Adjunct lecturer, Dr Lawrence Abiwu from the School of Management, Information Technology and Governance (SMITG) drove home the main theme of the 7th International Conference on Social Sciences, Humanities and Education (ICSHE) held at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom from 16 to 18 December 2022.
The ICSHE is a premier social sciences conference that brings together members of academia – researchers, graduate and postgraduate students, and scientists – from around the world for three days of immersive learning and networking. The 7th conference saw 50 presenters from different countries within Africa, Asia, Europe and North America sharing new advances and research results in education theory and practices under the themes of the social sciences, humanities, language, and literature.
Headlining the keynote theme, Human Capital Investment – Catalyst for Sustainable Organisations and Economic Growth Post-COVID-19 Pandemic, Abiwu who is also the founder and CEO of the Universal Research Training and Development Centre (URTDC) said, ‘There is no doubt that the economic and social implications of the pandemic will continue to be felt for years to come. Human capital is important for organisations that draw on individual skills and capabilities to perform their duties and responsibilities successfully in line with a business strategy in order to achieve sustainable organisations and economic growth.’
Abiwu briefly summarised the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on the global economy, focusing on both the primary and secondary sectors through the findings of different studies. The pandemic also disrupted academic programmes in most universities, leading to temporary shutdowns and migration to remote learning.
Highlighting the various monetary and fiscal policies implemented by the government to curb the spread of the pandemic and ensure full economic recovery, Abiwu said: ‘Stakeholders have also proposed measures such as corporate resilience, the establishment of a cross-functional crisis management team and adaptation of human resources management (HRM) practices. However, there is less focus on investment in human capital to promote economic growth and corporate sustainability post-COVID-19.’
He challenged governments, policymakers, and organisations to continue investing in intellectual capital through education, training and development, career management, coaching, mentoring, employee assistance programmes, conferences, seminars, and scholarships.
‘Human capital is an intangible asset that creates value and builds sustainable organisations and economies. Its scarcity threatens sustainable development, growth, and organisational sustainability,’ he said.
Words: Samukelisiwe Cele
Photograph: Supplied