John Nwaigwe
Al-Bishak For Egypt and Denmark, Speaks on Egyptology, Leoparditude
African scholar, Nigerian-born Professor Al-Bishak, an award-winning creative writer, literary critic, theorist, and Egyptologist, leaves Nigeria for Denmark en route Egypt on the invitation of the United States-based Africa Academy of Management (AFAM) to be the “Distinguished Speaker” at the Professional Development Workshop (PDW) on Egyptology for management and organization scholars at the 85th Annual Meeting of the global Academy of Management (AOM) in Copenhagen, Denmark, holding July ending this year. Al-Bishak, a lecturer with the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, will be joined by other topflight scholars who will be presenters and participants (discussants) at the workshop. The presenters include Professors Baniyelme D. Zoogah of McMaster University, Canada, and Alexander R. Peever while the participants/ discussants are Professors Amanuel G. Tekleab of Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA, and Samuel Aryee of the University of Surrey, England. About 100 scholars from different parts of the world are estimated to be trained at the workshop.
Al-Bishak, who has been described as “a renowned Egyptologist” by the sponsors, is expected to leverage on his vast knowledge of the ancient Egyptian society and his chequered experience as a Member of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), Nigeria, among other professional organizations. He will draw parallel between management and organization techniques applied in Kemet (ancient Egypt) and the one adopted by the modern practitioners of management. He will also use the opportunity to speak on the emerging African literary theory propounded by him, Leoparditude, which he says “is an Afrocentric construct and bulwark against mental slavery.” Al-Bishak’s stopover in Egypt is to enable him to source for the latest Egyptological findings that will excite the workshop participants.
The workshop is expected to give a low down on the ancient Egyptian society of the black Pharaohs, which became the first world empire during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III, and laid the foundation of modern civilization by pioneering literacy and numeracy (formal education), the essential tools of management and organization science.
The Academy of Management (AOM), based in New York, United States of America (USA), is known as “the preeminent professional association for management and organization scholars with members across the world”. Its worldwide members include professors and doctorate degree students in business schools at varsities. There are also academics in related social science and other fields as well as practitioners. The academy, founded in 1936, has 18,000-strong global membership in over 120 countries.
