There are a number of Ghanaian businesses in the Diaspora

Experts have noted that the rise of various Diasporas and their economic exploits has been a huge advantage regarding financial resources and skills or knowledge for devel­opment in many countries.

It is becoming increasingly common for members of the Diaspora to become entre­preneurs in their host country and even­tually transfer their businesses to their country of origin. Moreover, many countries are making efforts to attract their Diaspora members for investment and development efforts.

As I wrote some time ago, the migra­tion-remittances-development nexus has already evolved members of the Diaspora into transnational agents whose activities involve the circulatory flows of remittances or people and their ideas.

Diaspora expertise and entrepreneurs

There are many members of the Ghana­ian Diaspora in the advanced countries who have acquired huge expertise, knowledge and resources (academically, economical­ly, technically or technologically, etc.) and would like to get back home to establish something productive.

Some are engaged in the freighting busi­ness to transport goods in containers to Africa, while others own small companies and other businesses, particularly in the services sector, and they can even use that to finance other businesses at home.

Many can also offer consulting services for the growth of our dear nation.

Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland

There are over 20 universities of applied sciences in Finland, aside from the multidis­ciplinary and specialized universities.

According to information on the website of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the universities of applied sciences operate as public limited companies in the Ministry’s administrative branch.

The Finnish name for a university of applied sciences is “ammattikorkeakoulu”, which literally means “school of higher vo­cational education,” although such universi­ties are also considered polytechnics.

Entrepreneurial education in Finland

Existing studies show that entrepreneurial education has rapidly developed in the last two decades and continues to do so in many countries.

Scholars define entrepreneurial education as activities intended to develop people who want to try to become entrepreneurs and enhance their understanding and knowledge about entrepreneurship and business.

Generally, in Finland, studies at the uni­versities of applied sciences include plenty of practical exercises and a practical train­ing period.

For example, the Haaga-Helia School is one of Finland’s largest business universities and is owned by a foundation run by Helsinki’s business community. It is fully supervised and accredited by the Finnish government through the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Haaga-Helia’s Research and Business Devel­opment Centre also produces training services for associations and companies. It is thus obvi­ous that the institution can easily build con­nections for its students with potential compa­nies, entrepreneurship or self-employment.

Ghanaian migrant entrepre­neurs

Most migrants in Finland, in­cluding the Ghanaian Diaspora, are gainfully employed either as paid workers in the Finnish public and private sectors or as entre­preneurs and self-employed, ac­cording to researchers who have studied entrepreneurship among migrants in Finland.

Many Ghanaian migrants in Finland are engaging in entre­preneurial activities. I know that most of them have set up their own businesses, either in the health sector, the cleaning sector, shopkeeping, a salon or barbering.

What I do not know is whether the entrepre­neurs had entrepreneurial education anywhere or from one of the many universities of applied sciences in Finland.

Many of these Ghanaian-immigrant entrepre­neurs in Finland are either planning to expand or have already expanded the businesses they have set up here in Finland. At least I know some of these, and I plan to write about them in due course. Thank you!

By Perpetual Crentsil

Email: perpetualcrentsil@yahoo.com