John Ouma Mugabe is Professor of Science and Innovation Policy at the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) at the University of Pretoria, anda Senior Associate Fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, UK. He is an Associate at the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) Geneva, founding Director of the Foundation for Innovation and Technology-Africa (FIT-Africa), Pretoria and Nairobi; and Member of the Board of Directors/Trustees of the Calestous Juma Legacy Foundation (CJLF), Boston USA. He is former Executive Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) Nairobi, Kenya, and former Director of the Office of Science and Technology of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Midrand, South Africa. He was a Programme Officer of the International Diffusion of Biotechnology Programme of the International Federation of Institutes of Advanced Study (IFIAS), Maastricht, in the Netherlands. Prof. Mugabe holds a PhD degree in political science (political economy of science, technology and environmental policy) from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

Prof. Mugabe is a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) since 2001, Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) since 2013, and Fellow of the Academy of Engineering and Technology of the Developing World (AETDEW) since 2018. He has consulted on science, technology and innovation policy for the World Bank Institute (WBI), the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations University (UNU), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union (AU), international donors such as the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, and many governments of African countries. Prof. Mugabe was responsible for the establishment of the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST) under the auspices of the African Union (AU). He has published widely on science, technology, environment and public policy. His current research focuses on the political economy of science, technology and innovation policy-making, and the use of scientific evidence in public policy in Africa.