African Summer School - Business Incubator for Africa was established in 2013 in Verona (Italy) by Mambulu Ekutsu, a Congolese-born Italian radio journalist. The aim of this initiative was to create a platform for sharing African knowledge, networking, and supporting business projects for young African students in Italy and Afro-descendants born or raised in Europe. The first edition of the progra
m took place in the summer of 2013, with 50 participants from various backgrounds residing in Italy and other European cities. The educational program included a week of training in a historic Italian villa, where participants lived, attended classes, and cultural events. The launch event was attended by the Italian Minister for Integration, Cécile Kyenge Kashetu, local authorities from Verona, and over 400 people. This initiative was carried out under the Africasfriends Association, and the leadership of Mr. The first edition of African Summer School, under the theme of "African Geostrategy," was a popular and successful course. It featured guest speaker Jean-Paul Pougala, a Cameroonian entrepreneur and writer, who was interviewed by Mambulu during the conflicts in Libya and Côte d'Ivoire in 2011. The course was well-received, prompting plans for a second edition to further improve teaching quality and methodology. Congolese-Angolan researcher José Do Nascimento contributed to teaching African history and the political philosophy of the African Renaissance in the second edition. The program expanded to include additional speakers such as Mawuna Koutonin, Yala Kisukidi, and Sene Mongaba, with the goal of developing participants' African historical awareness and their ability to implement afro-centric and intercultural projects. The project received financial support from public bodies in Verona, private individuals, and the students themselves. The sixth edition of the African Summer School (managed by Africasfriends) took place in Venice in 2018, focusing on "Philosophy, African Renaissance, and Afro-business". Collaboration with local partners led to the launch of two editions of African Summer School in Brussels and Kinshasa in 2016. In 2024, ELimu-African Summer School will relaunch the experience of youth campuses in Florence, Italy. The African Summer School program has had a positive impact on more than 200 young participants, helping them revise their negative perceptions of Africa and engage in collaborative spaces for African renaissance. Moreover, a book on African history, titled "Storia del continente africano, una lettura razionale et sintetica," was published in Italian, making it a valuable resource for those interested in the real history of Africa. In addition to this, the African Summer School staff collaborated (2019-2020) with NGO ELIS to introduce African history into Italian high schools. This initiative involved 20 schools and offered workshops for teachers to enhance their knowledge and incorporate African history in the curriculum. As a result, a teaching manual on African history was developed. In 2022, after the pause of activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, African Summer School became an International network and decided to extend its mission to the African continent. Coordinated by Mr Mambulu Ekutsu, the network aims to promote the development of knowledge and skills required for implementing public policies and projects for the African renaissance. It is within this framework that the African Summer School RdCongo programme was launched in September 2023 (in special collaboration with the "Collège Dr. Cécile Mboyo" in Kinshasa), as an international cooperation project for the African renaissance. It consists of a school teachers' campus, followed by a series of workshops in which trained teachers introduce the African General History course in primary and secondary schools in Africa, as recommended by the African Union. With an international reputation built over eight years, the network leverages a diverse community of African personalities including researchers, teachers, experts, and artists. The network offers different training solutions such as the Leaders Camp, aimed at leaders and decision-makers and focusing on "African historical consciousness and Renaissance policy." The Youth Camp focuses on "African historical consciousness and African Renaissance (Business and/or Storytelling focus)" targeting the young people. Additionally, the network offers a Teacher's Camp, which provides training on "Teaching African history (Diopian version)" for history teachers in primary and secondary schools across African countries. Moreover, an online training module for family is being developed for African families in the diaspora, with the aim of launching a Family Camp.
