on UWE Bristol’s extensive social and cultural engagement including through The Daigo Project and Project Zulu, a UWE Bristol initiatives to address systemic vulnerabilities in The Gambia and South Africa, and supports leading academic work by Professor Peter Case and Professor Richard Bolden who are working with Albert Luthuli Leadership Institute at the University of Pretoria to strengthen healthcare delivery and leadership systems in Africa.