Centre Director for Centre for African Studies (CAS)

NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies (CAS), which is overseen by CAS Advisory Board, is a trilateral platform with government, business and academia to promote knowledge and expertise on Africa among Asian businesses and policymakers, to accelerate the creation of deeper economic, business and policy links between Africa and Asia.
 

The Director, CAS jointly reports to the Chairman of the Advisory Board, CAS and Dean, Nanyang Business School (NBS), with a matrix reporting to the Associate Dean (Research) of Nanyang Business School. The Centre Director oversees all activities for CAS, ensures the alignment of CAS’ development to its mission, drives the strategic vision for the centre, and assists in establishing CAS’s presence locally, as well as internationally. He/She will develop and implement strategies to deepen knowledge, insights, and connections related to African economies, industries, and businesses that are relevant to Singapore stakeholders and companies, as well as work closely with NTU faculty members to develop thought leadership in these areas.
 

Key Responsibilities

1. Centre Strategy Planning and Strategic Collaborations

• Work closely with the Advisory Board and NBS Senior Management to define and execute CAS’ strategic vision.
• Develop and deliver the roadmap to develop long-term strategic goals and mid/short-term operational workplans and KPIs of CAS.
• Identify opportunities, assess risks, and implement mitigation strategies to support sustainable growth and impact.

2. Outreach & Industry Engagement

• Lead outreach and industry engagement initiatives in line with the Centre’s strategy.
• Build and maintain a strong network of corporations, governments, and other ecosystem partners.
• Work with NBS, SBF, and other stakeholders on platforms to exchange knowledge and insights, and deepen relationships and mutual understanding between African and Singapore businesses, organizations and leaders.

3. Thought Leadership

• Partner with NBS faculty and identify international researchers to drive practice-oriented research projects to help companies identify opportunities and plan sustainable strategies for Africa-Singapore business collaboration.
• Partner with SBF to curate good-for-business market entry and growth information that includes but not limited to ecosystem and sectoral deep-dive for relevant markets in Africa.
• Lead end-to-end thought leadership delivery, including but not limited to content development, stakeholder engagement, copyright management and distribution. Expand visibility and impact of the Centre’s thought leadership through relevant platforms and channels.

4. Human Capital Development

• Develop initiatives for training of Africa-savvy executives to support Asian companies’ expansion and operations into the continent, through internships, business consultancy projects in Africa for students, and executive management programmes.

5. Governance, Operational Excellence, and Financial Sustainability

• Provide day-to-day leadership of the Centre, ensuring delivery against strategic and operational plans, and be accountable for achieving KPIs set by the Advisory Board and NBS Senior Management.
• Ensure operational excellence, efficiency and financial sustainability in the Centre’s overall functioning, and oversee resource allocation, financial management, budgeting, and performance monitoring.
• Establish and maintain effective governance processes and workflows, and ensure compliance with governance and reporting requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree
• PhD or DBA qualifications would be viewed favourably
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated experience in driving successful partnerships and/or industry engagement
• Demonstrated experience and working knowledge of companies from Africa
• Established networks and contacts in this area would be a distinct advantage
• Experience in outreach and running engagement events
• Familiarity and working experience with faculty members and/or institution of higher learning would be an advantage
• Experience working on industry white papers and projects would be preferred
• Strategic thinking capabilities
• Self-Driven and yet able to work in a team
• Good organisational and stakeholder management skills
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

The SIE division comprises faculty with research expertise in a wide range of topics, including corporate governance, corporate and business strategy, digital platforms, emerging markets, entrepreneurship, innovation, international business, and sustainability. We are dedicated to providing students with an excellent education, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in today’s dynamic and competitive global business environment. Our faculty deliver courses in strategic management, entrepreneurship, international business, and sustainability across undergraduate and graduate programs, enriching students’ global business perspectives and supporting entrepreneurship initiatives and education at both NBS and NTU Singapore.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.ntu.edu.sg/business/research/academic-divisions/sie