Prof. Atuahene-Gima is 2025 Academy of Management Distinguished Scholar

The Founder and President of the Nobel International Business (NiBS) University, Professor (Prof) Kwaku Atuahene-Gima, has been awarded the 2025 Distinguished Scholar Award by the Technology and Innovation Management (TIM) Division of the prestigious Academy of Management (AOM).

Prof Atuahene-Gima who was recognized for his decades-long contribution to global scholarship in technology and innovation management, and strategy by the world’s leading professional association for management and organization scholars, also became the first African recipient in the award’s history.

Aimed at recognizing individuals who have developed a core set of ideas that fundamentally advanced research and understanding in the field of technology and innovation management, the award also marks a pivotal moment for African research and executive education.

Speaking at the AOM Annual Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, Prof Daniel Armanios, BT Prof of Major Programme Management at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford said the AOM TIM Distinguished Scholar Award which honours a career of scholarly achievements, is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of Technology and Innovation Management. He said recipients of this award have made exceptional contributions to the field through their scholarly work and service.

Introducing Professor Atuahene-Gima for the award, Prof Armanios, said through his extraordinary journey across geographic and scholarly boundaries, Prof Atuahene-Gima has inspired a generation of scholars to embrace disciplinary peripheries to deliver much needed fundamental change to the core.

Describing him as the embodiment of a scholar who has the courage and audacity to create and trailblaze, Prof Armanios said: “I can think of no one whose very life story and scholarly journey so personifies and so exemplifies the breadth, depth, and spirit of exploration that is our TIM community.”

In his address, Prof. Atuahene-Gima said the award was not just for him, but a recognition of what African scholarship can contribute to the world. “I am honoured to bring this home to Ghana and to all African innovators,” he said.

Prof Atuahene-Gima indicated that In recognition of the award, NiBS University will host a series of Innovation Management and Leadership Events, that aims at bringing together executives, policy leaders, and alumni to explore how cutting-edge research can drive transformational innovation in African organizations. “The award affirmed NiBS University’s mission to bridge world-class research with African executive practice. It is a call to deepen our commitment to bold, locally relevant innovation,” he added.

Trailblazer

As a trailblazer in innovation and executive education, Prof. Atuahene-Gima has trained and mentored hundreds of public and private sector leaders across Hong Kong, China, Europe, and Africa. His leadership at NiBS University continues to reimagine doctoral education by making it practice-driven, executive-focused, and globally recognized.

TIM Awards

Since 1996, the Technology & Innovation Management Division has been presenting the Distinguished Scholar Award to scholars whose contributions have been central to the intellectual development of the field.

Some recipients are Prof Maria Roche of the Harvard Business School, and Prof Paula Stephan of the Georgia State University who received the TIM 2025 Emerging Scholar, and the TIM 2024 Lifetime achievement awards respectively in recognition of their contributions to the study of technological innovation, mentorship and institution building. The global recognition shines a spotlight on African scholarship and elevates NiBS University as a hub for innovation-led executive education in Africa.

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