Following in our World Class tradition and our reputation for international relevance, we nationalisation and Africa. Mr Blair also joined a panel of local experts and leaders to discuss issues affecting African development.
In his remarks, the former Prime Minister emphasised that governance is the key issue facing African countries. “If countries are well governed, they will succeed; but if they are poorly governed, they will fail,” he asserted. He added that governance must be supported by infrastructure that supports connectivity, a business environment that instils confidence amongst investors, and systems that protect ordinary citizens, including security, healthcare and education. “Our institutions must focus on creativity rather than rote learning,” he commented. Mr Blair further noted that if a country has even one effective higher education institution, it may stand as an example to others and encourage better education.
Other esteemed panellists who joined the discussion on the topic included Prof. Olive Shisana, President and CEO, Evidence Based Solutions and member of the MSA Advisory Board, Prof Narend Baijnath, CEO, Council on Higher Education, as well as Ogi Williams, Senior Research Analyst, In On Africa, and Tafadzwa Mandinyenya SADC Youth Network.
The topic of the discussion was highly relevant and ensured a robust discussion regarding the need for an Afro-centric education, while maintaining a globally relevant perspective and the ability of students to work cross-culturally and across the globe. We are well known for our diverse student body, with over 60 different nationalities represented on our campus, presenting a diverse array of international perspectives in our lectures, tutorials and discussions.
Our CEO, Sharad Mehra, expressed his gratitude to the former minister for his attendance and continued interest in African development. “Our campus prides itself on providing internationally relevant degrees, while ensuring an education sensitive to African needs and challenges. Hosting a speaker of such prestige on our campus is a remarkable honour and reinforces our commitment to a truly global education for all our students. We are so very grateful to Mr Blair for participating in this incredible event and visiting our campus”.
Mr Blair’s visit to MSA was one of many to Laureate network institutions. The other Laureate universities he has visited include INTI in Malaysia, and Laureate campuses in São Paulo, Brazil; in Lima, Peru; Germany, Spain; Turkey; Mexico and Brazil.