  alpha oumar konarÃ© (born 2 february 1946) was the president of mali for two five-year terms (1992 to 2002), and was chairperson of the african union commission from 2003 to 2008. ==scholarly career== alpha oumar konarÃ©, fourth son of a bambara teacher and a fula homemaker, was born in kayes, mali, where he went to primary school. he went on to attend bamako's lycÃ©e terrasson des fougÃ¨res, the collÃ¨ge de maristes of dakar, senegal, the collÃ¨ge moderne of kayes and, between 1962 and 1964, the Ãcole normale secondaire of katibougou. he completed his advanced studies in history at the Ãcole normale supÃ©rieure in bamako (1965â1969) and at the university of warsaw between 1971 and 1975. he began his professional career as a tutor in kayes, then a lycÃ©e teacher at markala and bamako. in 1974, he did research at the institut des sciences humaines du mali, then, from 1975 to 1978, acted as head of historic patrimony and ethnography at the ministry of youth, sports, arts, and culture. in 1980, he was named researcher at the institut supÃ©rieur de formation en recherche appliquÃ©e (i.s.f.r.a), and professor at the history/geography department at the ecole normale supÃ©rieure of bamako. in the course of his career, he headed several professional organizations, including the association of historians and geographers of mali, the west african association of archaeologists, and the union of west african researchers. between 1981 and 1992, konarÃ© served as a consultant for the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco) and the united nations development programme (undp). between 1989 and 1992 he was president of icom (international council of museums; http://icom.museum/founders.html#presidents ). ==political activism== konarÃ© was involved in politics as early as the age of twenty, when he was elected the 1967 secretary general of the sudanese union/african democratic rally (us-rda, the party of president modibo keÃ¯ta) of the Ãcole normale supÃ©rieure of bamako. following the
1946_births African_Union_Commission_members Alliance_for_Democracy_in_Mali_politicians Chairpersons_of_the_African_Union_Commission Government_ministers_of_Mali Heads_of_state_of_Mali Living_people People_from_Kayes University_of_Warsaw_alumni