The Growth and Employment platform (GEP) was one of the four platforms of the Building Stronger Universities in Developing Countries initiative 2011-2013.

It was a partnership between University of Ghana (UG), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana (KNUST), University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (UDSM), Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania (SUA) and Danish universities.

Objective

The development objective of the platform was: ‘Enhanced capacity of UG, KNUST, UDSM and SUA to promote sustainable growth and employment through research, education and dissemination of research findings’. Specifically, the GEP pursued the following immediate objectives, each designated a specific work package:

1. Growth and employment relevant PhD programmes
2. Increased number of academic staff with PhD qualifications in growth and employment relevant academic disciplines and topics
3. Growth and employment relevant research activities and research collaboration strengthened
4. Platform research results and findings effectively disseminated to stakeholders
5. Platform activities effectively and efficiently governed/managed

Academic foundation

The academic foundation of the GEP was made up of three academic disciplines or competence areas with multiple interfaces at the South and at the Danish partner universities:

• Development economics
• Management and leadership
• Agriculture and agribusiness

Academic focus areas

Based on relevance for growth and employment in Ghana and Tanzania and reflecting the capacities, approaches and expertise nested within these three competence areas, the GEP has initially identified five academic focus areas:

• Macroeconomic governance and growth
• Innovation and diffusion processes
• Agricultural value chains
• Uncertainty, shocks and rural livelihoods
• Competitive strategies, upgrading and innovation.