09/08/2023
At IE University, students go beyond the classroom as part of their academic experience. In collaboration with IE Africa Center, IE University’s Social Impact Week is an opportunity for students from various MARCOM programs and the Master in Talent Development & Human Resources to engage with the African continent and make a lasting impact. IE Africa Center Director Eniola Harrison shared her insights on the experience and its purpose.
IE University’s Social Impact Week is designed with support from IE Africa Center to allow students to step out of the classroom and into a hands-on experience in Africa. IE Africa Center Director, Eniola Harrison, is passionate about the project and the impact students have on the communities it serves.
From the IE Africa Center’s perspective, we want to show our students that Africa is modern and Africa is the future—there’s business, there’s opportunity. We want to open their minds to the idea that Africa is more balanced than what is shown in the media.
Social Impact Week gives the IE Community the chance to come together to learn, grow and create an impact.
“Our mission is to shine a light on African solutions to global challenges and provide opportunities for greater engagement for the IE University students, alumni and faculty with the African continent through various organizations, institutions and thought leaders.” In this particular Social Impact Week, 25 students from a variety of programs—including the Master in Strategic Marketing and Communication, Master in Customer Experience and Innovation, Master in Market Research and Consumer Behavior, Master in Creative Direction, Content & Branding and Master in Talent Development and Human Resources—brought their unique skill set to do just that.
George A. Ayeh, one of IE Africa Center’s Gurus and Griots Fellows and the CEO and founder of the primary healthcare chain FastCare Clinics, received students to work on a consulting project. FastCare Clinics provides primary healthcare to underserved and low-income communities in Ghana and plans to expand across the entire continent. This served as the perfect fit for the students to support their communication activities and work hands-on with the FastCare Clinics team.
“So that was the main purpose of the trip; for the students to get firsthand experience working with an entrepreneur in Ghana and to think about how the work they do can have a lasting impact,” explains Eniola.
The consulting project had two objectives: come up with a communication strategy to help expand and design a strategy to support talent development and retention. “It was really a big shift in terms of thinking. This is a community that is not served by social media, the internet, current trends or digital forms of media, so students really had to really dig deep to think about creative ways to build trust and engage with these communities.”
The students’ ideas were so well received that they went on to build a final capstone project based on their development and retention efforts at FastCare Clinics. “Their impact went beyond just immersion week.”
The cultural side of it all
It wasn’t all work—students also participated in organized activities where they could experience different sites and aspects of Ghana’s business, culture, food and overall vibe. From open-air markets and nightlife to talks from business leaders and a meet-and-greet with IE University alumni who now live in Ghana, students were able to exchange, experience and share.
“One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Ashesi University, which is about two hours away from the city. It’s an institution with an entrepreneurship mindset and was founded by an entrepreneur. In fact, we’ve had Ashesi students do a summer exchange at IE University, and one of their leaders in management is also an IE University alum.” While there, students were able to meet like-minded students and share entrepreneurship ideas.
What’s more, students attended talks from the Deputy Minister of Finance and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce about the opportunities that exist for business and entrepreneurship, as well as visited a space for artists and two shops with clothes from top African fashion designers. Plus, those who enjoy spicy food had the chance to test their limits at different restaurants and with a variety of foods.
The experience had a bit of everything, and the hospitality of the hosts made the students feel right at home.
The bigger picture
Eniola would tell anyone interested in participating in Social Impact Week to do it. A lot of students describe the week as the highlight of their program, mainly because they’ve never visited the continent. “Take the opportunity to immerse yourself in a culture that’s probably very different from yours. You may find that although it’s different, there are a lot of similarities as well. It’s also a chance to push yourself to challenge existing views and stereotypes that you might have about the African continent and what’s going on there.”
It’s more than just something fun to do, it’s a life-changing experience. If you’re looking for business with a purpose, this is definitely a great opportunity to explore what you could be doing in the world, Eniola Harrison.
This year’s Social Impact Week wrapped up with an award ceremony from the consulting competition. Five teams presented their ideas and one team received an award from the Ambassador of Spain in Ghana during the ceremony at the Embassy of Spain in Ghana. The students were welcomed with open arms by people who work hard and are happy to share their culture.
“We really want our students to be able to take that away and spread that to their home countries.”
