Calestous Juma

Who is Calestous Juma?

Calestous Juma is an internationally recognized authority in the application of science and technology to sustainable development worldwide. He was named one of the most influential 100 Africans in 2012 and 2013 by the New African magazine. He is Professor of the Practice of International Development and Faculty Chair of the Innovation for Economic Development Executive Program at Harvard Kennedy School. Juma is Director of the School's Science, Technology and Globalization Project at Harvard Kennedy School as well as the Agricultural Innovation in Africa Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His latest book, The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa was published by Oxford University Press in 2011.

In recognition of his work, Juma has been elected to the Royal Society of London, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the The World Academy of Sciences, the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, the African Academy of Sciences and the New York Academy of Sciences. In 2012 Juma was named by the New Africa magazine as one of Africa's most influential 100 people.

Juma grew up on the Kenyan shores of Lake Victoria where he obtained early education. He first worked as an elementary school teacher before becoming Africa's first science and environment journalist at Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper. Juma later joined the Nairobi-based Environment Liaison Centre International as a founder and editor of trilingual quarterly magazine, Ecoforum. He later received an MSc in Science, Technology and Industrialization and a DPhil in Science and Technology Policy from the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex. He has written widely on science, technology and sustainable development.