Calestous Juma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Calestous Juma is an internationally-recognized authority in the application of science and technology to sustainable development worldwide. He is Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology and Globalization Project[1] at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government[2]. He is also Visiting Professor at the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies[3] in Yokohama, Japan. His continuing original work focuses on analyzing the dynamics of evolutionary technological change and applying the results in advancing science and technology policy research; providing high-level science and technology advice; and promoting biodiversity conservation. A Kenyan national, he holds a DPhil from the University of Sussex[4] and has written widely on science, technology and sustainable development.
Professor Juma has made significant contributions to understanding the dynamic role of technological innovation in economic transformation in developing countries. He developed the concept of “evolutionary technological change” to explain how socio-economic environments shape the adoption and diffusion of new technologies. This approach was elaborated in his early works such as Long-Run Economics (Pinter, 1987) and The Gene Hunters (Princeton and Zed, 1989) and remains central to theoretical and practical work.
Professor Juma’s contributions to science and technology policy have focused on the role of technological innovation in sustainable development. In 1988 Professor Juma founded the African Centre for Technology Studies[5] (ACTS), Africa’s first independent policy research institution designed to advance research on technology in development. In 1989 ACTS released a path-breaking study, Innovation and Sovereignty that led to the adoption of the Industrial Property Act in Kenya and the creation of the Kenya Industrial Property Office.
Professor Juma established himself as a world leader in policy research on biotechnology and directed the International Diffusion of Biotechnology Programme of the International Federation of Institutes of Advanced Studies. He continues to provide international leadership in research, training and outreach through Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He is also advancing scholarship in this field as editor of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Technology and Globalisation[6] and the International Journal of Biotechnology[7].
Professor Juma continues to provide high-level policy advice to governments, the United Nations and other international organizations on science, technology and innovation. He chairs the Global Challenges and Biotechnology of the US National Academy of Sciences and serves as co-chair of the African High-Level Panel on Modern Biotechnology[8] of the African Union[9] (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).[10]
Professor Juma led international experts in outlining ways to apply science and technology to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals arising from the UN Millennium Summit in the year 2000. Innovation: Applying Knowledge in Development[11] (Earthscan, 2005), the report of the Task Force on Science, Technology and Innovation of the UN Millennium Project[12], was released in early 2005 and its recommendations have been adopted by development agencies and governments around the world. The report has become a standard reference against which governments assess their policies and programmes on the role of technological innovation in development. In a successor study, Going for Growth[13], Professor Juma proposes that international development policy should be directed at building technical competence in developing countries rather than conventional relief activities. He argues that institutions of higher learning, especially universities, should be have a direct role in helping to solve development challenges.[14] Professor Juma has contributed to biodiversity conservation in two ways. First, he has helped to shape global conservation programmes through international diplomacy. Second, his research has inspired the field of biodiplomacy[15] that focuses on interactions between biosciences and international relations.
Professor Juma’s research has helped to improve understanding on the role of property rights in conservation under the rubric of “ecological jurisprudence” as outlined in the volume, In Land We Trust (Zed, 1996). His work guided international negotiations on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)[16] as documented in Biodiplomacy (ACTS, 1994). He later became Executive Secretary of the CBD where he advanced the use of scientific knowledge in conservation policy and practice.
In recognition of his original work, Professor Juma has been elected to the Royal Society of London,[17] the U.S. National Academy of Sciences[18], the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS)[19], the World Academy of Art and Science[20] and the New York Academy of Sciences[21]. He is a member of the Kenya National Academy of Sciences. He received the 1991 Pew Scholars Award[22] in Conservation and the Environment for dedication in preserving global biodiversity; the 1992 Rweyemamu Prize for broadening Africa’s knowledge base for development; the 1993 UN Global 500 Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievement[23] for important contributions to Africa’s quest for solutions to the complex issues of biotechnology, biodiversity and the transfer of technology; and the 2001 Henry Shaw Medal for significant contribution to botanical research, horticulture, conservation or the museum community. In 2006 he was received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Sussex and delivered the 2006 Hinton Lecture[24]] of the Royal Academy of Engineering in London.
Professor Juma has served or serves on the boards of numerous organizations including the United Nations University Institute for New Technologies in Maastricht (The Netherlands)and the World Resources Institute (WRI)[25] in Washington, DC. He has held numerous honorary positions including the Chancellorship of the University of Guyana.
