By Trish Svoboda

From May 14-18, Washburn University will host the Academy of African Business and Development (AABD) Conference. This yearly gathering brings together scholars from diverse fields to deliberate and influence policies that affect business and development in Africa.

The theme for this year’s conference, “Sustainable Development – Stakeholder Engagement and Participation,” is designed to explore the significant role of stakeholder engagement in realizing sustainable development objectives, not just in Africa, but also on a global scale.

Dr. Norma Juma, who holds the Brenneman Professorship of Business Strategy at Washburn University and is the current Vice President of Finance for AABD, is serving as a co-chair for the conference. She is joined by Dr. Dmitri Nizovtsev, a professor and the Associate Dean of the Washburn University School of Business. According to Dr. Juma, organizing a conference of such high standards requires a collective effort from the community.

The conference will feature keynote addresses, workshops, and a social gathering at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park in Topeka.