Harbus

Issue date: 3/16/09 Section: News

For one weekend each year, the "Final Frontier" is unleashed on the Harvard Business School campus as huge numbers people from Africa, of African descent and numerous others who are simply interested in events relevant to the continent flock to our hallowed grounds to participate in the Africa Business Conference. This year was no different, with close to 1,200 participants representing over 20 countries coming together to engage in networking, panel discussions and social activities during the 11th Annual Conference themed, "Africa on the Move: Transforming Quick Wins into Lasting Change" over the weekend spanning February 20th - 22nd.

The conference has gained notoriety as the preeminent African Business Conference in the Diaspora; one would be hard pressed to find another, whether student organized or otherwise that matches it in terms of participant base, geographic reach and overall quality. From undergraduate students at Stanford to Executive MBA students from the University of Ghana Business School to accomplished entrepreneurs and institutional professionals from across the continent, everyone was assured of several moments of pure astonishment at the potential of the African continent as highlighted through the conference.

In the current unprecedented economy (at least in most of our lifetimes), you might be forgiven for assuming that people would rather stay as far away from business as possible especially in a generally unproven market, however this conference displayed the growing awareness of Africa as a critical destination for business. For those in the know, attendance was an absolute necessity; particularly this year - they needed to find out about ongoing initiatives around the continent, see what opportunities would present themselves and meet the people who are likely going to be the next wave of leaders in the business spheres in their respective countries in Africa. For those who may be less clear on their near term goals, the conference helped shed light on areas where they may have a vague interest and there was always the odd chance that they would run into an entrepreneur on a panel who could flip the switch for them and provide a career opportunity greater than anything they might ever have anticipated. There was plenty of inspiration to go around and it was certainly not lost on the HBS contingent at the conference;

"I was completely blown away by the phenomenal experience that was the 11th annual African Business Conference. Not only was it unbelievable that the conference attracted close to a thousand participants...but it was amazing to see so many people completely engaged in thinking about issues that are so critical to the continent's continued advancement." Farai Shonhiwa (NC)

Continued...

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