Sustainable Development and Econo- mic Perspectives for Africa’s Youth

27.4. 2016 | 16:15 Uhr | C HS 5

The Leuphana Wirtschaftsforum, which in this summer semester focuses on international questions, was opened on Wednesday April 27th by Mathias Kamp, who is heading the office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Uganda. Mathias Kamp delivered a talk on “Sustainable Development and Economic Perspectives for Africa’s Youth: The Case of Uganda.“ His talk was integrated in the lecture Business Management by Prof. Dr. Bader, and Prof. Dr. Michael Gielnik, who has known Mathias Kamp for several years, introduced the speaker to the audience.

Mathias Kamp argued that Uganda is an extreme case in terms of sustainable development and perspectives for youth in Africa, as Uganda’s average birth rate is 5.89 and the average age of the population is 15.5 years. Thus, Uganda’s demographic situation needs to be addressed and sustainable solutions in terms of employment, infrastructure, health and education, and inclusion and participation need to be developed and implemented. To that end, Uganda’s youth can either be viewed as “untapped treasure” or as a “ticking time bomb.”

After providing additional insights into the political, societal, and economic situation in Uganda, Mathias Kamp discussed five perspectives or potential solutions to Uganda’s demographic challenge ranging from oil & gas, to agriculture, entrepreneurship, innovation & technology, and finally government support measures (e.g., crime preventers). He discussed the potential of each of these perspectives, and ended his talk by taking questions from the audience.