MGMT 748: "This is real"

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to sell his fish and you have fed his dignity."

by Gale Wiley

That, in a nutshell, is my take on Professor Marc Epstein's Management 748, Technology Commercialization in Developing Countries.

Today, 20 of his MBAs leave for Kigali, Rwanda, to work with African entrepreneurs to commercialize medical technologies developed by Rice bioengineers:
-- an incubator that heats with LED lights
-- a device that ensures correct dosage of medicine
-- a medical lab in a backpack

A fourth product, developed outside Rice, is a tiny packet of powder that if used daily provides children with sufficient protein to survive.

The Problem

"There are almost one billion people in Africa," writes Epstein in his course description, "and most suffer from diseases that have long been eliminated from North America and Western Europe. There have been many attempts to provide assistance over the past century. Western governments have spent billions of dollars on aid, and NGOs have often been actively involved.

"Unfortunately, much of this aid has not been delivered to those in need and has been diverted by government and business leaders for their personal accounts. And much of the NGO assistance has not been well coordinated and delivery has been ineffective."

The problem, writes Epstein, is to develop better delivery systems and affordable products that meet the needs of the population.

To solve that problem, Epstein teamed up with Rice's bioengineering department which has been developing and testing innovative medical technologies in Africa and South America.

Epstein's MBAs are now tackling the problem of manufacturing, distributing, and selling these technologies in Africa.

So many questions, so little time

During their 10-day visit, students will face "an environment unlike anything they have experienced," says Epstein -- a large, uneducated and illiterate population who have no electricity or clean water with an annual per capita income of $300.

The students have lots of questions:

• Are there local entrepreneurs who are willing to commercialize these products?
• Who will make these products?
• How will they be distributed?
• Will there be anyone who can buy them?

Two days after they arrive in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, the graduate students will divide into their teams, each team focusing on a different product.

"This isn't your typical case study in a typical MBA program" said one of Epstein's MBAs. "We are creating the case as we go. This is real."

Says Epstein:

"The students will be spending time with local consumers, producers, distributors, NGOs, government officials, and any others that are needed to develop the plans for commercialization. The course should be an amazing experience."

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[We don't arrive in Kigali until Saturday. I hope to have a new post for you Sunday or Monday. --Gale]