Biographies
Return to University of Toronto and Africa Virtual Forum.
In order of appearance:
Prof. Wisdom Tettey, Chair of the Presidential International Council for Africa, Vice-President, University of Toronto and Principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough
Wisdom Tettey is Vice-President of the University of Toronto and Principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough, as well as a professor of political science and development studies. His research interests include media, politics, and civic engagement in Africa; transnational citizenship and the African diaspora; political economy of globalization and information technology in Africa; African higher education and the knowledge society. He was Dean of the Barber School of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at the Okanagan Campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC), and Interim Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Culture at the University of Calgary. He began his academic career at Queen’s University. He is an alumnus of the University of Ghana, the Pushkin Institute, UBC, and Queen’s University. He has served as a consultant/advisor to various international organizations, including the World Bank, the UNDP, the Africa Capacity Building Foundation, and the International Association of Universities. He is an elected Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and currently serves on the Board of CivicAction and on the advisory/editorial boards of various academic publications.
Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, Secretary-General, African Research University Alliance
Professor Aryeetey is the Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance, a network of 16 of Africa’s flagship universities. He is a Professor of Economics and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana. He was also previously Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research at the University of Ghana and the first Director of the Africa Growth Initiative of Brookings Institution, Washington D.C. He has held academic appointments at the School of Oriental and African Studies, Yale University and Swarthmore College. Professor Aryeetey was a member of the Governing Council of the United Nations University and was also previously Chairman of the Advisory Board of the UNU-World Institute for Development Economics Research. He is currently the Board Chairman of the African Economic Research Consortium.
Prof. Joseph Wong, Vice-President, International, University of Toronto
Professor Joseph Wong is Vice-President, International, University of Toronto, where he is also the Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs, and Professor of Political Science. He held the Canada Research Chair in Health, Democracy, and Development from 2006 to 2016. He is the author of many academic articles and several books, including Healthy Democracies: Welfare Politics in Taiwan and South Korea and Betting on Biotech: Innovation and the Limits of Asia’s Developmental State, both published by Cornell University Press. Inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals, in collaboration with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Professor Wong founded
the Reach Alliance.
Mr. Antoine Chevrier, Assistant Deputy Minister (Sub Sahara Africa), Global Affairs, Government of Canada
Antoine Chevrier (BA, Economics, Laval University); MA (International Relations,
Laval University) started working with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 1997. At Headquarters, he was Director of the Haiti Bilateral Development Program, as well as Director of the transition team in charge of amalgamating CIDA with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada in 2013. In 2014, he was appointed Director General of the Geographic Coordination and Mission Support Bureau. He has served abroad in various positions, including, from 2009 to 2013, Director of the development program at the embassy to Peru and Bolivia. From 2002 to 2006, he assumed various functions, including Chief of Staff in the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development at the Organization of American States, in Washington, D.C. Mr. Chevrier served as High Commissioner in Mozambique, Malawi and Eswatini and as Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti and Representative to the African Union. Back at Global Affairs Canada headquarters he was Director General for Pan-African Affairs and subsequently Assistant Deputy Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs at the Privy Council Office, before assuming the position of Assistant Deputy Minister for Sub-Saharan Africa in March 2022.
Prof. Mabel Nangami, Former Dean, Health Sciences, Moi University, Kenya
Prof. Nangami is an expert in health policy and health systems management with a social science background and postdoctoral training in health systems research and policy communication and has over 30 years of extensive experience in teaching, research, and consultancy. She is an Associate Professor in Health Policy and Health Systems Management and former Dean of the School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences at Moi University. Prof. Nangami has led institutional research and capacity building initiatives leading to policy change in health management through several research grants including the first Moi University research Chair on health systems research at Moi University. In addition, she has consulted for various Ministry of Health-Kenya initiatives including developing regional and national curricula and manuals on Health systems Management. Lastly, she is working towards establishing a center of Excellence in health systems strengthening towards achieving Universal Health Coverage for devolved health units in Kenya.
Dr. Carol Nonkwelo, Senior Director, Research and Innovation, University of Pretoria, South Africa
[Biography unavailable at the time of publication]
Prof. Katherine Rouleau, Director, WHO Collaborating Center on Family Medicine & Primary Care, Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Rouleau is a family physician and global health expert. She has practiced and taught team-based family medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital for over 25 years. At U of T, she is director of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Family Medicine and Primary Care, and Global (Primary Health Care) lead in the Office of Health System Partnerships with the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM). Her academic, clinical and leadership interests center on collaboration to improve health equity and address the complex health needs of individuals and communities impacted by adverse determinants of health through high-quality comprehensive primary care at the core of PHC-oriented health systems. Her past leadership and administrative roles include Founding Director of the Besrour Centre for Global Family Medicine at the College of Family Physicians of Canada, Vice-Chair Global Health and Social Accountability at the DFCM and Technical Officer for PHC at WHO HQ.
Dr. Penina Lam, Director, International Relations (Africa), University of Toronto
Dr. Penina Lam is the University of Toronto’s Director of International Relations, where she leads strategic engagement and development of partnerships in Africa. Her role focuses on the implementation of health sector capacity development and entrepreneurship programs, working in close partnership with colleagues across the University, with African institutions, and Mastercard Foundation. Her career has spanned faculty, staff, and leadership roles in higher education working with Sub-Saharan African, Canadian, and US institutions. She started her academic career at the University of Arkansas as an Assistant Professor, teaching graduate courses in the Human Resources Development program. At Queen’s University, she served as an Assistant Professor, Director of Graduate Studies and managed the NSERC-CREATE Bone & Joint Health program.
Prof. Amy Bilton, Director, Centre for Global Engineering, University of Toronto
[Biography unavailable at the time of publication]
Dr. Francis Kangure, Senior Research Fellow, Strathmore University, Kenya & RTI International, United States
Dr. Kangure has 18 years of experience in Human Capital Management and Organizational Strengthening Programs in the energy and health sectors. He currently serves as the Director for Institutional Performance Improvement Activities – including capacity and organizational development services to power entities, regulators, and governments in East Africa – under the USAID-funded Power Africa East Africa Energy Program (EAEP). In this role, he has successfully repurposed USAID’s Human and Institutional Capacity Development Model in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia to identify organizational capacity gaps and develop effective performance improvement strategies. In addition, he acts as EAEP’s Somalia Country Lead, supporting the coordination of Power Africa and other development partners to enhance alignment with Somalia’s Ministry of Energy & Water Resources. Dr. Kangure is also currently leading innovative, RTI-funded research to model the impact of clean energy development on green jobs in Kenya. Prior to joining RTI, Dr. Kangure was the Manager of Human Resources Services at Kenya Power & Lighting Company. Dr. Kangure is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management in the United States, the Institute of Human Resource Management in Kenya, and the Institute of Directors in Kenya. Dr. Kangure is currently an adjunct postdoctoral researcher at Strathmore University.
Dr. Jasper Grosskurth, Managing Director, Dalberg Research
Dr. Jasper Grosskurth is the Managing Director of Dalberg Research. Under Jasper’s leadership, the Dalberg Research team has executed several hundred impact related data projects, ranging from water sachets to social cohesion, from clean cookstoves to the potential for green hydrogen production. Based in Nairobi with a team of more than 60 data analysts, field researchers, geospatial experts and interdisciplinary research experts, Jasper’s current focus is on leading data and standards driven climate work at Dalberg Research and beyond. Before joining, Jasper worked as a futurist at the Netherlands Centre for the Study of Technology Trends, at futurist consultancy Pantopicon of which is he is co-founder and at the International Centre for Integrated Studies (now Maastricht Sustainability Institute). Jasper holds a MSc in International Economic Studies and a PhD in Integrated Sustainability Assessment, both from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
Prof. Izael Pereira Da Silva, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Strathmore University, Kenya
[Biography unavailable at the time of publication]
Mr. Simon Gosling, Manager Director, EnergyNet
Simon’s role is to develop Energynet’s global business portfolio, with a specific focus on government and private investment in Africa’s power and industrial infrastructure sectors. Simon’s work with the public and private sectors in growing economies provides our clients an important inroad to explore quickly and accurately P&L structures of projects and enables investors to react quickly to market and political changes. He is passionate about job creation and keenly aware of the many industrial sector opportunities and their role in delivering public and private sector growth.
Prof. Erica Di Ruggiero, Director, Centre for Global Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Professor Di Ruggiero is Director for the Centre for Global Health, Director of the Collaborative Specialization in Global Health, and Associate Professor of global health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at U of T. Prior to joining the university, she was the inaugural Deputy Scientific Director with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research-Institute of Population and Public Health. She has served on the Management Committee for the Innovating for Maternal and Child Health Program in Africa, as Honorary Vice President, American Public Health Association and Chair of the Canadian Public Health Association. Erica obtained her BSc in Nutritional Sciences, a Masters of Health Science in community nutrition, and a PhD in public health sciences from U of T. Her research addresses the evaluation of population health interventions, their health and health equity impacts, work and health policies, the assessment of global policy agenda-setting processes in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, the evaluation of global health research capacity building, and of knowledge utilization and exchange strategies to influence public health decision-making at national and global levels.
Dr. Catherine Kanari, Universal Health Coverage Lead, Amref Innovations, Amref Health Africa
Dr. Kanari holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (University of Nairobi) and a Masters of Public Health (Leeds University). She has more than 18 years’ experience in the health sector in Kenya; including working in the public, private and NGO sectors. Dr. Kanari is currently the Universal Health Coverage Lead at Amref Health innovations. Her portfolio includes innovative solutions for health service delivery that leverage on emerging technologies to deliver measurable impact within communities in Africa and strengthen Health systems. During the pandemic she was involved in work around inclusion into social protection for 6 counties in Kenya, Capacity building community health systems through capacity building, advocacy, increasing vaccine coverage through mobile vaccination units and covid surveillance efforts in several counties and countries.
Dr. Joanne Korir, Associate Director, Health Equity Group Foundation, Kenya
Dr. Joanne R. Korir is a healthcare professional with broad experience across the health sector having worked in clinical practice, health administration, health systems management & health economics with hands on exposure both from the public and private health sectors in the East Africa region.
She currently serves as Associate Director for Health at Equity Group Foundation – one of Africa’s largest Social Impact Corporate Foundations. She also team leads Equity Group’s Social Impact initiatives across the Group’s subsidiaries.
Joanne has led teams in healthcare service delivery urged on by a strong passion for developing & implementing efficient models that strengthen, through value creation, Provider- Patient & Payer relationships in healthcare, and contribute to promoting affordability of health services. She is a recipient of Kenya’s Head of State Commendation (HSC) for her contribution to the National COVID -19 Emergency Response Fund where she served as the secretary of its Health Technical Working Group.
Dr. Korir is a trained medical doctor, received her training MBA in Healthcare Management from Strathmore University and holds certificates in Project Management & Global Health Leadership from University of Washington, Financing for Development from the University of Nairobi. She is a current scholar in Health Economics and Policy.
Joanne has held senior management roles in healthcare having served as General Manager for AAR Healthcare Tanzania Ltd, and has hand on experience in operations management, healthcare quality management, and has contributed to execution & roll-out of various projects for health infrastructure expansion & social entrepreneurship in Health within the East Africa region. She is a member of Kenya Medical Association and has served on its council for Nairobi Division.
Prof. Tandi Matsha-Erasmus, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Research, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
Dr. Matsha holds a PhD in Medical Biochemistry. She is currently the Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) for Academic and Research at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. She is also the Founding Director of the South African Medical Research Council Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She was also the recipient of the South African Research Chairs Initiative from the National Research Foundation which she had to relinquish upon accepting the position of DVC: Academic and Research at SMU. Her research unit has carried out important studies on the prevalence and molecular determinants of diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors in people of mixed ancestry who are in the majority in Cape Town. She has published over 150 publications academic papers in peer-reviewed journals, 3 book chapters, 2 Novel SNP database entries and 1 patent. Dr. Matsha has achieved a high professional standing in her field having been awarded a number of honours, including the 2018/2019 NSTF-South32 Awards which recognizes outstanding contributions to science, engineering and technology and innovation in South Africa.
Mr. Hassan Ali Ahmed, Associate Director of Nutrition, Global Lead for SMART Initiative, Action Against Hunger
Hassan Ali Ahmed is an accomplished professional serving as the Technical Director at Action Against Hunger Canada. With a background in Strategic management and extensive experience in the non-profit sector, Hassan demonstrates exceptional leadership and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by communities affected by hunger and malnutrition. He is dedicated to mobilizing resources, fostering partnerships, and implementing innovative solutions to combat malnutrition, food insecurity and water scarcity. As the Technical Director, Hassan oversees programs, ensures alignment with global strategies, and maintains high standards of accountability. Through his unwavering dedication, Hassan continues to make a positive impact in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
Prof. Lisa Strug, Director, Data Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
Dr. Strug is Professor in the Departments of Statistical Sciences, Computer Science and cross-appointed in Biostatistics at the University of Toronto and is a Senior Scientist in the Program in Genetics and Genome Biology at the Hospital for Sick Children. Dr. Strug is the inaugural Director of the Data Sciences Institute (DSI), a tri-campus, multi-divisional, multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary hub for data science activity at U of T and affiliated Research Institutes. DSI’s goal is to accelerate the impact of data sciences across the disciplines to address pressing societal questions and drive positive social change. Dr. Strug holds several other leadership positions at the U of T including the Director of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute Ontario Region, and at the Hospital for Sick Children as Associate Director of the Centre for Applied Genomics and the Lead of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Gene Modifier Consortium and the Biology of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy International Consortium. She is a statistical geneticist and her research focuses on the development of novel statistical approaches to analyze and integrate multi-omics data to identify genetic contributors to complex human disease.
Prof. Kevin Yousie, Institute for Management and Innovation, University of Toronto Mississauga
Kevin Yousie is an Associate Professor in the teaching stream at U of T. He teaches General Management with a focus on business strategy and has a particular interest in emerging technologies and their implications for organizations and society. He is Chair of the University of Toronto annual IMI Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Competition and Workshop Series, and Co-Chair of the Fighting Crime With Big Data Conference. Through his strategy and leadership development consulting work, Professor Yousie has assisted senior executives and Boards of Directors for more than twenty years. Earlier in his career Professor Yousie worked in Corporate & Investment Banking and International Banking, in Canada, the United States, and across Asia. Professor Yousie has been an accredited corporate director since 2005 and has more than twenty years of board experience. He has an interest in healthcare and served on the Board of Directors of a residential mental health and addiction treatment centre for nine years including a term as Board Chair. In addition to his ICD.D professional director’s designation, Professor Yousie obtained his Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation and he is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers (FICB).
Prof. Julius Butime, Dean of School of Computing and Engineering, Strathmore University, Kenya
Julius Butime is an Electrical Engineer and currently the Dean, School of Computing and Engineering Sciences at Strathmore University and a Senior member of the IEEE. He was formerly Head of Engineering and Technology at the African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute based in Nairobi. He also was Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Makerere University. His main areas of interest are Spectrum Management, Computer vision, Radiofrequency Techniques and Wireless communication. He has taken part in a number of research engagements, both as a PI and researcher; Key to mention are the Higher Education Partnership supported by the Royal academy of Engineering UK, Transform Energy Access Learning Partnership involving Curriculum development, CSIC exchange and the Spectrum Management Training program supported by the ITU. He serves on the Young Scientist Kenya board as a Director and is a keen tennis player.
Prof. Vukosi Marivate, Chair, Data Science, University of Pretoria
Vukosi Marivate is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and holds the ABSA UP Chair of Data Science at the University of Pretoria. He specialises in developing Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods to extract insights from data, with a particular focus on the intersection of ML/AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP). His research is dedicated to improving the methods, tools and availability of data for local or low-resource languages. As the leader of the Data Science for Social Impact research group in the Computer Science department, Vukosi is interested in using data science to solve social challenges. He has worked on projects related to science, energy, public safety, and utilities, among others. Prof. Marivate is a co-founder and CTO of the Lelapa AI, an African start-up focused on AI for Africans by Africans. He is a chief investigator on the Masakhane NLP project which aims to develop NLP technologies for African languages. Vukosi is also a co-founder of the Deep Learning Indaba, the leading grassroots Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence conference on the African continent that aims to empower and support African researchers and practitioners in the field.
Dr. Catherine Chandler-Crichlow, Dean of School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto
Dr. Catherine Chandler-Crichlow is Dean at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. Prior to this, she was the Executive Director of Career Management and Corporate Recruiting and member of their Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Executive Council at Ivey Business School at Western University. She also headed 3 C Workforce Solutions, an organization that conducts research to determine talent needs across major sectors in Ontario. Dr. Chandler-Crichlow was an executive in the financial services sector, a member of the federal Advisory Pane l on Canada’s International Education Strategy, as well as a member of the External Advisory Committee on Inclusion and Diversity of the Ontario Public Service. She is Board Chair of the largest immigrant mentorship network in Canada and was selected by The Philanthropist as one of Canada’s leaders in the non-profit sector. Dr. Chandler-Crichlow holds a doctorate in adult education from the University of Toronto, a Master of Education degree from Harvard University, and both a Diploma in Education and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the West Indies.
Prof. Ann Lopez, Educational Leadership and Policy, OISE; Director, Centre for Leadership and Diversity, Co-Director, Centre for Black Studies in Education, University of Toronto
Dr. Ann Lopez is a Jamaican born professor of educational leadership and policy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), U of T. A former public-school teacher and administrator she is a leading voice and scholar on anti-racist, decolonizing and equity education in K-12 schooling. She is the Director of the Center for Leadership and Diversity, Co-Director Centre for Black Studies in Education, and Provostial Advisor, Access Programs. Dr. Lopez has recently been appointed as Professor Extraordinarius at UNISA, South Africa and Visiting Professor Kwame Nkrumah University, Zambia. She is a teacher educator and held the position of Academic Director, Initial Teacher Education at OISE/U of T. Her recent research projects have focused on school leadership in Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Ghana and Zambia where she collaborates with local scholars. Dr. Lopez is the author of several journal articles and books including her most recent book, Decolonizing Educational Leadership: Alternative Approach to Leading Schools. Professor Lopez is co-Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of School Leadership and Co-Series Editor, Studies in Educational Administration.
Mr. Anthony Miceli, Executive Director of Corporate and Foundations Relations, Division of University Advancement, University of Toronto
A strategic advancement professional with over 25 years of experience in creating revenue growth and partnerships within the charitable sector. Currently, Anthony holds the position of Executive Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations at the University of Toronto. In this role, Anthony develops and maintains strategic relationships with both Canadian and Internationally based companies and granting foundations. Prior to his work at U of T, Anthony held senior level positions in a variety of national non-profit organizations including; The Heart & Stroke Foundation, The Arthritis Society, Special Olympics Canada, and The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. His primary responsibility was to drive sustainable financial growth to expand program delivery, research, and education for patients and relevant stakeholders. Anthony currently serves on the Board of Directors for Melanoma Canada and leads their fundraising committee.
Dr. Beth Waweru, Group Director, Strategic Human Capital, Equity Group Holdings
Dr. Beth Waweru currently serves as the Group Director, Strategic Human Capital at Equity Group Holdings Plc. She is tasked with organizing the human capital at Equity Group to deliver on the strategic objectives of the company. Beth previously served as the Associate Director, Education and Leadership Development. In this docket, she successfully developed and implemented award-winning scholarship and educational leadership programs for Equity Group Foundation which have seen 55,000+ students achieve educational excellence. Dr. Waweru leads the internal Academic Taskforce at Equity for knowledge management in the group and is responsible for coordinating and developing curriculum for training Group Board members & Senior Management in partnership with leading academic institutions such as Harvard Business and Lagos Business Schools. In her previous work, Dr. Waweru has as a consultant conducted and facilitated a comprehensive white paper focused on the Kenya Government and development partners and its climate change approach with International Fund for Agricultural Development. She created a systemic operating program and served as coordinator for the managing and implementation of deworming activities for Innovations for Poverty Action under the Deworm the World Program. Beth holds a PhD in Geography from Carleton University (Canada) where she specialized in Climate Change and Food Security. She obtained a Master’s in Environmental Management from Yale University (USA) and has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Nairobi (Kenya).
Mrs.Crista McInnis, Regional Senior Trade Commissioner, High Commission of Canada to Kenya
Crista McInnis is an experienced diplomat and currently the Regional Senior Trade Commissioner at the high Commission of Canada in Nairobi responsible for business development across East Africa. Her experience of trade negotiations, G7 and G20 economic policy issues, economic sanctions, and her keen interest in supporting companies working at the intersection of trade and development give her a unique perspective on trade, monetary and compliance issues affecting business, and the imperative and the challenge of engaging the private sector in addressing global issues. She has worked on Canada’s trade and business relations with Japan, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Philippines, and now Kenya and East Africa. She has been posted to Japan, the Philippines and Kenya. She is married to Warren Mucci and has four children aged 25, 23, 11 and 8.
Dr. Purity Gitonga, Senior Research Fellow, Strathmore University, Kenya
Dr. Purity K. Gitonga is serving as a Senior Research Fellow at Strathmore University; Member of University Council at Kenya Methodist University and Board of Management in public schools. She also lecturers on leadership and governance at the International Leadership University. Purity also consults on matters regarding Leadership, Governance, and Anti-Corruption, Human Resource Management and Professional Ethic and Anti-Corruption in public institutions. She has provided training for international bodies such as the OECD Italy Tax Academy. Dr. Gitonga has over 18 years successful work experience at senior level in ethics, governance and anti-corruption having served at the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. She was the brains behind the establishment of the National Integrity Academy, the first Anti-Corruption Academy in Kenya and East Africa. Purity has also served as Head of Education, Training and Public Awareness Department, Human Resource Management and the Kenya Leadership and Integrity Forum. Dr. Gitonga holds a PhD in Business Administration, a master’s degree in Education Administration and Planning from the University of Nairobi, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Kenyatta University.
Prof. Paul Santerre, Director of the Health Innovation Hub (H2i), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Professor Santerre has published 220+ peer reviewed publications and is a listed inventor on 70+ patents in the area of medical polymers, biodegradation, protein and blood interactions with surfaces, surface modification, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery. He is co-founder and current director of the Health Innovation Hub at U of T (a student focused entrepreneur training co-curricular program that has trained > 650 client health science and biomedical engineering start-up companies to date who have generated $320M+ Cdn). He is also the current Chair of the Health Entrepreneurship Pillar for the African Higher Education Health Collaborative supported by the Mastercard Foundation. He is a co-founder of Interface Biologics and current CSO for the company, along with having spun-out five other start-up companies from his lab and has won multiple national awards for his achievements in enabling entrepreneurship, including Canada’s Governor General award for Innovation, and the Professional Engineers of Ontario Entrepreneurship Award in 2017. He is the current holder of the Baxter Chair for Health Technology & Commercialization at the University Hospital Network.
Dr. Charles Kimpolo, Director, AIMS Industry Initiative & Head, Next Einstein Forum AIMS, Rwanda
Dr. Kimpolo, Ph.D. is the Director of the Industry Initiative and Head of the Next Einstein Forum at the Global Network Secretariat of AIMS – Next Einstein Initiative. Charles leads the implementation of Work Integrated Learning programs at AIMS to develop new industry needs-driven capacity development programs and support AIMS graduates in their transition to employment, entrepreneurship and further studies. Charles is a passionate scientist, technologist and change agent with over 15 years of industry experience in data analysis, business intelligence and project management. Charles’s experience includes teaching and research in the field of Computational and Applied Mathematics. He also has hands-on experience in agile software development, delivery and consulting; and client engagement working in Africa, the US and Asia. Charles holds a Ph.D. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from the University of the Witwatersrand. Charles is a member of the Technical Advisory Group of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. Charles joined a group of global experts to participate in the Programme Committee for the United Nations World Data Forum. He is also a member of the Global Strategy Council of the World Association for Cooperative Education. Charles founded the Young African Technologists that is aimed at promoting education through technology in underprivileged African communities. During his 2-year stay in India, Charles supported African students through the Knowledge Sharing Campaign that he founded to empower the African student diaspora and reverse brain drain.
Mr. James Fraser, CEO, Madiro Health
[Biography unavailable at the time of publication]
Mr. Richard Labelle, Entrepreneurship Consultant
Independent consultant. Consultant Coordinator of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab of the AfDB. Background in plant science (M.Sc. plant physiology), biology and chemistry. 41+ years of experience in over 55 developing countries, including 44 countries in Africa, on inclusive development and competitiveness; the digital economy (internet access, e-government & e-commerce); trade; business development; agroforestry, agricultural development and sustainable land use; entrepreneurship; innovation; sustainable development; cleantech and climate action; business and trade efficiency and enhancing competitiveness; youth employment, the empowerment of women and of disenfranchised populations; poverty reduction and achieving the AFDB High 5’s and the UN SDGs. Extensive work with UNDP, the World Bank, AfDB, ADB, ITU, UNCTAD, UNFCCC, UN APCICT, etc. Experience with the CGIAR - worked 9 years for the IDRC of Canada and for the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, now the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Working with AfDB since October 2017 in establishing the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab under the Jobs for Youth in Africa (JfYA) and Boost Africa initiatives. Fluent English and French (reading, writing, speaking).
Ms. Katusha de Villiers, Senior Project Manager, Bertha Health, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town
Katusha de Villiers leads the Bertha Centre’s health focused work, while also supporting project work within the education, youth development, systems innovation, and innovative finance areas at the Centre. She teaches master classes on health systems innovation on the UCT Graduate School of Business’s MBA and MPhil, as well as for the University of Bergen and the University of Oslo. She has spearheaded the Centre’s developing understanding of health systems integration and the role of social innovators in health and has spoken and presented on this topic at a number of academic conferences. Prior to joining the Bertha Centre, she was a management consultant with experience working on multiple payer, provider, and pharma/life sciences projects across the American healthcare system, with a specific focus on the peri-operative continuum of care. Katusha has a master’s in health systems administration from Xavier University, as well a law degree from the University of Kentucky Law School, and additional qualifications in project management and Lean Six Sigma.
Ms. Antonia Pop, Vice President, University of Toronto Press
Antonia Pop is Vice President of Publishing at University of Toronto Press (UTP). Antonia has been working in scholarly publishing for more than a decade. In her role at UTP, Antonia works closely with a team of talented publishing professionals to develop and implement access strategies aimed to support the Press’s mission of connecting ideas for a better world. UTP publishes the research of more than 2,000 authors globally in 50 scholarly journals in a variety of disciplines, including a growing number of open access titles, as well as 200 new monographs, course and trade books annually.
Ms. Ann Gabriel, Senior Vice President for Global Strategic Networks, Elsevir
Ann Gabriel is Senior Vice President for Global Strategic Networks at Elsevier. Ann and her global team engage with key stakeholders across the research enterprise to establish strategic collaborations and to use analytics and data to address societal challenges in the area of sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and open science. Ann has held a variety of positions in scholarly communication, including Publishing Director for Elsevier’s journal portfolios in Engineering and Computer Science, and digital development at Cambridge University Press. She serves on the University Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP) and CHORUS (Advancing Open Access to Research) executive boards.
Dr. Dancan Irungu, Dean of Graduate School, Amref International University (AIU) and Director, AIU Enterprises
[Biography unavailable at the time of publication]
Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole, Secretary General, Association of African Universities (AAU)
Professor Oyewole is the Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities (AAU). He is a Professor of Food Science and Technology (Food Microbiology and Biotechnology). He was the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture from 2012 to 2017. He has over 36 six years’ experience working in the African higher education space and has over 100 scholarly publications to his credit. He previously served as a Senior Expert at the Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology of the African Union Commission in Ethiopia. Prior to joining the African Union Commission, Prof. Oyewole was the Coordinator of the British Government’s sponsored project on the “Mobilization of Regional Initiatives for the revitalization of higher education in Africa”, at the AAU. Prof. Olusola Oyewole has worked in national, regional and continental organizations and has experience in coordinating multinational research and development programmes. He has track records and experience in International and Inter-Governmental Relations, Advocacy and Lobbying for Research and Research Funding. He is currently the sub-cluster coordinator of the African Union Commission’s Continental Education Strategy for Education in Africa on Research and Graduate Studies. He is currently a member of the Advisory Group of the OECD Programme on Innovation, Higher Education and Research for Development, and the Tuning Africa Quality Assurance programme.
Ms. Gwen Burrows, Assistant Vice-President, International Engagement & Impact, University of Toronto
Gwen Burrows is Assistant Vice-President, International Engagement & Impact at the University of Toronto. Gwen leads and executes the University’s integrated international strategy across multiple dimensions, with a particular focus on region-specific engagement strategies and the development of partnerships to maximize global impact and advance the University’s role and reputation as one of the world’s top universities. She collaborates with colleagues across the university and internationally to advance the University of Toronto’s global excellence and impact in research, its translation, and in teaching and learning. As senior leader in the research and health sectors, Gwen served in various leadership roles at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) before joining University of Toronto in August 2017. Gwen has been an active volunteer in the charitable sector, including as President for the Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs from 2009-2011. Gwen holds a Master’s in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins and a BA from McGill University.
Prof. Alexie Tcheuyap, Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, International Student Experience
Professor Tcheuyap was appointed Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, International Student Experience in September 2021. Professor Tcheuyap supports international engagement across all three campuses through collaborative development of global opportunities for all students through curricular and co-curricular initiatives; academic leadership in the areas of learning abroad opportunities for students and oversight of the tri-campus Centre for International Experience in collaboration with the Vice-Provost, Students; fostering a positive international student experience; and pursuing global partnership opportunities that support these goals. Professor Tcheuyap was educated at the École Normale Supérieure & University of Yaoundé, Moray House College, and Queen’s University. He is currently a Full Professor in the Department of French where he was Associate Chair and Chair before his appointment as Vice-Dean Faculty, Academic Life & Equity in the Faculty of Arts & Science. A Senior Fellow of the European Institutes for Advanced Study, Professor Tcheuyap has also taught at the University of Calgary and been Visiting Professor at universities across Europe, Africa and the US. A recipient of several SSHRC research grants, amongst other funding and awards, his scholarship focuses on African literary, cinema and media studies, fields in which he has published extensively in journals.