Entrepreneurship education as human capital: implications for youth self-employment and conflict mitigation in sub-Saharan Africa

Previous research has focused on stable developed economies to predict that human capital and entrepreneurship education (EE) provision at the higher education (HE) level will positively affect entrepreneurial success. This article draws on the outcome of recent EE projects in two HE institutions in a conflict-torn northern Nigeria as a proxy to advocate the introduction of entrepreneurship as a compulsory component into the secondary school curriculum in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using semi-structured interview data, it is found that the provision of EE at secondary education level could help to facilitate human capital development and assist efforts to curb youth unemployment. Specifically, the study suggests that EE comprises both generic and specific human capital that increases an individual’s ability to identify and exploit opportunities, particularly for young people, and in doing so helps to reduce their vulnerability to poverty and involvement in armed conflict. Suggestions for future research and policy considerations are provided

Catalytic epoxidation and sulfoxidation activity of a dioxomolybdenum(VI) complex bearing a chiral tetradentate oxazoline ligand

A dioxomolybdenum(VI) complex bearing a tetradentate anionic N,O oxazoline ligand with four stereocenters has been studied as a catalyst in the liquid-phase epoxidation of 17 different aliphatic and aromatic olefins(including prochiral, racemate or pure enantiomers) using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the oxidant. Epoxide selectivities of up to 100% and variable epoxide yields (3–100% within 24 h) were obtained. Although the complex generally exhibited low or no chiral induction ability, diastereoselectivity was significant in some cases (in the reaction of limonene, for example). Kinetic studies and recycling tests with the substrates cis-cyclooctene and trans-b-methylstyrene showed that the catalyst is stable and reusable, and recycling is facilitated by immobilization of the complex in a room temperature ionic liquid. Preliminary results show that the complex may have a broad substrate scope, not only for olefin epoxidation, but also for the dehydrogenation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds and the sulfoxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides