7 June 2020- Forty-five AIMS graduates are set to take part in the maiden blended AIMS/ESMT Industry Immersion Program to be held online co-currently in three AIMS-Centers; AIMS South Africa, AIMS Ghana and AIMS Rwanda. Participants in this program are currently based at the participating centers and would be supervised by a business tutor while adhering to social distancing measures and existing safety protocols. They would also take part in the online business competition for universities and business schools from all around the world offered by the MARGA Business Simulations. The first of its kind.
Launched in 2017 as a 4-year pilot program at AIMS South Africa, the AIMS-ESMT Industry Immersion Program is a partnership between the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) Berlin with support funding from the DAAD which aims to prepare mathematically-trained graduates for careers in business or industry.
“The terrible COVID19 pandemic suffered this year has forced us to redesign the delivery of our IIP program. We are excited that we have not only overcome this challenge with an “online blended” delivery, but actually are now better placed to scale the program into the “new normal future” Africa is facing, says Mark Heerden – Executive Co-Founder, AIMS/ESMT IIP .
The first phase of the course consists of Business and soft skills training which will run for 6 weeks from 8th June – 10th July 2020 online through a special learning hub. The business skills courses will be taught by lecturers from ESMT Berlin, and the soft skills training will be offered by staff from AIMS in collaboration with partners from other academic institutions and industry. The business courses include data analytics in business for mathematicians, organizational behavior, strategy as well as finance and accounting. The second phase consists of up to 6-months internships with multinational companies in the home countries of the graduates where they will apply the skills acquired during the program in an industrial setting. This year, we selected 45 participants with 22 being males and 23 females from 20 African countries.
The IIP has already enjoyed an impressive start, working with our global partners, we will now scale the program to reach other African nations where we believe it can have a meaningful impact on industrial development and opportunity. Soon, the IIP will graduate 125 students annually across its multinational African program according to Nick Barniville – Assistant Dean/ Director EdTech, ESMT
About AIMS
The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a pan-African network of centres of excellence for post graduate training, research and public engagement in mathematical sciences. Its mission is to enable Africa’s brightest students to flourish as independent thinkers, problem solvers and innovators capable of propelling Africa’s future scientific, educational and economic self-sufficiency. AIMS was founded in 2003 with centers in five African countries including South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon and Rwanda. AIMS has produced more than 2015 graduates, about one third of whom are women.
About ESMT Berlin
ESMT Berlin is the highest-ranked business school in Germany and Top 10 in Europe. Founded by 25 leading global companies, ESMT offers master’s, MBA, and PhD programs, as well as executive education on its campus in Berlin, in locations around the world, and in an online blended format. Focusing on leadership, innovation, and analytics, its diverse faculty publishes outstanding research in top academic journals. Additionally, the international business school provides an interdisciplinary platform for discourse between politics, business, and academia. ESMT is a non-profit private institution of higher education, accredited by AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, and FIBAA. esmt.berlin
Program Contacts
David Attipoe
Program Lead, AIMS ESMT IIP AIMS South Africa davida@aims.ac.za
Nick Barniville
Assistant Dean/ Director EdTech ESMT Berlin Nick.Barniville@esmt.org