The momentum leading to Africa Days @HECParis has been building for a long time. The school first began educating the continent’s leaders more than 40 years ago, focusing on private companies and public administrations in French-speaking Africa. In addition, we have 1,000 African students who take HEC Paris’ courses each year, either in Jouy-en-Josas or abroad. There’s also our alumni network, particularly strong in Morocco, Senegal and the Ivory Coast.

With that in mind, creating an in-depth exploration of the opportunities and challenges faced by 21^st-century Africa just seemed like a great idea. With a central theme of “Africa, Land of Initiatives and Entrepreneurs,” the three-day event on May 15-17 featured over 15 prominent speakers, including the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim (interviewed from Mauritius) and Daniel Kablan Duncan, Vice President of the Ivory Coast.

With more than 2,300 attendees, the forum energized and united students, startups, business leaders, investors, policy makers and journalists who wish to contribute to the continent’s development now and in the future.

Here’s what a few of our MBA students had to say about Africa and the event: