Between May and October 2025, Leipzig University’s SEPT Competence Centre hosted Dr. Phyllis Swanzy-Krah from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana, as one of three postdoctoral researchers selected under the ACCESS 2.0 Postdoc Programme.
Her stay in Leipzig was research-focused, centred on advancing her project: on “Team Competences in Africa”. This research examines whether competence frameworks developed in the Global North are applicable to African contexts and outlines a contextualised framework that integrates universal competences (such as managerial skills, networking, and opportunity recognition) with Africa-specific competences (such as bricolage, resilience, and communal networks). By doing so, her work contributes both to theory and practice, highlighting how African university spin-offs can strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems in resource-constrained environments.
During her stay, Dr. Swanzy-Krah actively participated in PhD colloquia, joined and supported the organisation of international training activities and events in Leipzig, such as the EntreAction project Dissemination, the ACCESS Research Summer School, and the AGEA Start-up Class, among others. These programmes provided opportunities to engage with doctoral candidates, postdoctoral scholars, and early-career scholars from diverse regions, exchange feedback, and deepen interdisciplinary perspectives on entrepreneurship, innovation, and internationalisation.
She also represented her work at the 85th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM) conference, in Copenhagen from July 25 to July 29, 2025. At this conference, she connected with global scholars and explored new research frontiers in management and entrepreneurship.
Her stay extended beyond academia, as she explored Leipzig’s cultural scene, engaged with colleagues, and travelled across Germany. She visited other German cities, including Berlin, Halle, Erfurt, Frankfurt, and Munich. These experiences enriched her understanding of European academic, cultural, and professional life.
Reflecting on her five months in Leipzig, Dr. Swanzy-Krah described the experience as “deeply enriching, both academically and personally.” She emphasised the strong support from the SEPT ACCESS team and the value of building bridges between African and European institutions. In summary, her stay demonstrated the importance of postdoctoral exchange programmes like ACCESS, which foster international collaboration, strengthen research networks, and promote intercultural understanding.
ACCESS is grateful to the DAAD for its funding, which enabled the implementation of this initiative. Follow the ACCESS website for the upcoming calls on the PostDoc and other opportunities.
