‘HSE University Provides Students with a Springboard into a World of Opportunities’

Qwen AI

In 2024, Ikenna Mbata, from Owerri, Nigeria, enrolled on the Master’s in Science, Technology and Innovation Management and Policy at ISSEK in Moscow. After two years of studies, on June 1, 2026 he successfully defended his master’s thesis ‘The Spatial Distribution of Pharma Start-ups in Africa: An Analysis of Innovation Clusters and Policy Drivers.’ In his interview with the HSE News Service, Ikenna speaks about his research topic, the role of HSE University in shaping his skills, the importance of volunteering, and the benefits of studying in an international environment.

Ikenna Mbata

Why I Chose This Topic

My decision to research Africa’s pharmaceutical start-ups and innovation clusters was inspired by the growing need to tackle pharma-logistics challenges and to find reasons for the unbalanced ecosystem in the continent.

There is a wide disparity in innovativeness across the various regions of Africa, which see few advanced countries being self-sufficient, while the majority of the continent depend heavily on foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers to sustain their medicine security. The COVID-19 and Ebola pandemics ravaged Africa, exposing the lapses in the pharmaceutical sector, particularly with regards to manufacturing capacity, research infrastructure, access to funding of the healthcare sector, and the regulatory policy environment. These weaknesses inspired me to investigate how innovation ecosystems and regulatory environments enable the clustering of pharmaceutical start-ups across Africa.

The research observes that pharmaceutical startups are majorly concentrated in few locations in Africa. The reasons for the disparity which the study elucidated include that the presence of a university in the location is a core condition for the clustering of startups, although other economic and institutional infrastructure would also have to be present. The research highlights the structuring of the pharma ecosystems in Africa into dominant, emerging, and peripheral tiers, stressing the maturity levels of the ecosystems.

The Essence of My Research

Today, Africa has a fast-growing population, so the need to cater for the health needs of the people becomes important. Achieving this would also involve industrialising the continent, creating jobs, and improving the economic indices of African countries while reducing reliance on imports and enhancing regional cooperation.

My research ‘The Spatial Distribution of Pharma Start-ups in Africa: An Analysis of Innovation Clusters and Policy Drivers’ shows how pharmaceutical innovation is unevenly distributed in Africa with a large majority of start-up activity concentrated in only three countries.

It showed that those locations fulfilled certain multiple conditions of having strong research infrastructure, favourable regulatory environments, access to funding and a highly interconnected entrepreneurial network, with the presence of a university in the start-up location featuring as a core condition. Another observation was the tiering of the pharmaceutical ecosystem with the presence of secondary innovation hubs, appearing as ‘emerging markets.’ Ecosystems in Kenya, Rwanda, and Ghana show adaptability and potential to advance away from nascent and peripheral markets to the most dominant hubs.

Although there are more pharmaceutical start-ups in Egypt, South Africa stood out in the study.

The success of the South African model is linked to various factors.

First, Cape Town and Johannesburg host highly ranked universities and research centres which produce skilled personnel and support scientific research. Second, South Africa has more developed digital infrastructure and more access to funding in the healthcare sector. Third, South Africa has a more supportive pharmaceutical policy environment, and has a Maturity Level 3 ranking according to the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool assessment.

Nigeria has the highest number of start-ups in a particular city, Lagos. Despite infrastructural deficiencies and regulatory bottlenecks, the teeming population and the enterprising private sector provide market opportunities for start-up activities.

My Studies

My studies at HSE University were vital in deepening my knowledge of innovation ecosystems and public policy analysis, and thus this research.

The study ethos at HSE is both tasking and intellectually challenging.

Specifically, courses like Geography of Innovation, Ecosystems of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (hosted at the University of Campinas, Campinas Brazil), Innovation Management, and Mentor’s Seminar provided the framework upon which this research was based.

The university’s focus on evidence-based research also enabled a comparative evaluation of the results.

Reflecting upon my time at HSE, my most vivid memories were the seminar discussions with top executives of multinational corporations in the Responsible Business and Sustainable Development course and listening to top world diplomats in Science Diplomacy. Such interactions in these two courses afforded me the priceless feeling of attending a world-class institution. Excursions to the Skolkovo Innovation Centre, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, and the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of Cosmonautics in Kaluga will remain evergreen in my memory. They whetted my intellectual appetite.

Studying at HSE helped me with some skills that have shaped my personal growth.

Living within an international community with little language skills taught me resilience and adaptability. I became a better time manager and improved my skills in inter-cultural communication and critical and analytical thinking. I can work better in teams now and have become more confident while speaking in public.

I loved most, if not all, of my professors. I admire Dr Kirill Tyurchev, my master’s thesis supervisor, for his analytical insights and broad knowledge of economic geography. Dr Ekaterina Streltsova’s guidance and diligence in the Mentor’s Seminar really helped me to want to continue on a research career path. Interestingly, Dr Alexander Chulok’s charm and candour would endear anyone to Foresight. After taking a course on Digital Product Development, my team developed a prototype application which we intend to scale up to a commercial digital product back in West Africa.

My Extracurricular Life

Beyond my studies, I participated in volunteering activities and student communities, notably the HSE Buddy initiative. I also participated in the Start in Moscow project, a programme of the Moscow City government designed to integrate international students into the city labour force, post-graduation.

Volunteering helped me to contribute in social gatherings and improve my leadership and interpersonal skills.

Volunteering allowed me to serve and guide others, helping them have better experiences than I did.

International Environment

Studying in an international environment at HSE significantly widened my perception.

There were students from all the continents of the world in my class and the diverse backgrounds taught me tolerance, openness, and global collaboration. And in the dormitories, one could also discover new cuisines, foreign words, and appreciate certain cultural nuances. With the numerous universities in Moscow and the number of international students, one could truly be a global citizen by the end of their stay here. Importantly, I now see the world differently, from a Russian perspective, and have come to appreciate the values and patriotism of the peoples of Russia and their rich historical background. It is also noteworthy to mention the innovativeness of Moscow City and the level of technological advancement.

 My Advice to Prospective Students

Choosing to come to study at HSE University is a decision I would encourage any prospective student to make without further delay.

Beyond being one of the best universities in Russia, it is also top ranked globally. The faculty here are renowned and recognised internationally because of their academic excellence and research contributions. HSE provides a veritable platform for success, a springboard to launch one into a world of opportunities.