By Torben Haugaard Jensen, Communications Officer, AAU Business School

December 6, 2022, the International Business Research Group at Aalborg University Business School (AAUBS) hosted the first of a series of public seminars within the field of international Business. The two topics of the “Denmark and the World” seminar were Denmark’s trade and investment towards Africa’s international development and the impact of the Russian invasion in Ukraine on international business.

Collaboration with the business community

Emmanuel Osei, International Business student at AAUBS, helped organise the seminar as part of his study programme. As a result of the event, he has started a collaboration with one of the participating companies, Access2Innovation, which is a non-profit and member-based organisation that aims to strengthen knowledge and development through commercial sustainable solutions targeting developing markets and relief aid.

- I am happy to have had the opportunity and task to create an influential platform that brings different perspectives to a chosen topic. Together with Access2Innovation, I will be organising another seminar focusing on Danish businesses with an interest in Africa and the work of researchers and students who deal with this topic. Hopefully, we will also collaborate on an academic paper, Emmanuel Osei says.

Michael Rottbøll, Chief Financial Officer at Access2Innovation, is looking forward to collaborating with Emmanuel Osei and found the seminar very interesting. 

- I met many new and inspiring people. I think these types of studies fill out the gabs in the question of the African market potentials and give us good inspiration on tapping into these markets, says Michael Rottbøll.

Relevant to a broad group of stakeholders

The “Denmark and the World” seminars are targeted at students, researchers, the local community, foreign embassies and companies in Denmark, Danish embassies and companies abroad and Danish trade missions.

The seminar on December 6th saw the participation of the following guest speakers: H.E. Mrs. Sylvia Naa Adaawa Annoh, Ghana’s Ambassador to Denmark, Özkan Basak Köksal, Chief Advisor, MOFA, The Trade Council, Jens Thomsen, Head of Trade in South Africa, Per Christensen, Head of Trade in Nigeria, Mr. Anton Rybak, First Secretary, Economic Affairs, The Ukrainian embassy in Denmark, Mrs. Svetlana Mikhaylovska, Deputy Director, European Business Association, Mrs. Oleksandra Avramenko, Head of Expert Group at Ukrainian Business and Trade Association (UBTA), and Mr. Oleksandr Bondarenko, Director and co-founder of the Bureau of Investment Programs.

Commenting on the output of the seminar, guest participant Özkan Basak Köksal states that:

- It was an interesting event, interesting speakers, and insights to different areas and markets. Great to see, that the students had made an effort to arrange an event, and great to see the support from the university. It was a very good initiative, and I hope there will be similar events in the future, Özkan Basak Köksal says.

Both for Emmanuel Osei and the other students who participated, it was of great value to meet these people.

- The seminar gave me access to outstanding personalities and companies. “Denmark and the World” is a very practical module where students get to demonstrate their theoretical knowledge and skills directly in contact with the outside world. This module should be explained to the students in the future to encourage many to sign up. It is a great way to get inspiration for a master thesis, Emmanuel Osei says.