Attendees of the recent luncheon

Multi-National Collaboration Involves Brazil and Cape Verde

Posted on November 16, 2007 - Permalink
Audiences:

Representatives from Brazil and Cape Verde came together recently with a handful of BSC faculty members and administrators to discuss common economic development interests at a luncheon hosted by Dr. Edward Minnock, vice president of the Division of External Affairs. The meeting focused on the implementation of the Cape Verde Millennium Challenge Grant, which is geared to facilitate the design of a micro-business incubator for the government of Cape Verde. Micro business incubator professionals use the experiences of other businesses to assist and motivate new business ventures in hopes of stimulating economic development by supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.

Although Cape Verde, an island nation with a population of about 500,000, experienced significant economic strides during 2001-2005, experts believe that unemployment and the country's inadequate infrastructure demand that critical steps be taken to sustain and stimulate further growth.

Joao Resende-Santos, professor of international studies at Bentley College, who authored the grant, is intimately familiar with the successful micro-business incubator model currently at work in Brazil He invited representatives from that country to join the group and share their experiences. Martine Gomes, director of the Cape Verde Association in Brockton, and Dr. Shannon Donovan, associate professor of accounting and finance and director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, also joined the discussions. Also in attendance was Dr. James Hayes-Bohanan, associate professor of geography, whose interests lie in exploring how GIS might help facilitate economic development and planning efforts. Both BSC faculty members have organized student study tours to Brazil and examined the relationship between small business and economic development, and therefore bring a wealth of first-hand experience to the table.

Dr. Minnock said he was encouraged by the early stages of this collaboration.

"What I see is an example of how institutions of higher education are thinking globally to act locally, meanwhile establishing relationships and patterns conducive to fruitful collaborations," he said. (Karen Booth, Office of Institutional Communications)