The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Professor Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey has appealed to participants at this year’s International Conference on Business Management and Entrepreneurial Development (ICBMED) to translate the various presentations into academic publications that will provide research-based solutions to emerging businesses in Africa.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day annual conference which was held on Wednesday, 17th April 2019, Prof Amartey said: “this is one of the ways you can contribute to national development.”
The 5th ICBMED was under the theme, “Growing Businesses through Secure and Sustainable Financing,” and provided a platform that discussed research-based answers to the entrepreneurial needs of Africa. It also provided an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary forum for researchers, educators and practitioners to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, concerns, practical challenges encountered by modern businesses.
Keynote speaker and Manager at Access Bank Ghana, Edward Tetteh, lauded the organizers for choosing an appropriate theme for the occasion.
“The theme for the lecture is relevant, in that, we need to exploit the huge potential of businesses by providing them with sustainable financing.”
Mr Tetteh, however, added that “the role of banks and non-bank financial institutions should not be influenced by discriminating policies which might prevent, otherwise, potential businesses from taking advantage of the opportunity.
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor of UPSA, Prof Charles Barnor said a total of 126 abstracts were received this year, of which 82 were accepted for presentation in 14 sessions.
He revealed that submissions were received from UPSA, University of Ghana, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Education, Winneba (UEW) and some private universities.
Prof Barnor, who is also the Chair of the ICBMED Editorial Committee said international submissions were also received from tertiary institutions in South Africa, Cameroon, Malaysia and Nigeria.
“Criteria for reviewing the abstract include relevance of the topic, robustness and informative methodology applied, key findings and contribution to knowledge,” he added.
Some of the thematic areas which the presentations covered include:
1. Banking, Accounting and Finance Practices, and Business Growth
2. SME and Entrepreneurship Development
3. Information Systems, Knowledge Management and E-Business
4. Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Ethic, and Social Responsibility
5. Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations
6. SME and Sustainable Development
7. Governance, Leadership and Public Administration
8. Law, Media and Communications
9. Environment, Tourism, and Socio-Cultural Practices
