The School of Wildlife Conservation was founded in 2016 on the belief that to truly improve wildlife conservation in Africa:
It must be owned and driven by Africans;
We believe that unless African communities feel ownership of wildlife and the natural environment, they will have little incentive to conserve it.
We must focus on benefiting people,
not just nature: conservation cannot simply be a luxury ‘for nature’s sake’. We need to redefine nature as a great pillar of economic growth for Africa.
Leadership & management skills, more essential than ever
Conservation issues today are less about conservation biology & ecology and more about politics, power, and economics – requiring dynamic, ethical and effective leaders.
Our Objectives
Enhance emerging leaders
By equipping current leaders in the conservation sector with business, leadership, and management skills to have immediate impact in their organisations and communities.
Develop next generation of conservation leaders
We’re raising a generation of ethical entrepreneurial leaders across sectors with a passion for conservation.
Influence decision and policy makers
Engaging leaders across sectors to break down silos, foster meaningful connections, and develop unique partnerships towards sustainable conservation that benefits nature, people, and the economy.
Our Programmes
MBA
Learn moreMiddle Manager Training
Learn moreUndergraduate Degree
Learn moreThe Business of Conservation Conference
Learn moreOur Impact
Meet two of our conservation leaders
Who we are
Our Advisors
A diverse group of distinguished professionals serve as our advisors.
Helen Gichohi
Former President of African Wildlife Foundation and past board member of Kenya Wildlife Service
Peter Fearnhead
CEO of African Parks
David Macdonald (Prof.)
Founder & Director of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) at Oxford University
Kaddu Sebunya
President of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)
Mark Read
Former Board Chair of WWF SA
Mark B. Childress
Former United States Ambassador to Tanzania
Richard Vigne
CEO of Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya
Phillip Ihenacho
Board member of Tusk International and the Nature Conservancy (Africa council)
Jon Cummings
Board member of African Parks
Our Experts
Prominent executive level professionals, researchers, and practitioners serve as guest faculty, speakers, and subject matter experts.
Benedicta Selassie Amenyo
Stakeholder and Communications Project Manager
Nehemie Yesashimwe
Academic Operations Associate
Diane Skinner
Environmental and Wildlife Consultant
Elaine (Lan Yin) Hsiao
Interdisciplinary Legal Scholar
Francis Vorhies (Dr)
Academic Director
David MacDonald (Prof.)
Professor of Wildlife Conservation and Director of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit
Rachel Kiwanuka
Musician, Dancer, Radio producer,Tv Presenter
Elizabeth Gitari
Part-time Faculty
Antony Frost
CEO of Sirocco Strategy Management
Ravi Nunkoo
Multi-cultural & influential Environmentalist with Interdisciplinary experience in Nature Conservation
Moreangels Mbizah
Wildlife Conservationist and Ecological Consultant
Maria Ivanova
Associate Professor of Global Governance, Director Center for Governance and Sustainability
African Leadership University
ALU is reimagining university education at a scale and quality that has never been done before. By leveraging unconventional learning methods, technology, and a nurturing a bias towards problem-solving among its students, ALU is developing purpose-driven leaders who will utilize their talents, networks, and skills to address some of Africa’s—and indeed the world’s—toughest challenges.
Seed Donor
Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer
A seed funder for African Leadership University, the late Jennifer (Fern) W. Oppenheimer was instrumental in the establishment of the pan-African university in 2013. Three years later–in mid 2016–Jennifer approached the University’s founder, Fred Swaniker, with an idea to create a new generation of African leaders who would lead efforts to safeguard Africa’s natural resources and wildlife. Her vision, shared by ALU, was to ensure that Africa’s wildlife becomes a truly valuable ‘asset’ that is enjoyed by Africans and the world, and that contributes to the sustainable development of Africa. Jennifer subsequently provided seed funding to enable the establishment of the ALU School of Wildlife Conservation.
Our Partners
To all our generous partners who’ve supported our mission by providing Internships, project opportunities, case studies, curriculum content and served as guest faculty….Thank you.
