A new partner in Africa

The business world is global and that means business education must be global as well. Smith’s Centre for International Management has continued to develop partnerships with the best business schools around the world to provide study and experiential opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.

The Centre for International Management currently has exchange partnerships with 131 top-tier schools in 43 countries around the world and last fall we added our second university in Africa through a partnership with the graduate business school of Pan-Atlantic University in Nigeria.

As a result of that partnership, students in Smith’s MBA and Master of International Business can pursue exchange opportunities at Lagos Business School.

“We are thrilled to be able to further enhance the Smith student experience with a second exchange opportunity in Africa,” said Dean Wanda Costen. “Developing future leaders with a global perspective is a key part of Smith’s strategy.”

Lagos Business School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). It is also consistently ranked as a top school by the Financial Times.

Chris Ogbechie, dean of Lagos Business School, said the commonalities and shared desire for excellence and continuous improvement make the partnership with Smith a natural fit.

“This partnership is rooted in the need for cross-continental knowledge sharing and provides opportunities for student and faculty exchange. The collaboration between Nigeria and Canada will create synergies to address shared problems and develop sustainable solutions to local challenges,” he explained.

Nigerian students who come to Smith on exchange are eligible for funding through the Douglas & Catherine McIntosh Scholarship. Founded in 2018 by Smith alumni Douglas McIntosh, BCom’82, and Catherine McIntosh, BCom’82, the scholarship was created to help offset the cost of studying in Canada. The award is given on the basis of academic excellence and leadership qualities for students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to take part in an exchange.

Smith’s first partner in Africa was the University of Stellenbosch Business School in South Africa, in 2018.