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Keynote addresses
Five distinguished leaders addressing policy, business, development finance, energy, strategy and natural-resource governance.
Inaugural Annual Conference10–12 August 2026
Academy for African Studies
Repositioning Africa: Power, Policy and Practice in a Disrupted World
A three-day international gathering of scholars, policymakers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, practitioners and students—jointly organised by AFAS and the Centre for Leadership and Empowerment.
AFAS Annual Conference 2026
About the event
A Global Platform for African Scholarship, Policy and Practice
The inaugural Academy for African Studies Annual Conference is jointly organised by the Academy for African Studies and the Centre for Leadership and Empowerment at the University of Greater Manchester.
It brings together scholars, policymakers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, practitioners and students from Africa, the United Kingdom and the wider international community. Across three days, delegates will participate in keynote presentations, research-paper sessions, panel discussions, workshops and networking.
The conference theme responds to geopolitical uncertainty, technological disruption, climate change, demographic shifts and evolving economic realities, creating space for evidence-based research, responsible leadership, informed policy and impactful practice.
Conference experience
Designed for Ideas, Connections and Practical Impact
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Research tracks
International business, leadership, gender, organisational behaviour, entrepreneurship, technology, methodology, finance and more.
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Professional development
Ten practical workshops covering publishing, research methods, leadership, trust, mentoring, wellbeing and qualitative inquiry.
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Dialogue and networking
Panel discussions, networking breaks, collaborative conversations and opportunities to build lasting international partnerships.
Featured voices
Keynote Speakers
Keynote SpeakersDr Olasupo Olusi
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Bank of Industry, Nigeria
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Keynote SpeakersFolake Soetan
Managing Director
Arahas Global Oilfield Services, Sahara Group
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Keynote SpeakersProfessor Olalekan Asikhia
Vice Chancellor; Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Caleb University, Lagos, Nigeria
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Keynote SpeakersDr Abdoul Karim Kabèlè-Camara
Vice President, Government and External Affairs, West Africa
Fortuna Mining Corporation
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Keynote SpeakersDr Abderrezzak Osmani
President and Chief Executive Officer
UK–Algeria Business Council
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Conference Proceedings
The AFAS Annual Conference 2026 proceedings are available in two PDF volumes for all participants to download. Part 1 contains the conference abstracts, while Part 2 contains the research papers.
Conference Proceedings — Abstracts and Research Papers
Download Part 1 of the AFAS 2026 Conference Proceedings containing conference abstracts and research papers.
PDF · 311 pages
Download Part 1 PDFConference Proceedings — Research Papers
Download Part 2 of the AFAS 2026 Conference Proceedings containing the research papers.
PDF · 156 pages
Download Part 2 PDFWelcome to the founding conference
An Intellectual Home for the Study of Africa
“The idea came first: that the study of Africa, so long dispersed across the margins of other disciplines, deserved an intellectual home of its own.”
From the President’s welcome message for the inaugural conference.
Organised by
- Academy for African Studies
- Centre for Leadership and Empowerment
- Hosted at the University of Greater Manchester