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AFRICA T ADVANCING Of Africa's 60 MBA programs, most are struggling and few are accredited. Making Africa's business schools strong and competitive, however, may be one key to unlocking the continent's rich economic and academic potential. by Richard America illustration by Chris McAllister HIV/AIDS, health care, debt relief, deforestation, technological access, munic- ipal infrastructures, corruption, war, and women's rights. The delegates dis- cussed the policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the legacy of colonialism, slavery in Sudan, and land redistribution in Zimbabwe. In all their discussions, however, very little attention was paid to the issue that may be most important to the development of African nations— modern advanced management education. Why should Africa's management education network take prece- dence over other such forces as globalization, technology, and health care? Simply put, because, in many ways, it affects and encompasses them all. African development has been slowed by gaps in management training. As a result, the public sector is often mismanaged, while private enterprise is stymied by a lack of well-trained modern senior and middle managers. Many scholars agree that the development of Africa's economy relies on the he United Nations held its World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, last August and September. More than 8,000 delegates from 925 international organizations debated a number of factors that affected Africa's development: globalization, poverty, strength of its private and public sectors. Management education may be the key to accelerating the development of Africa's competitive small- and medi- um-sized enterprises and enhancing its entrepreneurial culture. With the right partners and support structures, some scholars say, many of Africa's 60 full- and part-time MBA and executive MBA programs can improve their teaching, research, community service, and consulting. As a result, their programs will become more competitive and their graduates more prepared to tackle local and global economic realities. 28 BizEd MAY/JUNE 2003