Centre for African Social and Economic Transformation

Entrepreneurship and innovation

Africa’s demographic potential is significant and yet youth unemployment remains a major constraint. Each year, 10-11 million students graduate from African universities, while only a small proportion secure formal employment. Many universities want to deliver entrepreneurship education, but often lack the systems, industry links, and expertise to do so effectively. CASET addresses these gaps through collaborative, sustainability-focused research and capacity-building.

We strengthen university capacity to build effective entrepreneurship ecosystems by developing innovative curricula, academic–industry partnerships, entrepreneurship centres, and campus innovation hubs. Our programmes build practical skills in ideation, business modelling, pitching, investment readiness, and routes to market.

Where we work

• East Africa: Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia) and Makerere University (Uganda) – harmonising entrepreneurship education ecosystems.
• West Africa: piloting transnational education (TNE) systems with Covenant University, University of Lagos, and University of Ibadan (supported by the British Council).
• Southern Africa: collaborations with Milpark Business Education and the University of Johannesburg to advance entrepreneurship, innovation, governance, and sustainability initiatives.

Global health and sustainability

We support health system resilience and improved service delivery, particularly in areas affected by HIV, malaria, TB, and antimicrobial resistance. Our work applies organisational development and quality assurance techniques to strengthen leadership, accountability, and programme delivery.

A central contribution is the Leadership and Engagement for Improved Accountability and Delivery of Services (LEAD) framework – co-designed by Professor Peter Case in partnership with the Gates Foundation and global health partners.

Professor Emmanuel Adukwu expands this pillar through interdisciplinary research spanning microbiology, infection control, antimicrobial resistance, and public health innovation. His award‑winning teaching and leadership support capacity‑building across Africa through doctoral supervision, mentorship, and roles with the Africa Initiative Group for Microbiology and Applied Microbiology International.

We also contribute to advancing health equity through the Black Health Economists’ Network (BHEN), founded by Dr Chizoba Esio-Bassey in partnership with UWE Bristol. The network builds global capacity by connecting and supporting Black health economists through mentorship, collaboration, and knowledge exchange, strengthening representation and enabling cross‑institutional research to address healthcare inequalities.

Proven impact

• LEAD-supported projects significantly improved malaria healthcare across Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Namibia.
• In Zimbabwe, 3.3 million people (23% of the population) benefited from enhanced malaria programmes.
• Improvements included a 35% increase in case investigation rates, 100% of confirmed cases treated with antimalarials, and a 16% reduction in antimalarial drug stockouts in Matabeleland South.

Development and digital capability

Africa’s digital transformation is accelerating but unevenly. Limited infrastructure, high connectivity costs, unreliable power supply, and skills gaps risk deepening inequality. CASET builds digital capability so individuals and organisations, including universities and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), can adopt and scale technology effectively.

Through our Bridging Borders project, we are working with Nigerian universities to embed digital venture creation and experiential learning in entrepreneurship education. Online incubation platforms, virtual accelerators, and simulation tools help students develop, validate, model, prototype, and pitch ideas beyond the campus environment – improving relevance, access, inclusivity, and outcomes.

Additionally, Dr Anu Ajayi contributes research at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and digital twins, including the BEIS-funded i‑REAP project, which developed a real-time analytics platform improving energy efficiency across commercial buildings. Dr Ajayi also leads ASPEC (AI system predicting embodied carbon) at design stage to support green digital maturity in infrastructure. Mark Reeves’ project, 'Digitising Zik’s Library – the Nnamdi Azikiwe papers', expands digital heritage access by creating a permanent digital hub for the papers of Nigeria’s first President, enabling global scholarship and safeguarding an important pan-African intellectual archive.

Frano Barbic’s work further strengthens this pillar through two key initiatives

• The funded 'AI Bootcamp for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) builds practical AI and digital transformation capability, moving SMEs from exploratory interest to value-driven adoption through workshops, governance guidance, and policy roundtables.
• 'Developing AI Competencies for a Digitally Enabled Society' (RAi UK collaboration scheme), applies a UK–Ghana comparative lens to map and strengthen AI literacy and responsible digital governance within the public sector.

Leadership and governance

Effective leadership and governance are constrained across many contexts by capacity gaps, weak institutions, and complex socio-economic conditions. CASET’s work strengthens leadership development, institutional systems, and evidence-based decision-making to support accountability, resilience, and inclusive growth.

Applying research in practice

• Professor Noëlle Quénivet focuses on Africa’s justice systems, including the rights and roles of children and women in armed conflict, and legal questions around child soldiering and criminal responsibility. She has trained practitioners in Kenya and Senegal on laws relating to sexual and gender-based violence in conflict.
• CASET Professors Richard Bolden and Peter Case collaborate with the Albert Luthuli Leadership Institute and the University of Pretoria to develop a platform for Health Leadership, informing a World Health Organisation (WHO) sponsored leadership programme and post-experience programmes across partner institutions.