AABS 2025 African Deans and Directors Forum
The AABS African Deans and Directors Forum is a prestigious event designed to bring together decision-makers from business schools and related entities across Africa and globally. The primary objective of this forum is to foster collaboration and innovation among leaders in the academic and business sectors. Attendees participate in a masterclass where they engage in meaningful discussions about future impactful initiatives and effective problem-solving strategies. This forum not only provides a platform for insightful dialogue but also facilitates the creation of a robust network among participants. As part of the AABS membership, this event offers invaluable opportunities for professional growth and the development of new ventures in the African market.
Host
Woxsen University
Woxsen Experience
Experience Passes
The FULL Experience Pass
Woxsen Experience, AABS Academy Workshop, and Deans and Directors Forum
Sunday, 9 November (Woxsen University Campus)
8h00 – 18h00: Arrivals and transport to Woxsen University Campus
20h00 – 22h00: Welcome Dinner to Woxsen
Monday, 10 November (Woxsen University Campus and Hyderabad)
8h30 – 19h00: Woxsen Experience: “Featuring a full day of activities such as a campus tour, AI Research Center simulation, sports event, and social events."
11h00 – 17h00: AABS Academy Workshop: “AI For Strategic Academic
Leadership: Transform from AI-Curious to AI-Confident” in Collaboration
with Woxsen University"
18h30 – 20h30: Welcome Cocktail
Tuesday, 11 November (Hyderabad)
11h00 – 17h00: AABS Academy Workshop: “AI For Strategic
Academic Leadership: Transform from AI-Curious to AI-Confident” in
Collaboration with Woxsen University
18h30 – 20h30: Welcome Cocktail
Wednesday, 12 November (Hyderabad)
8h30 – 17h00: Day 1: AABS 2025 African Deans and Directors Forum
Thursday, 13 November (Hyderabad)
8h30 – 15h00: Day 2: AABS 2025 African Deans and Directors Forum
19h00 – 21h30: Gala Dinner
Friday, 14 November (Hyderabad)
9h00 – 18h00: Official AABS Tour of Hyderabad
(Disclaimer: The tour itinerary, including routes and sites to be visited, is
subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather
conditions, local regulations, or operational requirements)
Saturday, 15 November (Hyderabad)
8h00 – 12h00: Check-out from hotel
Includes:
- Woxsen Experience on 10 November, featuring a full day of activities such as a campus tour, AI Research Center simulation, sports event, and social events.
- Full workshop participation.
- Full attendance at the Forum.
- Accommodation from 9 November to 15 November (1 night at Woxsen University Campus + 5 nights at the Forum hotel, bed and breakfast).
- All meals during the stay at Woxsen University.
- Transportation from the airport to Woxsen University on 9 November.
- Transportation from Woxsen University to the Forum hotel on 10 November.
- All meals, local transportation, and networking/social activities included in the Forum program.
Excludes:
- Cost of flights (delegates are responsible for booking and covering their own flights).
- Additional nights before 9 November or after 15 November, including early check in and late check out.
- Transportation from the Forum hotel to the airport upon departure.
- Visa application fees, travel insurance, and any related costs.
- Personal expenses, including but not limited to laundry, room service, or minibar charges and any meals or alcoholic beverages not included in the official program.
- Transfers outside official program dates.
- Optional tours, excursions, or activities not part of the official program.
Prices
Early Bird until 30 August 2025
Members: $2200
Non Members: $2600
Normal from 1 September 2025
Members: $2300
Non Members: $2700
The PLUS Experience Pass
AABS Academy Workshop and Deans and Directors Forum
Monday, 10 November (Hyderabad)
14h00 – 23h00: Arrival and check in
Tuesday, 11 November (Hyderabad)
11h00 – 17h00: AABS Academy Workshop: “AI For Strategic
Academic Leadership: Transform from AI-Curious to AI-Confident” in
Collaboration with Woxsen University
18h30 – 20h30: Welcome Cocktail
Wednesday, 12 November (Hyderabad)
8h30 – 17h00: Day 1: AABS 2025 African Deans and Directors
Forum
Thursday, 13 November (Hyderabad)
8h30 – 15h00: Day 2: AABS 2025 African Deans and Directors
Forum
19h00 – 21h30: Gala Dinner
Friday, 14 November (Hyderabad)
9h00 – 18h00: Official AABS Tour of Hyderabad
(Disclaimer: The tour itinerary, including routes and sites to be
visited, is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such
as weather conditions, local regulations, or operational
requirements)
Saturday, 15 November (Hyderabad)
8h00 – 12h00: Check-out from hotel
Includes:
- Full workshop participation.
- Full attendance at the Forum.
- Accommodation from 10 November to 15 November (5 nights at the Forum hotel, bed and breakfast).
- All meals, local transportation, and networking/social activities included in the Forum program.
Excludes:
- Cost of flights (delegates are responsible for booking and covering their own flights).
- Additional nights before 10 November or after 15 November, including early check in and late check out.
- Transportation to and from the airport.
- Visa application fees, travel insurance, and any related costs.
- Personal expenses, including but not limited to laundry, room service, or minibar charges and any meals or alcoholic beverages not included in the official program.
- Transfers outside official program dates.
- Optional tours, excursions, or activities not part of the official program.
Prices
Early Bird until 30 August 2025
Members: $2050
Non Members: $2450
Normal from 1 September 2025
Members: $2150
Non Members: $2550
The CORE Experience Pass
Deans and Directors Forum
Tuesday, 11 November (Hyderabad)
14h00 – 23h00: Arrival and check in
Wednesday, 12 November (Hyderabad)
8h30 – 17h00: Day 1: AABS 2025 African Deans and Directors
Forum
Thursday, 13 November (Hyderabad)
8h30 – 15h00: Day 2: AABS 2025 African Deans and Directors
Forum
19h00 – 21h30: Gala Dinner
Friday, 14 November (Hyderabad)
9h00 – 18h00: Official AABS Tour of Hyderabad
(Disclaimer: The tour itinerary, including routes and sites to be
visited, is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such
as weather conditions, local regulations, or operational
requirements)
Saturday, 15 November (Hyderabad)
8h00 – 12h00: Check-out from hotel
Includes:
- Full attendance at the Forum.
- Accommodation from 11 November to 15 November (4 nights at the Forum hotel, bed and breakfast).
- All meals, local transportation, and networking/social activities included in the Forum program.
Excludes:
- Cost of flights (delegates are responsible for booking and covering their own flights).
- Additional nights before 11 November or after 15 November, including early check in and late check out.
- Transportation to and from the airport.
- Visa application fees, travel insurance, and any related costs.
- Personal expenses, including but not limited to laundry, room service, or minibar charges and any meals or alcoholic beverages not included in the official program.
- Transfers outside official program dates.
- Optional tours, excursions, or activities not part of the official program.
Prices
Early Bird until 30 August 2025
Members: $1500
Non Members: $1800
Normal from 1 September 2025
Members: $1600
Non Members: $1900
AABS Academy Workshop
AI For Strategic Academic Leadership: Transform from AI-Curious to AI-Confident
About the Workshop
This intensive executive workshop is designed to equip university deans and directors with practical, no-code AI skills that deliver immediate institutional impact. Participants will gain hands-on experience with user-friendly AI tools including NotebookLM, Google Gemini, Gamma, Canva, and Otter.ai to address critical leadership challenges including governance, funding, talent management, digital transformation, and crisis response.
What makes this workshop unique:
- Strategic Focus: Designed specifically for senior academic leaders, not technical staff
- Immediate ROI: Participants typically reduce report preparation time by 40% and improve decision-making speed by 30%
- Peer-to-Peer Learning: Collaborative problem-solving with fellow deans and directors
- 90-Day Implementation Support: Ongoing coaching to ensure actual adoption
- Risk-Aware Approach: Includes AI ethics, compliance, and change management
Through collaborative group challenges using real institutional data and personalized action planning, participants will leave with working AI workflows ready for immediate implementation. The workshop emphasizes experiential learning, peer collaboration, and measurable outcomes, ensuring accessibility for leaders without technical backgrounds.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Implement AI-Enhanced Decision Making: Apply AI tools to reduce analysis time by 40% while improving data-driven decision quality
- Master No-Code AI Tools: Demonstrate proficiency in 6+ free AI platforms tailored for university administration
- Write Effective AI Prompts: Craft clear, specific prompts that maximize AI output for leadership tasks
- Solve Real-World Challenges: Collaboratively address governance, funding, talent management, and crisis response using AI
- Develop Institutional AI Strategy: Create a 90-day AI adoption roadmap with measurable success metrics
- Navigate AI Ethics and Compliance: Implement AI governance policies that meet FERPA, GDPR, and institutional requirements
- Lead AI Adoption: Manage change resistance and build institutional buy-in for AI initiatives
Facilitators
Dr. Hemachandran K
Director of AI Research Centre & Vice Dean, Woxsen University
Dr. Hemachandran K brings extensive expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, NLP, and Computer Vision to academic leadership. As a UNESCO Expert and ATL Mentor of Change, he guides innovation in education globally. His background includes serving on advisory boards for international companies and contributing significantly to AI research through patented systems and numerous publications.
Dr. Rajesh Kumar K V
CTO, AI Research Centre, Woxsen University
Dr. Rajesh Kumar K V serves as CTO of the AI Research Centre at Woxsen University, bringing extensive experience in leading AI/ML, IoT, and Data Science projects using Agile methodologies. His core expertise spans AI/ML, Deep Learning, Data Analytics, and Robotics, coupled with strong project management skills and a proven track record in cross-functional team leadership.
Speakers
Stay tuned for the full lineup of the speakers.
Sponsors
How to become a sponsor
At AABS, we offer flexible sponsorship options designed to meet various goals and budgets. Sponsors can choose from three tiers, each providing a range of benefits to maximize visibility and engagement with our network. Additionally, we offer over 20+ add-ons to further tailor your sponsorship experience, allowing for customized branding opportunities, speaking slots, and enhanced networking access to ensure your brand stands out and achieves its objectives.
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact us at communication@aabschools.com
Agenda
Sunday
Please note that the agenda is subject to updates at any time by the AABS team.
8h00 – 18h00
Arrivals and Transport to Woxsen University Campus
20h00 – 22h00
Welcome Dinner at Woxsen
Monday
Please note that the agenda is subject to updates at any time by the AABS team.
8h30 – 19h00
Woxsen Experience: featuring a full day of activities such as a campus tour, AI Research Center simulation, sports event, and social events.
20h00
Transfer to forum hotel and check in
Tuesday
Please note that the agenda is subject to updates at any time by the AABS team.
11h00 – 17h00
AABS Academy Workshop: “AI For Strategic Academic Leadership: Transform from AI-Curious to AI-Confident”
18h30 – 20h30
Welcome Cocktail
Wednesday
Please note that the agenda is subject to updates at any time by the AABS team.
8h30 – 17h00
Day 1: AABS 2025 African Deans and Directors Forum
Thursday
Please note that the agenda is subject to updates at any time by the AABS team.
8h30 – 15h00
Day 2: AABS 2025 African Deans and Directors Forum
19h00 – 21h30
Gala Dinner
Friday
Please note that the agenda is subject to updates at any time by the AABS team.
9h00 – 18h00
Official AABS Tour of Hyderabad
Logistics
Venue
All of the forum events will take place in Hyderabad, India. Exact locations will be announced soon.
Airport Information
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD)
Accommodation
Hotel accommodation at Avasa Hotel is included in the forum registration fee. Below are the hotel details:
You may check the hotel at https://www.hotelavasa.com/
Visa Information
- AABS' policy mandates that attendees must be registered and have fully paid to receive a visa letter.
- For more information to apply for an e-visa if applicable, please visit this official website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/index.html
- If you are not eligible for an e-visa, please contact the Indian embassy in your country.
The FULL Experience Pass
Woxsen Experience + AABS Academy Workshop + Deans and Directors Forum
📅 9–15 November 2025
- Early Bird (until 30 August 2025)
- Members: $2,200
- Non-Members: $2,600
- Standard (from 1 September 2025)
- Members: $2,300
- Non-Members: $2,700
The PLUS Experience Pass
AABS Academy Workshop + Deans and Directors Forum
📅 10–15 November 2025
- Early Bird (until 30 August 2025)
- Members: $2,050
- Non-Members: $2,450
- Standard (from 1 September 2025)
- Members: $2,150
- Non-Members: $2,550
The CORE Experience Pass
Deans and Directors Forum only
📅 11–15 November 2025
- Early Bird (until 30 August 2025)
- Members: $1,500
- Non-Members: $1,800
- Standard (from 1 September 2025)
- Members: $1,600
- Non-Members: $1,900
Local Delegate Pass
$875
Available to participants residing locally and affiliated with a local institution.
Includes access to the Deans and Directors Forum only. Accommodation and other experiences require full pass.
Partner Access Pass
$500
Covers accommodation and all official program activities.