AABS 2026 Connect Conference

Please note that the agenda is subject to updates at any time by the AABS team.

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8h30

Transfer from hotels

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09h00 - 14h30

Tour of Addis Ababa including lunch

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14h30

Depart to hotels

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15h30 - 18h00

Annual General Meeting (For members only)

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18h30

Depart from hotels

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19h00 - 21h00

Welcome Cocktail

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21h00

Depart to hotels

‍HOSTED BY: Kibur College at Africa Hall, UNECA (Ethiopia)

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07h45

Transfer from conference hotels to Africa Hall, UNECA

08h30 – 09h00

Arrival, Registrations and Refreshments

09h00 – 09h10

Opening Remarks

Master of Ceremony | Hiwote Desalegne

Lana Elramly | Executive Director, AABS

09h10 – 09h20

Welcome Note

Maurice Radebe | Faculty Director, Wits Business School, AABS Board Chairman

Desalegn Mekuria | President of Kibur College

09h20 – 10h00

Keynote Address

^{Why Business Schools Matter in aTransforming Continent}

Kenenissa Lemie | Secretary of the Ethiopian Chamber ofCommerce (Ethiopia)

10h00 – 11h00

Powering Africa’s Youth: Skills, Mindsets, and Opportunity

^{This session will explore how African business schools can better equip African youth with the skills, entrepreneurial mindsets, and adaptive capabilities required to thrive in a rapidly changing economic landscape. The discussion will focus on values-driven leadership and the role of institutions in shaping resilient, opportunity-oriented talent across the continent.}

Desalegn Mekuria | President, Kibur College (Ethiopia)

Miriam Mugwati | Executive Dean, Business Sciences, Midlands State University (Zimbabwe)

Alistair Mokoena | Executive Dean, Johannesburg Business School (South Africa)

Moderator: Ebenezer Adaku | Professor, GIMPA Business School (Ghana)

11h00 – 11h30

Networking Break

11h30 – 12h15

Innovation with Integrity: Technology, Ethics, and Qualityin Business Schools

^{Explore the governance, ethical, and quality implications of rapid technological change in business education. Examine how business schools should respond to innovations such as AI and digital learning platforms while maintaining academic integrity, regulatory compliance, and institutional credibility. Attention will be given to the tensions between accelerating digital innovation and safeguarding quality assurance frameworks, ethical standards, and public trust.}

Hermann Ndofor | Visiting Assistant Professor, Florida State University (USA)

Moderator: John North | Executive Director, GRLI

12h15 – 13h00

Youth, Innovation, and the New African Economy

^{This session will explore how institutions can bridge thegap between academic excellence and operational startup support by enhancingincubation systems, professionaizing mentorship, and enabling cross-borderscaling of ventures. Drawing on emerging collaborative initiatives across thecontinent, the discussion will consider how business schools can work togetherto map existing ecosystems, build institutional capacity, and developpan-African pathways that support entrepreneurs to grow across markets, alignedwith continental priorities such as the African Continental Free Trade Area.}

Meried Bekele | CEO, IE Network Solutions (Ethiopia)

Dan LeClair | CEO, Global Business School Network (GBSN)(USA)

Amadou Daffe | CEO and Co-Founder, Gebeya (Ethiopia)

Moderator: Isaac Randa | Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School ofBusiness, Namibia University of Science and Technology (Namibia)

13h00 – 13h05

Group Picture

13h05 – 14h00

Networking Lunch

14h00 – 15h00

AABS Academy Workshop (Part 1)

Quality as Strategy: Leveraging Benchmarking forInstitutional Growth and Impact

_{This workshop critically examines benchmarking as a strategic instrument for institutional development, moving beyond its traditional role as a compliance mechanism. It explores how African business schools can align benchmarking practices with their institutional missions, identify contextually relevant peer groups and data sources, and translate comparative insights into evidence-based strategic decisions. Through an applied and reflective approach, participants will engage with methodologies for integrating benchmarking into quality assurance and accreditation processes, while developing coherent impact narratives that articulate institutional distinctiveness. The session is designed for senior leaders and quality assurance professionals seeking to embed a sustainable culture of data-informed decision-making within their institutions.}

Mathias Falkenstein | Director, DBA in Higher Education Leadership and Management (HELM), LUISS Business School, LUISS University (Germany)

15h00 – 15h30

Networking Break

15h30 – 16h30

AABS Academy Workshop (Part 2)

Quality as Strategy: Leveraging Benchmarking for Institutional Growth and Impact

_{This workshop critically examines benchmarking as a strategic instrument for institutional development, moving beyond its traditional role as a compliance mechanism. It explores how African business schools can align benchmarking practices with their institutional missions, identify contextually relevant peer groups and data sources, and translate comparative insights into evidence-based strategic decisions. Through an applied and reflective approach, participants will engage with methodologies for integrating benchmarking into quality assurance and accreditation processes, while developing coherent impact narratives that articulate institutional distinctiveness. The session is designed for senior leaders and quality assurance professionals seeking to embed a sustainable culture of data-informed decision-making within their institutions.}

Mathias Falkenstein | Director, DBA in Higher Education Leadership and Management (HELM), LUISS Business School, LUISS University (Germany)

16h30 – 16h45

The Future of Work and its Implications for Business Education

^{Focus on the evolving nature of work in the twenty-first century and the structural shifts shaping workplaces, drawing on insights fromThe Conversation on Work. The session will explore key trends such as remote and hybrid work, employee wellbeing, inequality, and the impact of AI on jobs and organizations, and consider what these changes mean for the future of labor and management practice.}

Ian O. Williamson | Dean, Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine (USA)

16h45 – 16h50

Wrap-Up of Day 1

16h50

Transfer from Africa Hall, UNECA to Conference Hotels

18h30

Transfer from Conference Hotels to Gala Dinner Venue

19h00 – 21h30

Gala Dinner

Yod Abyssinia

21h30

Transfer from Gala Dinner Venue to Conference Hotels

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_{*Please note that the agenda is subject to updates at any time by the AABS team.}

‍HOSTED BY: Kibur College at Africa Hall, UNECA (Ethiopia)

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08h15

Transfer from Conference Hotels to Africa Hall, UNECA

09h00 – 09h30

Arrival, Registrations and Refreshments

09h30 – 10h15

Keynote Panel: Structural Transformation and the Futureof Work in Africa

^{This keynote panel will focus on how Africa’s economic transformation is reshaping the world of work across the continent. Drawing on changing demographics, shifts in production and industry, and broader global pressures, the discussion will explore what these changes mean for jobs, skills, and long-term growth. The session will look at how labour markets are evolving, and the role that policy, institutions, and education systems need to play in responding to these shifts. It will also consider the realities on the ground, including the role of the informal economy, the pace of digital adoption, and the different pathways countries are taking towards industrialization.}

Giuseppe Tesoriere | Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Ethiopia)

Kebour Ghenna | Executive Director, Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) (Ethiopia)

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10h15 – 11h15

Quality as Strategy: Accreditation, Standards, and Trust in African Business Education

^{Position accreditation and quality assurance not merely as compliance mechanisms, but as strategic tools for institutional credibility, competitiveness, and trust-building. The discussion will explore how African business schools can use standards, benchmarking, and continuous improvement frameworks to strengthen reputation, attract partnerships, and enhance stakeholder confidence in their programmes.}

Helmi Hammami | Dean, ESLSCA Business School (Egypt)

Yasmine SY Sarr | Deputy CEO & Dean, Groupe SupDeco Dakar (Senegal), AABS Board Member

Dunkana Nugussa | Deputy General Director, Accreditation and Standardization, Education and Training Authority (ETA) (Ethiopia)

Moderator: Mathias Falkenstein | Director, DBA in Higher Education Leadership and Management (HELM), LUISS Business School, LUISS University (Germany)

11h15 – 11h45

Networking Break

11h45 – 12h30

From Research to Impact: Strengthening Africa’sKnowledge Ecosystem

^{Examine how African business schools can strengthen their research ecosystems to drive real-world impact. The session will explore partnerships between academia, industry, and policymakers, funding mechanisms, and strategies to ensure African research contributes meaningfully to African and global knowledge debates.}

Konjit Hailu | Assistant Professor, School of Commerce,Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia)

Ethiopia Segaro | Assistant Professor, Department of Management, College of Business and Economics, Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia)

Moderator: Amanuel Tekleab | Professor of Management, Mike Ilitch School of Business, Wayne State University (USA)

12h30 – 13h15

Beyond Access: Preparing African Graduates for a Digital and Global Economy

^{This session will examine how African business school scan focus on ensuring graduates are digitally competent, globally competitive, and innovation-ready. The discussion will explore digital fluency, global employability pathways, and cross-border collaboration.}

Cosme Almeida | Abroad Programmes Director, Católica Porto Business School (Portugal)

Yabebal Fantaye | Co-Founder, 10 Academy and TenaciousIntelligence Corp (Ethiopia)

Philasande Sokhela | Head, Center for African Business and Internationalisation, Johannesburg Business School (South Africa)

13h15 – 14h15

Networking Lunch

14h15 – 14h30

Sponsor Session (TBC)

14h30 – 15h00

Collaborative Initiative: Strengthening Africa’sEntrepreneurial Ecosystem

^{This session will introduce a new pan-African initiative led by ESSEC Africa and the UM6P Entrepreneurship Center to strengthen entrepreneurial capacity across business schools. Focusing on mapping existing incubation efforts, building institutional capacity, and enabling cross-border startup support, the discussion will engage delegates on how AABS can play a central role in fostering a more coordinated and impactful entrepreneurial ecosystem across the continent.}

Hicham Sebti | Associate Dean, ESSEC Business School | Africa (Morocco)

Jalal Eddine Kassou | Head of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Africa, ESSEC Business School | Africa (Morocco)

15h00 – 15h15

Closing Remarks

Maurice Radebe | Faculty Director, Wits Business School, AABS Board Chairman

Desalegn Mekuria | President, Kibur College

15h15 – 15h20

Farewell Note

Master of Ceremony | Hiwote Desalegne

Lana Elramly | Executive Director, AABS

15h30

Transfer from Africa Hall, UNECA to Conference Hotels

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_{*Please note that the agenda is subject to updates at any time by the AABS team.}