News and Events

Discover the latest developments and upcoming events of the Collaborative.

News & Events

Photo of Mabel Namubuya Nangami

, PhD

Associate Professor, Health Policy and Health Systems Management

Moi University

Photo of Gwen Burrows

Assistant Vice-President, International Engagement & Impact

University of Toronto, Office of the Vice-President International

Photo of David Palmer

Vice President, Advancement

University of Toronto

Photo of Diane Uyoga

, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Businsess, Department of Marketing and Logistics

Moi University

Photo of Solange Rosa

, PhD

Director, Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

University of Cape Town

Photo of Klaus Von Pressentin

, PhD

Associate Professor and Head of Division of Family Medicine Deputy Head, Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE) Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Cape Town

Photo of Anteneh Belete

, PhD

Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics School of Pharmacy

Addis Ababa University

Photo of Charles Mberi Kimpolo

, PhD

Director, Industry Initiative and Head of the Next Einstein Forum

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Photo of Chris Suzdak

Director, ALX Ventures

African Leadership University

Photo of Caroline Mbindyo

CEO, Amref Health Innovation

Amref International University

Profile

Mabel Namubuya Nangami, PhD

Associate Professor, Health Policy and Health Systems Management

Moi University

Mabel Namubuya Nangami is a distinguished researcher, trainer, and curriculum expert, with over 30 years of extensive experience in teaching and research work. She is currently an Associate Professor in health policy and health systems management and the Dean of the School of Public Health at Moi University. She has facilitated JAS 4 seminar under the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) doctoral program. As a trainer, she has consulted for the Ministry of Health-Kenya on the Leadership and Management support program under Management Sciences for Health to train in Health Systems Management; designed curriculum and manuals on Monitoring and Evaluation of Pillar 1 (HIV & AIDS); and middle-level managers and policymakers in health systems management under the Collaborative project between AMREF & MU. She consulted for the Institute of Health Policy Management and Research (IHPMR) on operations research under the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) for improving Service Delivery in Reproductive Health.

Mabel has been involved in undertaking situation analyses of Human Resources for Health training institutions and their networks in Eastern and Southern Africa, focusing on Health Systems Management activities, and conducted the evaluation of community health programs for Amref Health Africa and the Kenya Red Cross, among others. She has been a Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI on several grants and published research on HIV & AIDS, maternal and child health in areas with a policy and health system focus, as well as curriculum development in various areas of public health. She served as deputy project lead and co-Investigator on the NACOSTI/IDRC funded 1st Health Systems Research Chair awarded to Prof. Fabian Esamai at Moi University in 2014-2020, titled: A System Approach to Improving Maternal and Child Health Care Delivery in Kenya: Innovations at the Community Level and Primary Care Facilities. She was also a Co-Principal Investigator for the Cross Border Health Access project (which focuses on HIV&AIDS, delivery, and immunization services) funded by MRC/WELCOME TRUST and awarded to Makerere University in 2018-2020. Currently, she is working as a Co-PI with Prof. Constance Tenge on building the capacity of select counties to prevent Sickle cell disease (SCD) towards building a national registry for SCD and collaborating with the University of Toronto to set up a center of Excellence in health systems strengthening through a primary health care approach towards achieving Universal Health Coverage for devolved health units in Kenya.

Profile

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.

The Assistant Vice-President, International Engagement and Impact (AVP IEI) 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. The Assistant Vice-President 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.

Gwen was Executive Director in the Office of the Vice President International for five years before becoming AVP IEI and in that role, supported the creation and implementation of the University’s first international strategic plan, and led the development of key international partnerships in a number of regions around the world. Gwen came to the University from The Hospital for Sick Children, where she held a number of leadership positions, including Executive Director, Public Affairs and Child Health Advocacy. As Director, Strategic Projects for the SickKids Research Institute from 2006-2013, amongst other accomplishments Gwen co-led a successful $227 million Canada Foundation for Innovation grant proposal and its implementation to support the vision guiding the development of the Peter Gilligan Centre for Research and Learning. Gwen holds a Master’s in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins and a BA from McGill University.

Profile

David Palmer

Vice President, Advancement

University of Toronto

Since 2007, David has served as Vice-President, Advancement for the University of Toronto.  Under David’s leadership, U of T launched Boundless which concluded in 2018 as the largest campaign in Canadian history with $2.64 billion raised.   

David is a Senior Fellow of Massey College, a Council for Advancement and Support of Education Laureate and former trustee, an executive committee member of the National Council of Foundation Executives, and a director of the Earth Rangers Foundation. He earned his Master of Fine Arts in musicology from Princeton University and began his career as a Lecturer in the Faculty of Music at Western University, his undergraduate alma mater.

From 1999 to 2007, David served as President and Executive Director of the Royal Ontario Museum Board of Governors. From 1993 to 1999, David led a ground-breaking campaign for the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University, ushering in a new era in professional-faculty fundraising in Canada.

David was recognized in 2011 with the Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2016 he was recognized with the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education.

Profile

Diane Uyoga, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Businsess, Department of Marketing and Logistics

Moi University

Diane Uyoga is an Assistant Professor at Moi University, Department of Marketing and Logistics.

She has previously served as the head of department of Aviation Management and Operations. She has extensive training and teaching experience in both quantitative and qualitative research designs and has published on quantitative research approaches in Kenya. She has served in the university at the capacity of knowledge integration and transfer in the fields of research, marketing, management and aviation. She has actively participated in curriculum development for undergraduate and master’s levels of education in Kenya. She has been a team member for committees that write and appraise proposals for grants for the university. Currently she represents the department in issues that affect Gender, Equity and Research Development at Moi University. Diane, born in Kenya, has contributed to the community through mentorship of girls in the local community. She also participates in preservation of culture of local communities within the North Rift Region.

Profile

Solange Rosa, PhD

Director, Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

University of Cape Town

Solange is the Director of Bertha Centre, where she has been involved since 2016.

She also serves as Associate Faculty and Adviser with the Allan Gray Centre for Values-based Leadership, and teaches on Executive Education and MBA programs at the UCT Graduate School of Business and the UCT School of Economics.

Holding a Doctorate in Constitutional Law from the University of Stellenbosch and a Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Cape Town, Solange’s areas of expertise and research interest include Public Policy, Policy Research and Analysis, Strategy Development, Public Law, Public Sector Innovation and Leadership, Socio-economic Development, Youth Development, Poverty Reduction, Social Justice, Human Rights, Social Innovation and Social Impact.

Prior to her current role, Solange was working as an Independent Public Policy and Strategy Consultant for four years, with clients ranging from international organizations and national and provincial government departments to academic institutions, non-government organizations and philanthropic foundations. This included the likes of the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Department of Economic Development and International Labor Organization, and the CiTi and Western Cape Department of Economic Development.

Prior to that, Solange also worked for the Western Cape government for 10 years as the head of the Policy and Strategy Unit in the Department of the Premier. This well-published individual has appeared in a number of academic books, journals and working papers, as well as government publications. She has served as chairperson and director for a number of non-profit organizations and is on the Westerford High School Governing Body.

Profile

Klaus Von Pressentin, PhD

Associate Professor and Head of Division of Family Medicine Deputy Head, Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE) Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Cape Town

Associate Professor Klaus Von Pressentin is an academic, primary care researcher, and clinician-educator based in Cape Town, South Africa. He is the head of the Division of Family Medicine and the deputy head of the Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE) in the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Cape Town.

His research focuses on primary care service strengthening (including chronic conditions and palliative care in primary care), human resources for health, as well as health professions education. He teaches primary care research methods, leadership development, clinical governance, evidence-based practice, and consultation skills. His current volunteer activities include serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the South African Family Practice Journal, serving on the Council of the College of Family Physicians of South Africa and serving on the Education and Training Committee of the South African Academy of Family Physicians. 

Profile

Anteneh Belete, PhD

Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics School of Pharmacy

Addis Ababa University

Dr. Anteneh Belete is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics at the School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences (CHS), Addis Ababa University (AAU) trained in Ethiopia and in Germany.

He has served AAU in various capacities as Head of the Department, Associate Director for Staff Affairs, Academic Standards and Quality Assurance, Director for Research and Technology Transfer as well as Dean of School of Pharmacy in the CHS. He is routinely involved in teaching and research activities and has presented a number of research findings in both international and local conferences. He has published over 55 research articles in reputable local and international journals. He was the principal investigator of two thematic research projects at the AAU, co-PI of a Science and Technology Minister (MOST) supported research project and a co-investigator and core faculty member of CDT-Africa, a World Bank funded African Center of Excellence (ACE-II) project.  

Profile

Charles Mberi Kimpolo, PhD

Director, Industry Initiative and Head of the Next Einstein Forum

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Dr. Charles Lebon Mberi Kimpolo is the Director of the Industry Initiative and Head of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) at the Global Network Secretariat of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences – Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI).

For the last couple of years, Charles brought strategic oversight and direction to the AIMS Industry Initiative across the Network, with the aim to broaden the scope and breadth of partnerships with industry in Africa and beyond. 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 study. Charles’s dream is to position AIMS-NEI as the industry’s leading academic partner in Africa that achieves industry and economic advancement of the continent. 

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 United States and Asia. Charles holds a Ph.D. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in South Africa.

Charles has contributed to several global consultations and conferences on the global education industry, in particular. He has authored several blogs and articles to share his perspectives on a number of topics including Work-Integrated Learning as a pathway to stimulate youth transition to employment and entrepreneurship in Africa. Charles is a member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) 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 (UNWDF). He is also a member of the Global Strategy Council of the World Association for Cooperative Education (WACE)

Charles founded the Young African Technologists (YAT) 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 (KSC) that he founded to empower the African student diaspora and reverse brain drain. 

Profile

Chris Suzdak

Director, ALX Ventures

African Leadership University

Chris Suzdak is based in Mauritius and serves as the Director of ALX Ventures, which develops, connects and funds early-stage tech entrepreneurs emerging from the African Leadership Group ecosystem.

Chris also leads The FutureList, a global platform and community that spotlights tech innovators and connects them with investors, talent and partners. He previously started and scaled up teams in the fintech, agtech and edtech sectors across Africa. He’s passionate about finding and supporting the next big thing.

Profile

Caroline Mbindyo

CEO, Amref Health Innovation

Amref International University

Ms. Mbindyo is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Amref Health Innovations.

She is an experienced leader at the intersection of digital innovation, global health, and international development. She has extensive experience in driving complex program deployments in multiple countries, scaling innovations, and developing new business opportunities through innovative financing models in emerging markets. She has over fifteen (15) years of experience running and growing entrepreneurial ventures in the non-profit and commercial space, implementing access programs, and deploying innovative approaches for profit, purpose, and sustainability. Ms. Mbindyo is a Board Member of D-Tree and Qhala and is on the Advisory Board of Analytics for a Better World.