José Filomeno Dos Santos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the FSDEA, says, "This scholarship programme will contribute to the prosperity of Angola, because it has the strategic goal of establishing the management skills required for the efficient management of the country's resources. The graduates will access global expertise and gain a deep understanding of successful industries worldwide, becoming future leaders of knowledge in Angola. We believe that in the future all participants of this programme will firmly contribute to build the national economic development and prosperity."

André Haelg, Dean of the ZHAW School of Management and Law, says, "This course will provide Angolan students with an excellent business education. As a leading Swiss university with a strong focus on practice-oriented learning we are always keen to promote the evolution of financial management practices around the world. We are therefore delighted to be able to play a role in the development of a strong financial services sector in Angola."

A new hotel school for the African continent

Complementing the scholarship program, the FSDEA also announced the completion of a study for the launch of a new hotel school for the African continent. The ultimate objective of the school is to offer international industry-level hospitality know-how to the youth, essential to the development of promising careers in this sector and with high potential to expand in the continent. The concluded study provided insights on the current and future trends for the specialisation of African frameworks of this industry in Angola and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Filomeno dos Santos says, "The hospitality industry in Africa today is witnessing an increased level of interest from international hotel operators. Several hotel groups have announced ambitious expansion plans in the region, but no one has committed to building the human and capital resources required to materialise these developments. Thus, such announcements have served to build a crippling amount of inflation for the development of the industry. The FSDEA's recently concluded study indicates that the long-term rewards for the hospitality industry in Africa may only be attained by prioritizing the building of the supporting infrastructure and capacity of local frameworks.''

The development and funding of these social development programs are part of the FSDEA's investment policy. The Fund is further developing an exclusive programme to promote more initiatives in the fields of vocational training and the access to healthcare services, energy and water, wherever the public distribution networks are not available.

"A thriving services sector is vital for the economic growth of the region. We are certain that these initiatives will in the long term play a key role in allocating the necessary skills for employability and independent participation of our young generation in these sectors as suppliers or consumers," concluded Filomeno dos Santos.