Economic tips shared with Zambia

Staff from the University of Wolverhampton visited the Copperbelt University in Zambia to discuss ways of promoting economic development and strengthening entrepreneurship.

The University partnership is based on the similar economic histories of the Black Country and the Copperbelt, with both facing challenging conditions since the decline of their respective mining industries.

The University of Wolverhampton’s Centre for International Development and Training (CIDT) and the School of Business at the Copperbelt University secured funding from the British Council for the project as part of their Education Partnerships in Africa Programme. The project aims to improve economic conditions in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia.

Three members of staff from the University of Wolverhampton visited the Copperbelt University in Zambia to launch the project, with a workshop attended by more than 50 stakeholders from the Copperbelt University, business community and local authorities.

Dr Robin Bloch, Project Manager, said: “We presented the local economic context of the Black Country, and the University of Wolverhampton's excellent record for working with business communities and local development authorities. We also shared experience of our successes with entrepreneurship-related activities such as the Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in EDucation (SPEED), which helps students to launch a business while still at University.”

In April 2010, a Zambian delegation will visit Wolverhampton for two weeks to learn about economic development in the Black Country, the University's engagement with the wider community and the fostering of entrepreneurship.

Further information

Notes to editors

The project, titled ‘Learning from local economic development practice to strengthen entrepreneurship in Zambia's Copperbelt’, resulted from a joint proposal by the University of Wolverhampton’s Centre for International Development and Training and the School of Business at the Copperbelt University, Zambia, submitted in April 2009.