Lagos Business School faculty become first Africans to receive Yale Global Network Fellowship

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Lagos Business School faculty become first Africans to receive Yale Global Network Fellowship

Two Lagos Business School faculty members, Professor Olawale Ajai and Dr Henrietta Onwuebuzie have become the first Africans to be awarded the Global Network Africa Faculty Fellowship Programme at Yale School of Management, New Haven.

The Global Network Africa Faculty Fellowship, which is in its inaugural year, is an initiative of the Yale School of Management where respected African academics will expose students and non-students of the School to the leading markets of Africa, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and Ivory Coast.

For Professor Ajai who teaches the Legal, Social and Political Environment of Business at LBS, the award marks his formal appointment as a Visiting Professor at the Yale School of Management.

On the programme, Professor Ajai will teach an MBA course, Leading Non-market Strategy in African Business Environments – MGT 620/AFST (African Studies) 628 during the Spring term that runs from January to March 2019, this course is also open to students outside the School of Management The learning objective of the course is to develop and implement effective and socially responsible non-market strategy. It will help participants to iterate principles, techniques and practices required to lead professional, ethical and transformational non-market strategy.

They will also learn about political economy of capitalism in Africa, African concepts of Africapitalism and Ubuntu. Cases of ethical and successful African companies are treated and non-market theories are examined from an African perspective.  The central theme is that in spite of the widespread narrative of corruption and institutional fragility, Africa presents alluring opportunities for businesses that are ethical, professional and committed to social and institutional development as demonstrated by signature cases treated.

The course will be delivered using six case studies developed at Lagos Business School by Professor Ajai, Professor Chris Ogbechie, and Mrs Rose Ogbechie.

Dr Onwuegbuzie will also resume as Visiting Professor at Yale on March 1 and will be teaching a course titled, “Contemporary principles of African Indigenous entrepreneurship” with cases she has authored over the years as Entrepreneurship faculty at LBS.

Speaking on the award, Professor Ajai said, “I was intrigued and challenged when I read about the Yale fellowship for African visiting faculty. I reckoned that the courses I teach at LBS, exposure and previous leadership experience in the private sector could be central and useful to understanding investment, management and Africa. I thank LBS’ management for their support and Yale School of Management for the fellowship, wonderful reception and hospitality”

In addition to teaching at LBS, Professor Ajai is a Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, a member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Institute of Directors of Nigeria, and a Fellow of LEAD International.

LBS faculty is made up of qualified academics and professionals who are thriving in industry and academia across countries, and remain dedicated to shaping the practice of management in Africa and beyond. LBS and Yale SOM share similar ethos that emphasises ethics, leadership and the social responsibility of businesses, hence making both a good fit for more collaborations in the future.

 

The course will be delivered using six case studies developed at Lagos Business School by Professor Ajai, Professor Chris Ogbechie, and Mrs Rose Ogbechie. 

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