オンライン ブラック ジャックts Discuss Business in Africa

December 2024

On December 2, students from Kwansei Gakuin University visited JETRO’s Tokyo Headquarters. Division Director Izawa and staff member Sakane from the Middle East and Africa Division of the Research & Analysis Department gave a presentation on JETRO’s research and other activities in Africa. The students then presented the findings of their research in Egypt, to which JETRO staff provided feedback.

Through its network of nine offices across Africa, JETRO disseminates information on local governments, economies, and trends of Japanese companies active in the region, the staff members said. They also talked about how JETRO plays a role in developing the global business environment through on-site tours and business matching events to connect Japanese and local companies, as well as through joint events with local governments, including the “Japan Africa Public-Private Economic Forum.”

The students then gave a presentation on the findings of their fieldwork in Egypt, entitled “Determinants of Labor Productivity in Egyptian SMEs: The Importance of Cognitive and Non-cognitive Abilities.” They found that the labor productivity of Egyptian factory workers can be improved by enhancing both their cognitive abilities, such as reading, writing and arithmetic skills, and non-cognitive abilities, such as assembling blocks.

In their feedback, JETRO staff noted that compared to Japan, it is difficult to raise incentives for improving workers’ abilities in some African countries because of regional characteristics, such as salaries that are strictly regulated by law. They expressed their hopes that the students’ findings and proposals will be acted upon by all of Africa, since Japanese companies in the region have a high demand for education of local labor force.

JETRO intends to keep up its efforts to promote the further development of international business by getting students throughout Japan interested and by demonstrating the importance of international business.