Data recently released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reveals that while other regions of the world are experiencing economic decline, Africa has experienced significant economic growth over the past five years and is expected to maintain a positive growth rate of 3.5% for 2009.

To advance trade and investment flows between the U.S. and Africa, Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) -- a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa -- is gearing up to host its 7th Biennial U.S. – Africa Business Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. from September 29 – October 1, 2009, to which senior U.S. officials, including President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have been invited.  President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda will be attending.

Entrepreneurship will be the hot topic at the Summit, throughout various sectors such as infrastructure, natural resources, agribusiness, financing, power, health and tourism.  The event is expected to attract more than 1,500 participants, bringing together U.S. and African heads of state, cabinet ministers, Fortune 500 CEO’s, and heads of international organizations. Participants will have the opportunity to attend more than 50 industry-specific sessions and workshops.

Go here to register and get involved.

Over at The New Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, Stacy Perman, who is on a two-week fellowship in China, reports on entrepreneurship in a series of blog posts.

Check it out here.

Aspire to become a global entrepreneur? Yes, you can. If you are a dreamer and a doer, then you might want to check out Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts where entrepreneurial students talk shop throughout the day and night in the E-Tower.

The E-Tower is a community for Babson students who wish to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors while attending school.

As one student says, "Any school can teach entrepreneurship, but at Babson, we live entrepreneurship."

To find out more about Babson's program, visit here. To learn what ventures E-Tower members are currently creating and growing, go here.

According to Forbes reporter Sramana Mitra, entrepreneurship and innovation don't always go hand in hand -- at least not in India.

Read more here and weigh in with your comments.

And if you have a moment, pay a visit to Sramana's blog.

Note: Picture goes along with this expression.