From September 11th to 15th, 40 young leaders from Ghana, Rwanda, Tunisia, Senegal, and Germany, including Africademics founder Lena Gronbach, came together in Berlin for the AGYLE Live Week 2023. The goals of the event included strengthening the African-German dialogue, initiating new economic partnerships, and modernizing Germany’s perception of Africa.
In addition, the young leaders collaborated in a series of Design Thinking workshops to develop innovative solutions for common challenges within the context of digital transformation. Key topics included: the growing disparity in digital technology access, ethics in AI, digital education, and blockchain.
As part of an exclusive closing event on September 15th, an expert jury recognized the most promising idea from the creative workshops. Check out the pitch presentations by the five teams (including team E-Boosters, on which Africademics was represented) here! The program was enriched by panel discussions, exclusive dialogue formats featuring representatives from politics and business, and visits to leading companies.
What is AGYLE?
AGYLE builds a bridge between young African and German leaders and establishes a sustainable business network. A jury selects forty participants from Germany and African countries. All young leaders are then invited to an event lasting several days, where they jointly develop innovative business models, network and, together with the Young Leaders of previous years, form a sustainable business network that connects both continents.
The heart of the programme is a design thinking lab, in which mixed teams develop and refine selected ideas and business models. A jury awards a prize for the most innovative and promising idea at the final event. The week is rounded off by discussion rounds, keynote speeches, bar camps, company tours and cultural activities.
AGYLE is a programme of the Agency for Business & Economic Development (AWE) and Germany – Land of Ideas. AWE is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by GIZ and DEG Impulse.
