Empowering Lasting Impact - The Africa Science Entrepreneurship Programme Concludes
Leeds University Business School and partners celebrate The Africa Science Entrepreneurship Programme’s culmination and legacy across Africa.
Launched in September 2024 and facilitated by Leeds University Business School in partnership with the University of Pretoria’s GIBS, the African Science Academy, IBM Research Africa, the British Council, and the South Africa Radio Astronomy Observatory, ASEP set out to harness Africa’s scientific talent and ignite science-based entrepreneurship.
A driving force behind ASEP's journey was Dr Jane Khayesi, Lecturer in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Leeds University Business School and Director of its MSc Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme.
Reflecting on ASEP’s conclusion, Dr Khayesi said:
As the Academic Director, I'm honoured to have delivered entrepreneurship training to these participants. Innovations developed by mentees will go a long way to resolve Africa's grand challenges. Well-done to all participants.
“It's been an exciting experience leading these youth entrepreneurs through their entrepreneurship/BMC preparation journey. This journey culminated in top-notch pitches of innovative business ideas developed by African youth as solutions to Africa's critical problems.”
Dr Khayesi’s research expertise includes sustainable development, social capital, entrepreneurship in emerging economies—including the informal sector—and rural electrification, she brought deep academic rigor and real-world insight to ASEP’s design and delivery.
Highlights of ASEP’s Impact included empowering Africa’s scientist-entrepreneurs: More than 250 participants from 17 countries took part in a 10-month blended learning journey that included mentoring, workshops, peer learning, and exposure to global networks.
Off the back of the programme, tangible ventures were provided where Alumni have launched start-ups in renewables, agri-tech, diagnostics, AI for education, and more—demonstrating ASEP’s success in bridging research and market impact.
The African Science Entrepreneurship Programme has allowed for lasting connections where the programme enriched networks among African researchers, global investors, and institutional partners, seeding future collaborations.
Senior Director of Executive Programmes, Tone Thomas, reflects on the partnership:
It has been a long journey for the Leeds University Business School over the last ten months in supporting the brilliant entrepreneurs across on the British Council funded Africa Science Entrepreneurship Program to develop minimum viable products (MVP). We are quite excited about the impact that these solutions will have across the continent.”
Throughout ASEP, Dr Jane Khayesi played multiple vital roles as ASEP’s academic lead, she ensured the curriculum addressed the unique challenges of Africa’s emerging markets, blending enterprise education with context-specific research.
Dr Khayesi was also a connector & mentor, drawing on her own research partnerships across Kenya, Uganda, Switzerland, and the UK, she fostered participant and institutional mindsets oriented toward global collaboration. She was also an advocate for purpose-led innovation and a champion of social and environmental entrepreneurship.
Although ASEP’s formal operations have ended, partners are actively exploring avenues to sustain its legacy through Alumni networks & peer support, follow-on funding programmes and new academic partnerships and spin-off initiatives.
