Africanist seminar „Development cooperation with Africa. Investing in human capital”

On 17th of June 2019 a seminar on development cooperation with Africa and investment in human capital was held, combined with a discussion. Four experts were invited: Dr Bara Ndiaye, Dr Eugeniusz Rzewuski, Mr Marek Zmysłowski and Mr Robert Ainebyona. They took up the subject of education and socio-economic development, which are interrelated. Low quality of education results from underdevelopment, but also contributes to economic stagnation, as it is educated people that determine the growth rate of the gross domestic product. These dependencies were very vividly presented by Prof. Bruno Knall (1924-2009) from the University of Heidelberg. Economic backwardness is the reason for the lack of funds for the development of education. This, in turn, causes low professional qualifications and low general education. It results in low labour productivity and, consequently, economic backwardness.

Dr Bara Ndiaye is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Warmia and Mazury. For many years, he and his wife Iwona have been organizing Africa Days in Olsztyn, combined with a scientific conference. He works as an expert with the Border Guard Specialist Training Centre in Lubań.

Dr Eugeniusz Rzewuski is a specialist in Swahili language and culture, who lectured at the University of Warsaw and Universidade Eduardo Modlane in Maputo, Mozambique. He was the vice-chairman and then chairman of the Polish Africanist Society. In the years 1995-1999 he was the chargé d’affaires of the Polish Embassy in Tanzania, and in the years 2003-2006 – the Polish ambassador to Angola and the Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Marek Zmysłowski is a businessman. He founded the Jovago hotel booking service from scratch and it became famous all over Africa. He has gained considerable business experience in the demanding Nigerian market. He wrote the biography “Chasing black unicorns. How building the Amazon of Africa put me on Interpol’s Most Wanted list”, in which he reveals the backstage of his career development. He was invited to give a TEDx lecture on rist taking.

Robert Ainebyona is a volunteer for the Maitri Movement. He talks in Polish schools about his country Uganda, fighting the stereotypes. Before coming to Poland in 2018, he did an internship at the headquarters of the East African Community in Arusha, Tanzania. In this city, he co-organized the UMCS Open Day. Currently he is studying international relations in English at the Faculty of Political Science at UMCS.

The discussion was moderated by Dr Konrad Czernichowski. TV UMCS reported on this event.

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    Date of addition
    17 June 2019