WSU partners with Africa for business innovation, competition

NM-AIST group
WSU faculty and students visit the Nelson Mandela institute in Tanzania.

 

PULLMAN, Wash. – Transforming science into economic vitality is the foundation of a growing relationship between Washington State University College of Business and The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania.

 

NM-AIST is striving to become a world-class research-intensive training institution mainly for postgraduates and postdoctoral professionals in science, engineering and technology. The college established cooperation with the institute in 2012 to assist with developing courses on innovation, venture creation and technology transfer.

 

The relationship with NM-AIST is a collaborative effort between the WSU College of Business and the WSU Paul G. Allen School of Global Animal Health; it is part of a university-wide, international development initiative.

 

“As a land grant university, WSU recognizes the importance of investing in science and technology while infusing these investments with solid business principles, thereby enabling international partners to develop critical educational programs,”€ said Eric R. Spangenberg, dean of the College of Business. “Our partnership with NM-AIST will enrich international partners’€™ students’€™ lives as well as the lives of WSU students, better preparing all of them to make a difference in our global economy.”€

 

Burton Mwamila, NM-AIST’€™s vice chancellor, described the relationship as an important step impacting not only the institute, but also the country and region.

 

“NM-AIST graduates will be the next generation of leaders,”€ he said. “Beyond being accomplished scientists, they must possess the business skills to transform science and technology into economic vitality at a global scale.”

 

Jerman Rose
WSU’s Jerman Rose conducts a workshop at the institute.

Business in Africa

Jerman Rose, director of the WSU International Business Institute, has collaborated with NM-AIST faculty on curriculum development and conducted a face-to-face workshop with institute students in October. WSU business students Lindsey Elhart and Tyler Mumby accompanied Rose as part of a global learning experience.

 

In early February, 15 institute students in five teams competed in the first NM-AIST/WSU Business Plan Competition. College of Business judges included David Sprott, associate dean for graduate, international and professional programs; Velle Kolde, director of the Executive MBA program; and Judy Kolde, senior director of Microsoft Corporation’s Worldwide Public Sector Health Partners and member of the College of Business National Board of Advisors.

 

Aphonce Massaga of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce also judged and provided a local viewpoint. Liliane Pasape, head of NM-AIST’s business studies and humanities department, officially commenced the proceedings for the competition.

 

Innovation takes flight

SimBar Team, led by Jofrey Raymond, won the competition. The team produced “SimBar©,”€ a dry, nutty snack alternative to candy bars, starched-based cookies and chips. The sesame-based product contains anticancer, anti-aging and anti-obesity compounds with high nutritional value. The team aims to market the product to improve the health of young people, the fitness segment and the general population of east Africa.

 

“I have never been in an airplane,”€ said Raymond. “My teammates and I spent many sleepless nights preparing for this day to make sure we board a plane to compete in the USA!”€

 

Because the competition was so close, the judges chose to award first runner up to team DBMC Agricultural Alliance, led by Dina Machuve. The team offers poultry farmers a systematic way to collect, analyze and store information through crowdsourcing, where data is collected from many poultry farmers and provided by DBMC Alliance through cloud computing.

 

Both NM-AIST teams will come to Pullman to compete against teams from Switzerland, China and the United States in the WSU College of Business’€™ International Business Plan Competition April 18-19.

 

About the College of Business

The WSU College of Business is accredited across all business disciplines at the baccalaureate, masters and doctoral levels by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Faculty across disciplines produce scholarly and applied research at the main campus in Pullman as well as at urban campuses in Vancouver and the Tri-Cities. International activities include academic centers in China and Switzerland as well as thriving partnerships with several schools around the globe. Innovative online programs supplement face-to-face offerings. For more information, visit http://www.business.wsu.edu.

 

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Contacts:
Sue McMurray, WSU College of Business, 509-335-7578, sue.mcmurray@wsu.edu
Jerman Rose, WSU College of Business International Business Institute, 509-335-7703, rosej@wsu.edu.