As a preliminary to the shortly starting ACCESS conference and summer school in Abuja, we have asked some attendees – among them ACCESS team members and PhDs – about their thoughts and expectations about the upcoming event. Here are the answers of the first three interviewees:
Prof. Adebola Ekanola,
ACCESS Board member and organizer of the event
1.) In which role/position do you attend the Conference/Summer School in Nigeria and what do you deliver? I will be attending as a board member and organizer. 2.) What are your expectations of this Conference/Summer School in regard of exchange and mutual development of the ACCESS project? My ultimate expectation is to see that issues relating to the employability of African graduates are mainstream in all universities in Nigeria and partner universities in other countries. 3.) What means the ACCESS project to you and what do you think, makes it so special as a project? It is special because it addresses a major problem confronting many African graduates that are unemployed because they are unemployable. It also seeks to bridge the gap between what is taught in school and the actual requirements of the workplace. 4.) What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming Conference/Summer School? Looking forward to fresh insights that will be brought into how the employability of African graduates can be enhanced. |
Ghofrane Bounouh,
ACCESS Coordinator, Tunisia
1.) In which role/position do you attend the Conference/Summer School in Nigeria and what do you deliver? I am attending the conference / summer school in Nigeria as ACCESS Tunisia coordinator, but also as a young researcher interested in learning about the latest trends and developments regarding graduate employability in African countries. As a coordinator, I’ll be making sure that the Tunisian participants are enjoying their experience to the fullest; research development and networking wise. 2.) What are your expectations of this Conference/Summer School in regard of exchange and mutual development of the ACCESS project? I am expecting, that the conference in Nigeria will be an opportunity for the coordinators and project members to work together on assessing the project outputs so far, all while brainstorming ideas for the next steps we need to take in order to develop the network even further and hold more successful conferences in the upcoming year. 3.) What means the ACCESS project to you and what do you think, makes it so special as a project? For the past couple of year, ACCESS has been the main pillar contributing to my professional growth. I think what makes this project special is its ability to both, physically and virtually connect people from different parts of the world and unite them in one common goal: exchanging best practices and enhancing graduate employability in African countries. 4.) What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming Conference/Summer School? Like every ACCESS Summer School that takes place each year; I am once again looking forward to meeting my colleagues from the other partner universities and working together face to face with them. |
Gonzalves Nshimiyimana (PhD),
ACCESS Coordinator, Rwanda
1.) In which role/position do you attend the Conference/Summer School in Nigeria and what do you deliver? I attend as ACCESS Coordinator Rwanda. 2.) What are your expectations of this Conference/Summer School in regard of exchange and mutual development of the ACCESS project? Continued exchanges, collaboration and learning from partner member countries, getting to know employability context from them. 3.) What means the ACCESS project to you and what do you think, makes it so special as a project? It is a platform that encreases and diversifies perceptions of countries in terms of policy making, implementation and monitoring of how graduates get jobs and succeed in them. 4.) What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming Conference/Summer School? Meeting new faces, getting to know new findings and perspectives of employability skills. |
Stay tuned – there are more to come shortly…