Biographies

The Editors

Olugbenga Adesida is a co-founder and partner of Ihaba, a business development venture, and The Knowledge Network, a strategy consulting firm. He also works as the Director, Africa Innovation Summit (www.africainnovationsummit.com). Formerly working with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP, 1992 and 1998), Olugbenga has worked extensively in Africa as strategy consultant and is based in Cabo Verde where he also advises the government. He is a Director of the African Leadership Institute (www.alinstitute.org) and the Pedro Pires Leadership Institute (www.institutopedropires.org.cv). Olugbenga holds a BA and an MA in Economics from the City College of New York, and a PhD from the London School of Economics. His doctoral study was on the role of intermediary institutions in the diffusion of complex technological innovations.

Geci Karuri-Sebina is the Executive Manager: Programmes at the South African Cities Network. She is also a Director of the Southern Africa Node of the Millennium Project, an Associate at the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation in Tshwane (Pretoria), and a Senior SARChI Research Associate with the Tshwane University of Technology. Geci has been widely involved with African development thinking and writing, including roles as Associate Editor: African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development; Africa Regional Editor: Foresight — The International Journal of Future Studies, Strategic Thinking and Policy; and as Council Member on the South African Council of Planners. Geci holds Masters Degrees in Architecture and in Urban Planning from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and a PhD from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. She is also a Fellow of the Archbishop Tutu African Leadership Programme.

João Resende-Santos is an Associate Professor of International Studies at Bentley University. He has also been a consultant for the African Development Bank, and the Government of Cabo Verde. He is also author of the book Neorealism, the State, and the Mass Army (Cambridge University Press, 1997). João has a PhD from Harvard University.

Contributing Authors

Adetokunbo Olugbenga Abiola is a Nigerian journalist and novelist. He is currently the Features Editor for The HOPE Newspapers. Among other writings, Adetokunbo is author of Labula Mask, a novel, and American 419 and Other Stories (Laughing Fire Press, 2014). He is also winner of five international journalism awards. Adetokunbo studied at the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

Neville Raymond Comins is an Independent Consultant on Innovation Systems and Science Park Development. He is also the Chairperson of the Southern African Innovation Network (SAINe) and the founding CEO of The Innovation Hub in Tshwane, South Africa. Neville has previously served as National Innovation Advisor to The Cooperation Framework on Innovation Systems between Finland and South Africa (COFISA), and as Interim Technical Advisor at commencement of the Southern African Innovation Support Programme (SAIS). Neville is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, and was a contributing author to the book The Future of Innovation (Gower Publishing, 2009). Neville has a PhD (Physics) from the University of Cambridge.

Abdelkader Djeflat is a Professor of Economics at the University of Lille (USTL) in France. Previously, he had been a full Professor of Economics at the University of Oran in Algeria. Djeflat teaches industrial economics and the economics of technical change. He has held several positions at the University of Oran: Dean of the Faculty and Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Faculty. He is founder and current chairman of the MAGHTECH (Maghreb Technology) Network since 1994. Djeflat has published about 80 articles in international journals on the issues of technology transfer, innovation, and knowledge economy in the developing world mainly related to Maghreb and Mena region. He has coordinated and published several books and journals, including the books Building Science, Technology and Innovation Systems in Africa: Experiences from the Maghreb (Adonis & Abbey, London, 2010); and Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Addressing the Real Issues of the Middle East and the Arab Spring (Springer, New York, 2012; co-edited with Thomas Andersson). Djeflat is consultant to several Governments Ministries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and International Organisations: for example, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), European Union (EU), and the World Bank Institute. He is also a Vice-President of Globelics, and a member of its Scientific Board. He holds a PhD from Bath University.

Julius Gatune is a Senior Research and Policy Advisor for the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) in Accra. He has a multidisciplinary background covering engineering, computer science, business administration, and policy analysis. He has worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Co. working in their sub-Sahara Africa office in Johannesburg; and was a Research Associate with the Pardee Centre for Longer Range Futures at Boston University. Julius has a PhD in Policy Analysis from Frederick S. Pardee Rand Graduate School, and also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Frederick S. Pardee Centre of International Futures at the University of Denver.

Erika Kraemer-Mbula is a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Institute for Economic Research at Tshwane University of Technology, which co-hosts a DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Scientometrics and STI Policy (South Africa). She is currently Associate Professor Extraordinary at the University of Stellenbosch, and has previously worked as a Research Officer at Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, and at the Centre for Research in Innovation Management (CENTRIM) at the University of Brighton. Erika was co-editor of the books Innovation and the Development Agenda (OECD/IDRC Publishers, 2010), and co-author of Industrial Competitiveness in Africa: Lessons from East Asia (ITDG Publishers, 2005). Initially trained as an economist, Erika holds a Masters in Science and Technology Policy from the Science and Policy Research Unit (University of Sussex, UK) and a PhD (Development Studies) from Oxford University.

Nisreen Lahham is the Planning and International Cooperation Expert with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, League of Arab States. She is also the founder and chairperson of the Futures Studies Forum for Africa and the Middle East (FSF) which is an NGO established in Egypt/Jordan, aiming to rebuild connections between African and Middle Eastern countries, through conducting futures studies and contributing in the development of the region. She was formerly the Executive Manager of the Center for Future studies in the Information and Decision Support Center of the Egyptian Cabinet. Nisreen has been a member of “The Committee of Future Vision and Strategic Plan of Egypt 2015–2030” of the Egyptian Ministry of Planning. She is also a member of “The National Council for Futures Studies and Risk Management” of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Egypt. Nisreen has a record of scholarly research and publications in urban development, planning, environmental economics, and futures studies. She has authored two Arabic books — How Do Nations Rise? (2014) and Tourism Planning for Heritage Areas Using EIA Tool (2007). Nisreen holds a PhD (Faculty of Engineering) from Ain Shams University in Egypt.

Mammo Muchie is currently a Department of Science & Technology/National Research Foundation Research Chair-holder and Professor of Innovation Studies at Tshwane University of Technology. He is a fellow of the South African Academy of Sciences, and the African Academy of Sciences. He is currently adjunct professor at the Adama Science & Technology University and the University of Gondar, Ethiopia; Visiting Professor at Shanghai University; Senior Associate at Tonji University Think–Tank; Senior Research Associate at the TMCD Centre of Oxford University. Mammo was one of the founding members of the Globelics initiative (www.globelics.org) to start a new relationship between Northern and Southern researchers by focusing research on the challenges of building innovation systems in the developing world. He continues to be a scientific Board member of Globelics and the Globelics Academy. Mammo is also the founder and Chief Editor of the African Journal on Science, Technology, Innovation and Development (www.ajstid.com), and editor of the seminal book Putting Africa First: The Making of African Innovation Systems. Professor Muchie holds a DPhil in Science, Technology, and Innovation for Development (STI4D) from the University of Sussex.

Wilfred Mutua Mworia is a Consultant & Entrepreneur based in Nairobi. He is also founder, proprietor, and regular contributor on Afrinnovator.com. Will is author of Innovative Africa: The New Face of Africa (2012) and The Making of a Revolution: The Success or Failure of Cheap, Reliable, Internet Connectivity in East Africa (2009). Will holds a Bachelors degree in Business Information Technology (Management Information Systems) from Strathmore University in Kenya, and is pursuing his MSc in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management at the University of Nairobi.

George Omondi Okongo is a currently a Doctoral Fellow with the United Nations University (UNU-MERIT)/Maastricht Graduate School of Governance. He is also affiliated with the African Research and Resource Forum (ARRF), Nairobi, Kenya. George has been involved in research agenda setting in public agricultural research institutions in both Kenya and Ghana. He holds a Master of Arts (Governance and Development) from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex.