Centre for African Social and Economic Transformation

We empower African partners with skills, knowledge, and tools to achieve sustainable growth.

• Executive training: CPD initiatives tailored for leaders and organisations.
• CPD/short courses: Online programmes in business and professional development.
• MSc courses: Degrees in Entrepreneurship and Venture Creation to inspire future innovators.

Find out more about our courses 

Our vision is to build capacity across Africa, ensuring long-term educational and economic sustainability.

We commission and undertake research and knowledge exchange projects that seek to solve societal challenges in Africa aligned with the African Union Agenda 2063 and United Nations SDGs. Our thematic areas include entrepreneurship and innovation; global health and sustainability; international development and digital capability; and governance and leadership. We are also interested in receiving PhD applications in these areas.

Browse our doctoral research degrees

We are committed to building an enduring and mutually beneficial collaboration with African higher education institutions through transnational education (TNE), research, staff exchange programmes and with organisations, government agencies and civic society groups to delivery our work and support them to achieve their own goals.

By fostering win-win partnerships, we help address employability gaps and create opportunities for African students and professionals to access world-class education without relocating.

We collaborate with organisations like the African Union and think tanks such as Horasis and FIAU to drive public debate, policy advocacy, and intellectual discourse.

One of our central missions is to advance social and economic transformation in African countries through broadening an understanding of African scholarship in different disciplines. We do this through our fellowship programmes. Every year, UWE Bristol's CASET welcomes post-doctoral fellows, visiting fellows, and visiting scholars.

• post-doctoral fellowship programme - supports young African scholars to spend time in UWE Bristol pursuing scholarship and teaching, under the mentorship of UWE academic staff.
• visiting fellowship programme - supports up to 12 months of scholarship and/or study for mid-career academic staff or professionals from our partner institutions in Africa.
• visiting scholar programme - hosts non-stipendiary visiting scholars annually for up to six months from our African partners collaborating with us on a research or knowledge exchange projects .

• The Diago Project, The Gambia: The Daigo Project embodies the spirit of togetherness, uniting over 150 UWE Bristol students with 6,000+ community members in The Gambia. In partnership with grassroots NGO Daughters of Africa, Daigo empowers young people, supports local leadership and fosters rich cultural exchange.
• Project Zulu, addressing literacy challenges in South African township communities: Project Zulu is a long-standing partnership between UWE Bristol and schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, supporting education through teaching placements, professional development and research. Since 2012, UWE Bristol students from the School of Education have volunteered in township schools, while academics have co-developed a reading programme to improve literacy.
• Looking ahead: The Daigo’s model is now connecting partners across East Africa (Uganda’s Kingdom of Bamasaba, Ethiopia’s Zoma Museum and University of Addis Ababa), West Africa (Nigeria, University of Lagos) and Southern Africa, building a global network of collaboration and impact.

As Director, Paschal has strategic leadership and oversight of CASET's activities. His research and expertise have brought substantial growth to Africa’s entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystems and shaped the region's higher education innovation and policy. As a subject matter expert for intergovernmental bodies, he has spoken widely on these topics at the World Economic Forum and Horasis, including several keynotes.

Read more about Paschal Anosike

Jimi, known as The Passionate Remolder (Nigeria Press), is an international education specialist and hybrid management consultant with extensive leadership, transnational education, and entrepreneurial expertise across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. As Africa Strategy Lead at UWE Bristol, he drives our strategic expansion, fostering shared value for students, communities, industries, and government parastatals through a win-win-win approach.

Read more about Jimi Ogunnusi

Mian Ng, UWE Bristol's Lead in Global Partnerships in Social and Cultural Engagement, passionately driving UWE Bristol's social engagement projects across Africa. As a creative practitioner, she's worked globally with diverse communities, exploring social, environmental and cultural issues. Her greatest joy is building meaningful partnerships that empower young people and communities to create lasting, sustainable change together.

Read more about Mian Ng

Sam Micklewright is the Regional Manager for Africa at UWE Bristol, with over 11 years of experience in student recruitment. Sam oversees student recruitment across Sub-Saharan Africa. He collaborates with prospective students and partners to promote UWE Bristol's educational opportunities. Sam is based in Bristol and is available to assist with enquiries from African students and any potential recruitment partners.

Read more about Sam Micklewright