African Technology Policy Studies Network

The ATPS Board of Directors

The overall policy-making body of ATPS is the international Board of Directors comprising African and non-African scholars and managers. The Board formulates and monitors the implementation of policies and procedures designed to fulfill the network's objectives.

ATPS Board Members


PROFESSOR NORAH K. OLEMBO
Prof Norah Olembo
Professor Norah Olembo is the Chairperson of the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) Board. She is one of Kenya's leading scientists holding a PhD in Biochemistry; Msc in Zoology; and a Bsc (Honours) degree from the University of Nairobi where she teaches biotechnology.
She is also trained in recombinant DNA techniques, intellectual property rights (IPR), and strategic planning. Her research interests are in biodiversity, insect biochemistry, Bacillus thuringiensis, carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, and trypanosome metabolism and differentiation.

Contacts


Prof. Norah K. Olembo (Chair) - (Kenya)
Executive Director Africa
Biotechnology Stakeholders' (ABSF)
PO Box 66069 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254-20-4444558
Fax: 254-20-4448762
E-mail: absf@absfafrica.org

Prof Olembo has consulted for various organizations including the Kenya Non-governmental Committee for the 1985 United Nations End of Decade Women's Conference, the UNEP Biodiversity/Biotechnology Program, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Secretariat/World Bank and the International Service for National Agricultural Research. She has published over 30 proceedings, abstract reports and research papers in international scientific journals.
Prof Olembo is a member of over 30 professional societies and organizations including the Genetic Resources Policy Committee of the BIOVERSITY, the Commission for Biological Education (CBE) of the International Union Trustee of the Public Law Institute, the National Committee of Kenya National Academy of Science, and the International Association for Women Biochemists.
Besides ATPS, Prof Olembo serves as the Chairperson of the Kenya Biotechnology Platform and the Radiation Protection Board of Kenya. She is also the Executive Director of the African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF) and a board member of the Pest Control Board of Kenya, and the Aga Khan Hospital.

PROFESSOR TURNER ISOUN
Prof Turner T Isoun
Prof Turner T. Isoun was the Minister of Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between October 2000 and May 2007. He initiated policies that promoted both high-tech and low-tech science for development and specifically guided the NigerSat I (a land observation satellite), and NIGCOMSAT 1 (an advanced communication satellite projects from development to launch).
During his tenure as the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof Isoun directed the development of policies in a wide range of Science and Technology (S&T)sectors, such as the Information Communication Technology (ICT) policy that enabled the establishment of ICT infrastructure in Nigeria.
Prof Isoun also supervised the completion of a gamma radiation facility for food sterilization, medical products manufacturing and materials engineering. Other accomplishments included major advances in translation of research and development (R&D) results to products and services, such as the incorporation of 10% cassava flour into wheat bread, the production of Nicosan - a herbal drug for the management of sickle cell diseases; and the processing of neem seeds for fertilizers, organic pesticides and oils.

Contacts

Prof. Turner T. Isoun (Nigeria)
Former Honourable Minister
Federal Ministry of Science and Technology
New Federal Secretariat
Shehu Shagari Way
PMB 331 Abuja, Nigeria
Tel: 234-9-523 3397
Fax: 234-9-523 4390
E-mail: Ttisoun@aol.com

Prof Isoun holds a Bsc (hons), D.V.M (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), and PhD in Veterinary Medicine and Pathology from Michigan State University. His research findings have been recorded in over 50 scientific publications and scholarly journals. As a lecturer at the University of Nigeria and Professor of Veterinary Pathology at the University of Ibadan, he taught at undergraduate and post-graduate levels and served as Head of Department in Ibadan. During his academic career, he was awarded research and travel grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Foundation (DAAD), the Commonwealth Fellowship Foundation, and the International Development Research Foundation (IDRC).During his sabbatical leaves, Prof Isoun has been a visiting professor at the University of California, Davis, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and the Bernard Notch Institute for Tropical Medicine.
As the Special Advisor on Science and Technology to the Government of the Rivers State, Prof Isoun established Rivers State University of Science and Technology, the first university of science and technology in Nigeria, and served as its first Vice Chancellor in 1980. Prof Isoun was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.), in recognition of his contribution to the establishment of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and outstanding service to humanity. He was also awarded an Honorary PhD from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.
Prof Isoun is a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences and the African Academy of Sciences. He has also served on the academy's Executive Board and was the first Executive Editor of the pan-African science journal, Discovery and Innovation, a publication that promotes science and technology, applied and theoretical, academic and commercialized in Africa.
Prof Isoun is widely travelled in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, and is, therefore, conversant with the physical, political, science and technology challenges of these continents. Professor Isoun has additionally interacted with the Ford Foundation, International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO), and the Macarthur Foundation through his assignments and networked with many academics, policy makers and representatives of major international organizations during his travels.
In 1992, Prof Isoun teamed up with other academics that were concerned about the local problems of the Niger Delta in Nigeria and established the Niger Delta Wetlands Centre, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with a mission to improve the quality of life of the rural populations through applied scientific research, resource management and conflict management.

PROFESSOR LYNN K. MYTELKA
Lynn Mytelka
Professor Lynn Mytelka is a distinguished research professor who has worked at various universities including Carlton University in Canada where she won the university merit award for excellence in teaching and research.
Her research covers a broad range of developmental issues and science and technology (S&T), including innovation systems, technological upgrading in traditional industries, and North-South co-operation.
Other interests are biotechnology, strategic partnerships, and multinational corporations and competitiveness.

Contacts

Prof. Lynn Mytelka (Canada)
Professorial Fellow, UNU-MERIT
35, Rue Lhomond
75005 Paris, France
Code de la Porte: 357B
Tel: 33-1-47-073 790
Fax: 33-1-47-073 790 E-mail: Lmytelka@gmail.com

Prof Mytelka is also an Honorary Professor of Development Economics of the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands, and until recently, she was the Director of the Institute for New Technologies at the United Nations University (UNU/MERIT) in the Netherlands.
Prof Mytelka has previously worked as the Director of the Division on Investment, Technology and Enterprise Development (DITE) of the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva, Switzerland.
She has also undertaken extensive consultancies with the Commission of the European Communities, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Centre in Paris, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the World Bank.
Besides ATPS, Prof Mytelka serves on a number of advisory boards, including the MATCH International Centre (an NGO that links Third World and Canadian women), the Competitiveness Institute, Barcelona; and the UNESCO Global Forum.

PROFESSOR OLIVER SAASA
Oliver Saasa
Professor Oliver Saasa is a research professor in international economic relations and is currently the Managing Consultant of Premier Consult, Zambia. Until recently, Professor Saasa was the Director of the Institute of Economic and Social Research (INESOR), the largest behavioural research Institute of the University of Zambia. In his capacity as the Director of INESOR, Prof Saasa supervised research designs and development in economic and social research.
Prof Saasa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Zambia, an Msc degree on International Studies and a PhD degree in International Economics from Southampton University, United Kingdom. He has previously worked as a lecturer at the University of Zambia where he rose to the position of Head of Department of Development Studies.

Contacts

Prof. Oliver Saasa (Zambia)
(Professor of Political Economy and Managing Consultant)
Premier Consult
P.O. Box 38163 Lusaka, Zambia
Tel. No.: 260-1-290 056
Fax No.: 260-1-290 581
E-mail: oliver-saasa@premier-consult.com

Between 2001 and 2002, Prof Saasa was a visiting professor at the Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, Sweden where he finalized a book manuscript on Aid and Poverty Reduction in Zambia. He has also been a visiting professor at the Institute of Developing Economies - Tokyo and the African Institute of South Africa.
Prof Saasa has authored and published books and articles in international journals, and over 30 selected conference papers. He has also participated in research projects and commissioned consultancy assignments involving trade and investment, social sectors, planning, and project evaluation. Prof Saasa has also won several honours and academic awards including the Rhodes Scholar, the Lusaka Hindu Association Award and the Richard Newitt Prize.
Besides ATPS, Prof Saasa serves as the Chair of the National Museums Board and the Senate University Restoration and Rehabilitation Committee in Zambia. He is also a board member of the Government of Zambia Committee on Good Governance and is on the editorial board of the Africa Insights Journal, the Journal of Southern African Studies (JSAS) and the Contemporary African Studies Journal. Prof Saasa also serves as a Commissioner of the Zambia Law Development Commission, and sits on several donor committees that review aid support to Zambia.

PROFESSOR SAM WANGWE
Prof. Sam M. Wangwe
Professor Sam Wangwe is the Chairman of Daima Associates Limited (DAIMA), a private consulting firm based in Dar es Salaam. DAIMA offers a range of professional services directed towards the economic, industrial, agricultural and commercial sectors as well as policy makers and development agencies. Prior to assuming his current position, he was the Executive Director of the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), a non-for-profit, non-governmental policy research institute focusing on capacity building in economic and social policy and development management in Tanzania.
Prof Wangwe has 30 years experience as an economist and an Economic Advisor to the Government of Tanzania. He has led and participated in over 50 consultancies addressing infrastructure, finance, poverty, and the formulation and implementation of strategies and policies.
Prof Wangwe holds a BA (Economics and Statistics), MA (Economics) and PhD (Economics) degrees from the University of Dar es Salaam and has also worked as the Head of the Department of Economics, and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the same university. During a three-year leave of absence from the University of Dar es salaam, Prof Wangwe was a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for New Technologies of the United Nations University, in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Contacts

Prof. Sam M. Wangwe (Tanzania)
(Professor of Economics and Chairman) Daima Associates Limited
Daima house, Makumbusho St., Kijitonyama
PO Box 75027 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tel: 255-22-277 1954
Fax: 255-22-277 1949
E-mail: swangwe@daima.co.tz

Besides ATPS, Prof Wangwe serves on a number of advisory boards including the Central Bank of Tanzania, the Tanzania Housing Bank, and the National Micro Finance Bank. He is also the Chairperson of several boards including the State Mining Corporation, the National Institute of Productivity, and the National Social Security Fund in Tanzania.
Prof Wangwe has also been a member of several commissions, special committees and task forces including the Fourth Five Development Plan Working Committee on Industry and Technology; the Committee for Improving National Statistics; the Secretariat of the Tanzania Advisory Group; the Presidential Commission on Exports and Salaries; the Tax Force on Restructuring the National Bank of Commerce; the Advisory Committee in Financial Sector Reform and the Tanzania Business Council.
Prof Wangwe has authored and co-authored 10 books in economic policy and policy development, published more than 60 papers in various journals, and edited books in various topics in economics.

MAYOR NOEL AKOSSI BENDJO
Akossi Bendjo
Mayor Noel Akossi Bendjo is the Mayor of the Abidjan Plateau in Côte d'ivoire. He holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Laval University in Quebec, Canada and has previously served as the Managing Director of Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR), an Ivorian refinery company in Côte d'ivoire. He is also the Chairman of the National Network of Foreign Trade Advisors.
Mr Bendjo has been at the helm of various companies and organizations, such as the Multinational Corporation of Bitumen, PETROCI Industrial and Service, ANARE (Regulation Authority and the Electric Sector), the National Federation of Industries Services and the Petroleum African Business and Service, Côte d'Ivoire.

Contacts

Mayor Noel Akossi Bendjo (Cote d'Ivoire)
(Mayor and Vice-Governor, Abidjan District)
Abidjan District
B.P. V 261 Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Tel. No.: 225 - 20-254 902
Fax No.: 225 - 20-333 039
E-mail: Bendjo51@yahoo.com

Mr Bendjo is a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Board Chair of the Institute of Industrial West Africa and the Founding President of Benianh International. He has also authored the book Demain la Cote d'Ivoire. In his various positions in the public and private sectors, Mr Bendjo has consistently championed the advancement of science, technology and innovation policy making and implementation in Africa.

 

 

 

 


PROFESSOR SIR BRIAN HEAP
Brian Heap
Professor Sir Brian Heap is the Executive Director of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Societies Series B and a Special Professor at the University of Nottingham. He is also the President of the International Society for Science and Religion and a Research Associate with the Capability and Sustainability Centre at St Edmund's College, Cambridge. Sir Brian is a Honorary Fellow at the Royal Agricultural Society in England, the Green College, University of Oxford and the Korean Academy of Sciences as well as a trustee of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust; Cambridge Overseas Trust; Cambridge European Trust and the Academia Europaea. He is also a member of the Biochemical Society; Society for Endocrinology; Institute of Biology; the Royal Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the International Institute of Biotechnology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the New York Academy of Science. Professor Heap has previously served as the Vice-President and Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society; Director of Research at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; President of the Institute of Biology; UK Representative on the European Science Foundation; UK Representative on the NATO Science Committee and Chair of the Cambridge Genetics Knowledge Park. He has also served on the Nuffield Council on Bioethics; the Department of Health's Expert Group on Cloning, has worked on many developing country issues particularly with the World Health Organization, and was scientific consultant for Merck, Sharp and Dohme, Johnson and Johnson, and Ligand Pharmaceuticals in the USA.

Contacts

Prof. Sir Brian Heap (UK)
(Special Professor, University of Nottingham)
Honorary Fellow
St Edmund's College
Cambridge CB3 0BN
Tel. No.: 44 - 1223-248 509
E-mail: rbh22@cam.ac.uk

Professor Heap has over 390 publications in various media. He is an editorial board member of several scientific journals including the Journal of Endocrinology; Journal of Reproduction and Fertility Placenta; and the Oxford Reviews of Reproduction. Moreover, Professor Heap has won several scientific awards including the Fison's Prize and the Belper Prize from the University of Nottingham; the Inventor's Award from the UK Ministry of Defense; the Research Medal from the Royal Agricultural Society of England and the Marshall Medal from the Society for the Study of Fertility.