AABS 2026 African Deans and Directors Forum

AABS Academy Workshop

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

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08:30      

Transfer from hotels

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09h00 - 14h30

Guided tour of Victoria Falls including lunch

14:00-16:00

Free time or optional excursions

19:00-21:00

Welcome Cocktail Reception

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21h00

Depart to hotels

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

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HOSTED BY: National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)

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08h00 – 08h30

Arrival, Registrations and Refreshments

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08h45 – 08h50

National Anthem

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08h50 – 08h55‍

Opening Prayer

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08h55 – 09h00‍

Introduction to the AABS 2026 African Deans and Directors Forum and the official opening program

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09h00 – 09h05‍

Welcome Note

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09h05 – 09h20‍

Opening Remarks

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09h20 – 09h25‍

Setting the Direction: The Purpose of the 2026 Forum

^{This session will introduce the Forum’s central proposition: that African business schools must strengthen their reputation through academic quality, institutional credibility, local relevance and measurable impact. The discussion will frame the strategic questions that will guide the Forum and clarify the practical outcomes expected for participating leaders, their institutions and the wider AABS network.}

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09h25 – 09h30‍

Introduction of the Guest of Honour

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09h30 – 10h00‍

Keynote Address and Official Opening of the Deans and Directors Forum

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10h00 – 10h05‍

Tokens of Appreciation

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10h05 – 10h10‍

Vote of Thanks

^{Closing vote of thanks for the official opening.}

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10h10 – 10h40

Networking Break

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10h40 – 11h45‍

Deans’ Roundtable: What Must African Business Schools Change to Remain Relevant?

^{This session will explore the most significant forces reshaping African business education and the strategic choices within the control of institutional leaders. Drawing on different institutional contexts, participants will consider changing learner and employer expectations, technological and demographic shifts, financial pressures, research relevance and societal contribution. Each contributor will identify one practice that African business schools should sustain, one that must change and one strategic action that could strengthen institutional credibility and resilience. The discussion will establish the priority choices to be explored further through the Connect Circles.}

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11h45 – 13h00‍

Connect Circles: Strategic Choices for Relevance, Sustainability and Impact

^{Building on the strategic issues raised during the roundtable, participants will engage in three facilitated peer discussions focused on relevance, impact and sustainability. Each circle will draw on participants’ institutional experiences and identify the choices within leaders’ control. Participants will agree on a shared challenge, two or three practical actions, the conditions required for progress, one measure of success and one opportunity for collaboration through AABS. The outcomes will be presented during the plenary and incorporated into the Forum’s shared priorities.}

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13h00 – 14h00‍

Networking Lunch

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14h00 – 14h45‍

Connect Circle Plenary: From Discussion to Action

^{The three Connect Circles will present the agreed conclusions from the relevance, impact and sustainability discussions. Each report will identify the circle’s defining strategic challenge, proposed actions, required capability, measure of progress and opportunity for collaboration through AABS. The session will draw out connections across the three areas and identify the priorities to be carried into the remainder of the Forum.}

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14h45 – 15h15

Networking Break

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15h15 – 16h00‍

Leadership Conversation: The Dean as Institutional Strategist

What must deans lead personally, what should they distribute across their teams and where must they influence without formal authority?

^{This session will explore the dean’s evolving role as an institutional strategist, academic leader, change agent, relationship-builder and external ambassador. Drawing on contrasting institutional contexts, contributors will examine how deans work across governance structures, lead faculty and teams, strengthen financial and organizational resilience, build stakeholder trust and protect institutional purpose while responding to change. Each contributor will share one significant leadership decision, the resistance or constraint they encountered and what they learned from the outcome.}

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16h00 – 16h10‍

Wrap-Up of Day 1

What Must We Sustain, Change and Strengthen?

^{This session will reflect on the most significant ideas emerging from the day’s discussions on relevance, impact and sustainability. The reflection will highlight what African business schools should protect, what must change and what institutional capabilities must be strengthened, while identifying the questions that should guide the Forum’s second day.}

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19h00 – 22h00

Gala Dinner

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

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HOSTED BY: National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)

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08h30 – 09h00‍

Arrival, Registrations and Refreshments

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09h00 – 09h50‍

Africa’s Talent Imperative: What Must Business Schools Deliver?

^{This session will explore what African business schools must deliver to translate the continent’s demographic potential into capable, responsible and globally competitive talent, using Zimbabwe as a practical case study. Drawing on perspectives from employers, young leaders and the wider workforce ecosystem, the discussion will examine the gap between current education and the capabilities required by business and society. It will explore employability, entrepreneurship, leadership, technology, lifelong learning and changing forms of work, while identifying practical changes and partnerships that could enable business schools to respond more effectively.}

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09h50 – 10h50‍

Partnership Case Exchange: From Collaboration to Measurable Transformation

^{This session will explore how African business schools and their partners can create meaningful economic and societal impact. Through real partnership cases, contributors will examine how the collaboration was designed, what each partner contributed, how responsibilities and value were shared, what challenges emerged and what measurable results were achieved. The discussion will identify the conditions required for reciprocal, sustainable partnerships in which African institutions participate as equal contributors and co-creators rather than simply providing access, knowledge or networks.}

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10h50 – 11h20‍

Networking Break

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11h20 – 13h00‍

Institutional Action Lab: From Insight to a 90-Day Priority

^{This facilitated working session will enable participants to translate the Forum’s discussions into one priority for their own institution. Using a concise action framework, each participant will define a strategic priority or opportunity, the change they want to achieve, one action they will initiate within 90 days, the capability or partnership required and how progress will be measured. Participants will test and refine their thinking with a peer and leave the session with a practical institutional action commitment.}

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13h00 – 14h00‍

Networking Lunch

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13h20 – 14h20‍

Building the Reputation and Global Standing of African Business Schools

^{This session will explore how African business schools can build trusted reputations and achieve greater global standing while maintaining their local relevance, institutional identity and societal purpose. The discussion will examine what creates confidence in a business school, including academic quality, accreditation, graduate outcomes, research influence, employer recognition and international visibility. It will also consider how African-led quality frameworks and accreditation can establish credible, rigorous and contextually relevant standards of excellence for the continent and the wider world.}

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14h20 – 15h00‍

Chairman’s Closing Address: Advancing African-Led Excellence

^{Drawing together the Forum’s discussions, this address will reflect on what relevance, impact and sustainability require from African business schools today. It will position academic quality, African-led accreditation, institutional credibility and measurable contribution as foundations for strengthening the reputation and global standing of African business schools. The address will explore how African-led accreditation can support continuous improvement and institutional distinction while complementing international engagement and global standards. It will conclude with the shared priorities that AABS and its members can advance together to strengthen the collective reputation, voice and influence of African business schools.}

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15h00 – 15h10‍

Closing Remarks