Following the highly successful maiden industrial trip of regional MBA students to South Africa in June 2011, South Africa Airways (SAA) has formally agreed a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership with the recently established West African Institute for Supply Chain Leadership (WAISCL). It will facilitate, at least cost, selected postgraduate supply chain management students and lecturers to undertake annual industrial visits between Southern Africa and West African countries. “This is a unique win-win CSR partnership to expose students to world class supply chain management practices on the continent. SAA is proud to be associated with a not for profit initiative that aims to develop the continent’s supply chain management related human capital to help uplift service/ product quality and productivity standards…,”noted Ms Gloria Yirenkyi; Country Manager for SAA. The regional focused educational institute, which is the brain child of Dr Douglas Boateng, is an exclusive partnership between KNUST, the PanAvest Foundation and KNUST Business School based in Kumasi. “WAISCL was established with one goal in mind…To enlighten current and future private and public sector executives and decision makers on how best practice supply chain management can be used as a weapon for competitive advantage plus also tackle service and product delivery woes in Africa”. Remarked Dr Douglas Boateng, the Founder and Chairman of the WAISCL board and also CEO of PanAvest International based in South Africa. Over 25 MBA students visited South Africa and spent time on the premises of some of the biggest companies in the world including MSD, RTT, ABSA Barclays, Barloworld, Nampak, Accenture, Plascon, Aveng Grinaker LTA to name but a few. “This vertical specific initiative is the first of its kind between the two countries and regions. We at the High commission see it as means to strategically bolster the relationship between South Africa and Ghana. As such we look forward to working with both organizations to make it a sustainable annual event,” H.E Jeanette Ndhlovu, the South African Ambassador to Ghana said. According to Dr Boateng over 90% of the students on the maiden trip were from KNUST and GIMPA. However WAISCL is expecting more non KNUST-GIMPA students in 2012. Unfortunately, because of limited places, acceptance will strictly continue to be “first come first offered basis”. Official date of the 2012 trip shall be announced during the last quarter of 2011.