Rehearsing Leadership: International Model African Union (IMAU) Marks a Historic New Chapter at Howard

The 2026 International Model African Union (IMAU) Conference, held in Washington, DC on February 20–21, brought together more than 20 university delegations from across the United States and Canada for two days of rigorous debate, negotiation, and diplomacy. Institutions including the University of Montreal, Laval University, James Madison University, John Hopkins University, Colgate University, the University of Pittsburgh, Georgia Southern University, College of Charleston, Howard University and others participated bringing in 12 officers and 147 delegates.

IMAU is an academic simulation of the African Union in which students assume the roles of African heads of state, ministers, and AU officials to deliberate on pressing continental and global policy issues. Through structured committee sessions and plenary assemblies, participants build skills in research, negotiation, public speaking, and multilateral diplomacy. As keynote speaker Tonija Hope, Howard University’s Assistant Provost for International Programs and Executive Director of the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center, reminded attendees, “Model AU is not a game. It is a rehearsal.” She further emphasized the transformative power of global engagement, stating, “Exposure expands possibility, and possibility expands leadership,” and offered a powerful reframing of the continent’s global narrative: “Africa is not a problem to solve. Africa is a continent of innovation, youth energy, cultural power, entrepreneurial dynamism, intellectual production, and political experimentation.”

During the conference, a historic transition was announced: our Center—the Center for African Studies (CfAS) at Howard University was officially recognized as the new Secretariat of IMAU. Dr. Krista Johnson, Director of CfAS, now serves as Convener of IMAU, and Dr. Phiwokuhle Mnyandu, who served as Howard University’s Delegate Advisor for this year, has been appointed Associate Convener. This milestone is both an honor and a strategic opportunity. As Secretariat of Model AU, CfAS is uniquely positioned to expand and intentionally grow participation from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), strengthening access to high-level African and global policy simulations for students across the country.

We extend our deepest gratitude to International Model African Union Convener Emeritus Dr. Michael C. Nwanze of Howard University, who for 42 years pioneered experiential multilateral simulations for organizations including the African Union, in collaboration with fellow Convener Emeritus Dr. Jack Parson of the College of Charleston. Their visionary leadership established a powerful legacy of experiential, Africa-centered global engagement that continues to shape generations of students.

Finally, we congratulate the participants who received awards for exemplifying excellence in scholarship and diplomacy. As IMAU enters this new chapter under Howard’s stewardship, the Center for African Studies looks forward to expanding its reach, deepening its impact, and continuing to prepare students not just to study global leadership—but to rehearse it.

 

Ania Ueno
Communications Manager
Center for African Studies, Howard University

 

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