HEA Director General Reappointed as Chairperson of UbuntuNet Alliance

The Association of African Universities (AAU), has appointed Professor Stephen Simukanga as Chairperson of UbuntuNet Alliance for a second term following the resolution by the UbuntuNet Alliance Board of Trustees to renew the term of office.

Article 8.1 of the constitution of UbuntuNet Alliance mandates the AAU to oversee the appointment of the Chairperson of the Alliance in collaboration with the Board of Trustees.

At its 61^st meeting held on 8^th September 2020, the Board of Trustees unanimously resolved to reappoint Prof. Stephan Simukanga, who serves as the Director General of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in Zambia, for another three-year term of office until September 2023 following a satisfactory performance.

Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile, AAU Secretary General, confirmed Prof. Simukanga’s reappointment in a written communication dated 9^th November, 2020.

Prof. Simukanga was first appointed Chairperson of UbuntuNet Alliance on 20^th September, 2017, following a successful completion of a search process conducted by a Search Committee established by the AAU.

In his acceptance speech, Prof. Simukanga expressed gratitude to the UbuntuNet Alliance Board of Trustees and the rest of the community for entrusting him with the noble cause of Chairing what he described as an “important Network” and pleaded for continued support from the community.

In January 2019, Prof. Simukanga was elected Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) for the advancement of Science in developing countries becoming the first Zambian to be elected to this prestigious and elite academy.

Later in October, the HEA Director General was also elected Chairperson of the Natural Sciences (SC) commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at the 40^th Session of the General Conference that took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.

Moreover, Prof. Simukanga is a United Kingdom Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the Engineering Institution of Zambia and boasts of 26 years of experience in the mining industry and academia.

A former member of the Board of Trustees of the Alliance (2013-2015), he has previously served as Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Metallurgy at the University of Zambia (UNZA) and has been a visiting Professor at the University of Cape Town for 10 years. He also serves as Chairperson of ZCI Limited.

He received a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Metallurgy and Mineral Processing from UNZA in 1982 and 1986 respectively, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Process Metallurgy from the University of Strathcylde in the United Kingdom.

*This article was first published on 11^th November, 2020, on https://ubuntunet.net/. HEA has republished it courtesy of UbuntuNet. All edits are those made by HEA.

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