This is innovation at play.
For years the Knowledge Economy has not been fully utilized in South Africa. But this seems to be coming to an end.
As a unique partnership between the University of Cape Town (UCT) Graduate School of Business (GSB) and the Cape Town International Convention Centre is to play a pivotal role in advancing the country’s ‘Knowledge Economy’ by offering a new series of Master Classes given by global experts.
Aimed at harnessing the knowledge of world experts who frequent Cape Town to attend key global conferences, the sessions will provide a platform for aspiring students and entrepreneurs to benefit from the wisdom and knowledge of some of the world’s most knowledgeable and sought-after professionals.
Rashid Toefy, CEO of the CTICC in Cape Town, describes his ‘Master Class’ idea as a first for South Africa.
“These unique sessions will advance our knowledge economy, through the facilitation and exchange of international standards of best practice,” he says.
“The master class sessions are geared at providing the opportunity for people to learn from those who are setting the standard
for innovation and the latest trends.”
The CTICC is one of the world’s leading international conference facilities and attracts an array of leading global experts from across academic and scientific disciplines to its many prestigious international conferences.
Director of Executive Education at the GSB, Linda Buckley, says that the partnership creates an interesting opportunity for tapping into global
thinking.
“So much knowledge comes through Cape Town for conferences, but it seems almost unfair that only those included in the conference can access it,” she says. “And it is very important that we find novel ways of opening access to this knowledge, to offer it to the
people who need it and who can use it to improve their businesses and their thinking and by extension, the economy.”
From Global to Local: The Meetings Industry in Context, will be a one-day program facilitated by the International Association of Congress Centers (AIPC) – a leading global association for convention and congress center professionals, with representatives from over 170 major international centers in 53 countries around the world.
The program will delve into the latest trends and practices in the conferencing and international meetings industry, with special focus given to the key role centers play in the industry, the economic role centers play in the communities that surround them, and career opportunities in the global industry.
Rod Cameron, Executive Director of AIPC says the association is pleased to be the first in the series.
“We’re pleased to be able to use the occasion of our annual conference in Cape Town to be able to share some of the insights and expertise of our membership with those in the business and academic communities who would like to get a unique insight into the structure, challenges and opportunities associated with an industry which today is a key factor in creating sustainable economic and professional development throughout the world,” he says.
Buckley says this inaugural program should set the tone for the rest of the series in scope and quality.
“Our aim is that the series is rich in learning and that people attending the programmes gain, in a short time, beneficial insights that help them navigate through the competitiveness, complexity and uncertainty in today’s business environment,” she adds.
Announcements on up-coming events would for now be posted on the GSB and CTICC websites.