Annual EDHE Kick-off 2023
This year hosted alongside the AIT-SASBI Conference 2023 an international experience united in the theme; Social and tech-driven for impact. The EDHE Kick-off and AIT-SASBI Spring Conference 2023 will offer In-person and Virtual attendance.
#Innovation4Impact #EDHE #EDHEKickoff2023
A rich international learning experience for EDHE members, along with peers from Switzerland, Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Programme
- 21 February CoP Member Meeting
- 22 February AIT SASBI Conference Day 1
- 23 February AIT SASBI Conference Day 2
AIT-SASBI Spring Conference 2023
AIT-SASBI – Academy-Industry Training: Swiss and African Science and Business Innovators Program.
Theme: Social and Tech driven Innovation for Impact
Date: 2023, February, 22nd – 23rd
Host: EDHE – Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education
Venue: Johannesburg, South Africa
Keynote Speaker on Wednesday morning, 22nd February 2023
Prof. Edwin C. Constable
University of Basel Professor of Chemistry
Former Vice-President Research, University of Basel
Corresponding Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (corrFRSE)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Chartered Chemist
President of Euresearch
President of the Committee for Research Integrity, Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences
Keynote Speaker Thursday morning, 23rd February 2023
Dr Victoria Galán-Muros
Chief Research and Analysis
UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education
CEO and Cofounder of the Thinktank Innovative Futures Institute
Keynote Speaker, Thursday afternoon, 23rd February 2023
Mr York Zucchi
Founder of The StartUp Tribe
Chairperson of the Investment Committee at The Innovation Hub
Chairperson for the Centre for Unconventional Entrepreneurship
Mr York Zucchi is passionate about leaving the world in a better state than we found it and is involved in several global initiatives including The StartUp Tribe whose mission is to help 50 million people start and grow their businesses. He also loves sharing knowledge and has done over 500 lectures, workshops, and webinars worldwide (especially around his two areas of expertise: entrepreneurship and access to markets).
- The Swiss-African Research Cooperation SARECO is a program of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
- The University of Basel and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) implement this Program as Leading House Basel.
AIT-SASBI – Academy-Industry Training: Swiss and African Science and Business Innovators Program

In the framework of this program the cooperation between Switzerland and Africa continues into 2021 – 24.
On the 30th of June, the Directors’ Roundtable on Innovation kick-started this new phase by bringing together stakeholders from Tech Transfer and Innovation Offices. Under the name of AIT-SASBI, the Academia-Industry Training: Swiss and African Science and Business Innovators Program, joint activities are launched and a greater understanding is targeted of each other’s know-how transfer ecosystem. This program is part of the Swiss-African Academia-Industry Training (Sensitization Phase) financed by the Swiss Ministry for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
The SASBI LinkedIn Account https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8731966/ offers the platform to connect to like-minded people.
EDHE Kickoff 2023 Articles
Entrepreneurship is not an option but a first choice
V4CWebAdmin2023-05-22T09:06:32+00:00February 28th, 2023|
Overlooking cultural nuances can have dire implications for startups wishing to trade internationally
V4CWebAdmin2023-02-28T14:44:07+00:00February 28th, 2023|
Two South African start-ups secure their place in the Swiss residency programme in June
V4CWebAdmin2023-02-27T14:25:43+00:00February 27th, 2023|
An ambitious partnership between Swiss and African universities aims high on social innovation
V4CWebAdmin2023-02-24T13:52:54+00:00February 24th, 2023|
Universities-industry collaboration underscored as a major prerequisite for success in entrepreneurship
V4CWebAdmin2023-02-24T13:39:10+00:00February 24th, 2023|
EDHE’s Kick-off event starting today promises a rich, information-packed programme
V4CWebAdmin2023-02-23T13:11:02+00:00February 22nd, 2023|
EDHE is at the cusp of aligning with other African and global north innovators
V4CWebAdmin2023-02-28T14:41:06+00:00February 20th, 2023|
Contact Details
Registration and General queries
Ms Desree Boloka
desree@usaf.ac.zaMs Zamaswazi Shabangu
zamaswazi@usaf.ac.zaCoP meeting-related queries
Ms Lerato Makgonyane
lerato@usaf.ac.za
Speaker Presentations
Day 1: Wednesday 22 February 2023
Click on the title of the presentation to view it in pdf
Theme- Social and Techno-innovation for impact
Prof. P. Ndirangu Kioni,Vice Chancellor, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Kioni (Kenya)
Switzerland and Africa – a study in synergy and symbiosis
Prof. Dr Edwin Constable
Approaching innovation for impact from within an African University
Dr Stephen Oluwatobi
Day 2: Thursday 23 February 2023
Click on the title of the presentation to view it in pdf
Sciencepreneurs and their (inter-) cultural challenges when expanding their businesses abroad
Dr Victoria Galán-Muros, Chief of Research and Analysis, UNESCO
Your partnerr in international business
Presentation text
Ms. Stéphanie Labité
Academia-Industry Interaction in Innovation for Impact
Prof. Simone Stürwald
Swiss-African IPA, DTA, FTA- Benefits and status quo
Mr. Stephan Hofer
Doing Business in Switz
Ms. Nanci Govinder
Introducing University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Prof. Oyedunni Arulogun
Groam – Light weight
Ms. Zuzana Sediva
Building the leading platform to supercharge the energy transition in emerging markets
Mr. Manuel Seiffe
Nigeria and Business Landscape
Prof. Oyedunni Arulogun