The BIO-EARN Newsletter  A Publication from the BIO-EARN Regional Coordination Office No 1, June 2006 Announcements BIO-EARN Programme Gets New Leadership In a BIO-EARN Governing Body constituting meeting, which was held back to back with the Kick Off Workshop in April 2006, the BIO-EARN Governing Board (GB) leadership was elected. The Uganda National Council for Science and Technology was elected chairperson and the Ministry for Higher Education and Technology, Tanzania the vice chair for 2006. The chair will be rotating on a yearly basis. BIO-EARN Appoints a Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) We are happy to announce that the BIO-EARN Governing Board chairperson appointed, as of 6 July 2006, nine renowned local and international experts to compose the BIO-EARN Programme Advisory Committee (PAC). The experts are: Prof. Andres Binder currently a consultant for the Novartis Artemisia Programme in Switzerland and Kenya. Previously he served on various capacities for the Syngenta Foundation, Norvartis AgroGenomic Center in San Diego, California, Stein Switzerland Genomics project coordinator, among others. Dr. Bruno Kilunga Kubata, current Executive Director Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA Network - which is a NEPAD-supported initiative). He formerly worked with Ellison Medical Foundation/National Research Council, USA, US Army Medical Research Unit, Nairobi, Kenya and Osaka Biosciences Institute, Japan. Prof. Elizabeth Jane Morris presently Director, African Centre for Gene Technologies, Pretoria South Africa . Other positions that she has held include: Manager, Strategic Technology Group, CSIR, Pretoria, South Africa; Research manager, Biotechnology AECI Ltd; Group Leader, Molecular Biology Group AECI Ltd. Dr. Karin Tonderski at present, senior lecturer in Environmental Sciences and Ecology, Linkoping University , Sweden . Running a consultancy firm “Aqua Sund”, specializing in design of constructed wastewater treatment wetlands. She has been leader in projects involving wetland research in Kenya and Vietnam. Dr.Gabrielle J. Persley, Founder and Chair, The Doyle Foundation. Has played major scientific advisory roles for various bodies such as, the World Bank, FAO, UNDP. ISNAR, Asian Development Bank on future vision strategy for agricultural biotechnology in Asia, CGIAR, CABI, Australian Trade Commission and International Council for Science (ICSU). Dr. Otim-Nape is currently in private business. He was formerly the Deputy Director General and acting Director General Uganda National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). He also served as the leader/coordinator of the Uganda Root crops Programme. He has immense experience in adaptive research and farmer empowerment and technology dissemination and extension. Prof. Julius W. Mwangi is presently serving as a Prof. of Phamacognosy, University of Nairobi. His main research area is traditional herbal and other alternative/complimentary medicines, essential oils, Intellectual property (IP) and all aspects associated with it. As an innovator, he leads with example, as he has developed two products, ANOPEL and MUPAL which are IP registered. Prof. Workner Negatu, now working in Agricultural economics and development, Institute of Development Research/Addis Ababa University. He has a wide research experience in Farm commercialization, Household food security, Natural Resource Management, Farm systems research and Participatory Research and Economics of Technological Innovation. Prof. Jamidu Hizzam Yahaya Katima presently the Dean Faculty of mechanical and Chemical Engineering, University of Dar Es Salaam. His main research areas are environmental, chemical and energy management and transport Phenomena. He has extensive refereed publications in these areas. BIO-EARN Programme Gets New Coordinators The IUCEA, on behalf of the BIO-EARN Board, hired a Regional Coordinator and a Programme Officer, who will run the Regional Coordination Office. The two officers are: The Regional Coordinator: Prof. Esther Murugi Kahangi from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya, who is a specialist in Plant sciences/Biotechnology. She brings to BIO-EARN a wealth of knowledge in implementation of successful projects, application of science and technology to generate demand driven innovations/products, scaling-up production of biotechnology products and their dissemination to end users to raise incomes and reduce poverty. Her work has won her national and international awards/recognitions. Programme Assistant: Dr. John Bananuka was the Assistant BIO-EARN Programme Coordinator during Phase II and acting Regional Coordinator in 2005. He brings to the new Programme skills in Programme management and coordination.   (Page 6 of 6)