ZEBS woos African students with economical, flexible MBA
By Elizabeth Osayande
ZEBS Africa, a subsidiary of ZEBS (Zurich Elite Business School) has listed flexibility, low cost, career growth focus, an opportunity for overseas studies and scholarship among the reasons for youths in Africa to enrol for its ZEBS Real World Skills MBA.
According to a statement by the institution, the tailor-made MBA is “An African Entrepreneurship Programme that supports investment into the best student and graduate innovative ideas and projects with an enterprise incubation support provided.
“Also there is an opportunity to get seed capital to start the venture and an international business partnership programme powered by an international alumni and business partners network.”
The statement by Professor Adonis-Emmanouil Fragkakis, Founder/ President, ZEBS, and Dr. Akanimo Odon, Director, Africa ZEBS, noted an African Development Bank, AfDB, 2018 report that more than half of the over 420 million young people in Africa are either unemployed or vulnerably employed.
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It stated also that whether the fate of the 420 million youths was due to lack of practical industry skills, limited university support systems, or weak government policies, “not having conversations with industry players makes it even worse.”
According to ZEBS, COVID-19 has made clear the fragile nature of several African economies and revealed the problem of over-dependence on natural resources i.e. minerals, oil and gas, requiring a shift to a knowledge/digital economy in the new global era.
“But most international online MBAs are expensive and not affordable by the middle-class; are rigid and not customised or lack case studies and content that are representative of the African market;
“Require unattainable prerequisites and criteria for admission including extensive work experiences, high grades and degrees and have no capacity to provide support with local career growth and development through volunteering opportunities, internships programmes,” ZEBS added.
The tailor-made Real World Skills MBA, ZEBS promised, “also offered quick completion time compared to most other international online MBAs – less than one year; a robust scholarship programme for all students and a robust mentoring programme during and after the end of the programme.”
On its site, ZEBS stated that it’s “a new Business School established in 2004 in Zurich, committed to providing a world-class education in business administration, to helping fellows achieve excellence in their academic and professional careers and companies develop and strengthen their most valuable asset: people.”