The University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK) in collaboration with Land
O’ Lakes, Rwanda Institute of Co-operative Entrepreneurship and Microfinance (RICEM),
Rwanda Co-operatve Agency (RCA), National Co-operative Confederation of Rwanda (NCCR),
Cordaid and AFRICOOP will hold an International Conference on Business Management
and Innovation (ICBMI 2024) from September 26th to 27th , 2024 at Kigali, Rwanda. The
conference will bring together experts, researchers, policy-makers and stakeholders from various
fields to discuss and exchange ideas about best practices on related topics.
The Conference theme ‘Making Successful Co-operative Societies and Innovative
Entrepreneurs: Challenges, Opportunities and New Trends’ seeks papers for practical
solutions to address key issues pertaining to co-operatives and entrepreneurship. The conference
will be an interdisciplinary forum for academicians, policy-makers, NGOs and practitioners to
present their latest research results, ideas, current challenges and way forward.
The conference will also include sessions dedicated to policy discussions, experiences and
success stories sharing. Policy-makers, government representatives and partners in co-operative
movement will explore policy implications of research presented and foster collaboration
between academia and co-operative stakeholders. The conference will provide ample networking

opportunities for participants to connect with peers, experts, and potential collaborators.

These connections will lead to future research projects, partnerships and initiatives aimed at addressing
co-operative and entrepreneurs pressing issues.
Objectives of the conference
The conference aims at improving socio-economic transformation among co-operative members
and making successful entrepreneurs able to identify entrepreneurial opportunities and boost
innovation to drive change.
Specifically, the conference has the following objectives:
i. Examine co-operative governance and management practices;
ii. Analyze financial and human resources capacity in co-operatives;
iii. Find out issues related to co-operative membership and explore measures for inclusion in
all sectors;
iv. Discuss about the role of universities and Higher Learning Institutions in identifying and
boosting entrepreneurial opportunities and innovation.
v. Sharing experiences and success stories among co-operative stakeholders;
vi. Raise awareness on effective strategies to promote self-financing and resilience among
co-operative societies.
ICBMI2024 Exhibition
The cooperatives will exhibit their activities on the sidelines of ICBMI 2024. Participants are
encouraged to visit the exhibition during the conference breaks to explore potential collaboration
and learn more about the cooperative’s initiatives.
Conference Structure: The conference will include plenary, parallel sessions and panel
discussion.