The role of the entrepreneurial university in building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in a post conflict economy: an exploratory study of Rwanda

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the entrepreneurial university in supporting the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in a post conflict, transitional economy. We developed a cross case analysis to identify common themes and patterns in the data. Our findings demonstrate that in a post conflict, transitional economy entrepreneurial universities entrepreneurial ecosystem development is constrained by a number of institutional factors including, structures, systems, leadership, strategies, and culture. We further identify that, when an entrepreneurial ecosystem system has been destroyed during conflict, these constraints present significant challenges to the evolution of the entrepreneurial ecosystem post conflict. Second, in a departure from other studies, our findings also outline the role of the entrepreneurial university in the unique evolution of the post conflict entrepreneurial ecosystem in Rwanda. We identify that the entrepreneurial ecosystem evolves through a number of stages including, embryonic, destruction, formation, and capacity building stages

Internally Driven Post-War Reconstruction and Development: The Case of Somaliland

Since the end of the Cold War, the remedy offered to war-torn countries by the international community has consisted of approaches and processes that focus exclusively on external actors and experts creating stability and institutions, building peace and working on economic reconstruction and development.  However, to this day, external actors have not been able to build ‘positive peace’ in any post-war country despite the extensive financial and technical help and support from donors and international organisations. Through the case of Somaliland, this paper will show that when given a chance, local actors and their  initiatives can lead to peace, stability, reconstruction, the establishment of functioning institutions and the consolidation of a multi-party democracy. In post-war settings, local actors, voices and ideas need to be allowed to come to the fore and meaningfully contribute to the rebuilding and reconstruction of their societies. Locals need to take the lead when it comes to designing and driving post-war recovery processes and interventions and deciding what kinds of socio-economic and political systems are built in their  countries. Instead of imposing their visions, ideas and blueprints, external actors need to work with local actors and complement their efforts.Keywords: war, conflict, peace, post-war reconstruction, development, liberal peace, Somaliland, Somalia, Afric