02 FEB 2026
GIBS enters into strategic partnership with AoM
The University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with the Academy of Management (AOM) through the AOM Community Accelerator Programme (CAP). The Institutional Partner Agreement, effective from 12 January 2026, establishes a 10-year collaboration aimed at strengthening responsible, globally connected management scholarship, with a particular focus on advancing academic capacity and research excellence across Africa.
The Academy of Management is the world’s leading professional association for scholars of management and organisation studies, serving a global community of researchers, educators and practitioners. Through this partnership, GIBS becomes part of a select group of institutions invited to co-create and scale initiatives that support the development of the next generation of management scholars while advancing AOM’s purpose of strengthening research, learning, teaching and practice in management.
As part of the agreement, GIBS Faculty and students will gain enhanced access to AOM’s global academic network and resources. The partnership includes complimentary AOM memberships for the Dean and a designated representative, as well as significantly reduced membership and annual meeting registration fees for up to 1,000 Africa-based academic and student members affiliated with GIBS. These benefits are designed to lower barriers to participation in global scholarly communities and increase African representation within international management research forums.
Over the duration of the partnership, GIBS and AOM will collaborate on a flexible 10-year roadmap outlining shared strategic goals and priority areas. Key areas of collaboration include academic development workshops, research and publishing support, community and regional journal engagement, and participation in AOM’s global and regional networks. GIBS will host and contribute to capacity-building initiatives, such as academic development workshops and workshops on paper submission and journal publishing, while encouraging regular participation in AOM Annual Meetings and regional conferences.
The partnership also places a strong emphasis on mentorship, career development and early-career scholar support. GIBS will work with AOM to design and administer scholarships, travel awards, and academic prizes, while encouraging Faculty and doctoral candidates to participate in AOM's mentoring, training, and mobility opportunities. In addition, GIBS will leverage partner access to AOM career fairs and job placement platforms to enhance academic career pathways and global visibility for African scholars.
As a Community Accelerator Program partner, GIBS will actively contribute to AOM’s regional and global knowledge-sharing platforms, including AOM Connect and the AOM Today Network. The School will also collaborate with AOM to promote African scholarship by enhancing visibility of AOM publishing and digital platforms, strengthening the global presence and impact of research emerging from the continent.
This partnership reflects GIBS’s ongoing commitment to advancing rigorous, relevant and globally engaged scholarship that contributes to business and society. By deepening its collaboration with the Academy of Management, GIBS aims to further position Africa as an essential contributor to global management knowledge and to support the development of inclusive, responsible and impactful management education.
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