Professor Firibu Saalia is a distinguished academic at the University of Ghana, currently serving in the School of Engineering Sciences. He holds a PhD from the University of Georgia and has extensive expertise in Food Science and Technology. Professor Saalia’s research interests encompass food processing, food chemistry, food safety, food toxicology, and nutraceutical properties of foods. He has a notable record of academic leadership, having served as Head of the Department of Food Process Engineering from 2016 to 2021, and holds the prestigious OR Tambo Africa Research Chair in Food Science and Technology. Over his career, he has supervised numerous postgraduate students and published extensively in leading scholarly journals. He is active in community engagement and consults with government agencies on food science issues, also contributing to national and international academic assessments. Professor Saalia’s work advances food safety, quality, and innovation to benefit both Ghana and the broader African continent.​

Professor Hulda Shaidi Swai is a Tanzanian nanotechnology scientist and professor at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha. She holds a PhD in Biomaterials from Queen Mary’s College, University of London, UK. With over 28 years of research experience, Professor Swai is acclaimed for her pioneering work in applied nanomedicine, particularly targeting infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria through innovative drug delivery systems. Before joining NM-AIST in 2015, she was a senior principal researcher at South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). At NM-AIST, she leads impactful projects including the African Centre for Research, Agricultural Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability (CREATES), funded by the World Bank. Professor Swai has also served as President of the African Materials Research Society and holds various international advisory roles, contributing significantly to advancing science and technology across Africa through research, training, and collaboration. Her work champions the institutional vision of academia serving society and industry.​

Professor Almeida Sitoe is an academic affiliated with Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Mozambique’s oldest and largest public university located in Maputo. He specializes in the field of Computer Science, contributing to the university’s mission of advancing scientific knowledge and fostering innovation through rigorous research and education. With a focus on pragmatic problem-solving, Professor Sitoe engages in cutting-edge research and curriculum development that bridges computing theory with practical applications. His work supports UEM’s commitment to training professionals equipped to address societal challenges through technology. Additionally, Professor Sitoe plays a pivotal role in promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing computational sciences in the region, aligning with the university’s vision to be a reference point for scientific excellence in Africa and globally. He is instrumental in nurturing the next generation of computer scientists and engineers, reinforcing Eduardo Mondlane University’s status as a leading institution for computing education and research in Southern Africa.

Professor Gizaw Mengistu Tsidu is an atmospheric physicist and climatologist currently based at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST). He holds the O. R. Tambo Africa Research Chair in Climate Change, focusing on adaptation strategies related to water, vegetation, and livestock resources. His research explores atmospheric composition, radiative forcing, greenhouse gases, and climate variability, using advanced remote sensing methods such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to understand environmental change. Professor Tsidu’s work contributes significantly to Africa’s response to climate risks, including droughts and ecosystem degradation. With over two decades of academic experience in Ethiopia and Botswana, he has supervised more than 50 MSc and 10 PhD students. A Humboldt Fellow, he collaborates internationally on air quality and climate science initiatives, advancing data-driven climate modelling and environmental sustainability across the continent.

Professor Oluyemisi Adefunke Bamgbose, SAN, is a Professor of Law at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, currently serving as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships). She is the first female Professor of Law in Nigeria to be conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2018, a prestigious honour analogous to the Queen’s or King’s Counsel in the UK. With over thirty-eight years of academic experience, Professor Bamgbose specializes in Criminal Law, Criminology, Juvenile Justice, and Human Rights, focusing particularly on women’s and children’s rights. She has authored more than 125 publications, many cited in courts worldwide, and has supervised over 350 undergraduate and postgraduate students, including eight PhD candidates. She has held key leadership roles such as Dean of the Faculty of Law, Head of Department, Director of the Women’s Law Clinic, and Chairperson of the Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum. She has also served as a Visiting Professor in the US and contributed significantly to legal reform and human rights advocacy nationally and internationally.

Professor Francesco Petruccione is a theoretical physicist and academic leader, currently holding the position of Professor of Quantum Computing at Stellenbosch University and serving as Director of the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS). He co-leads the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) on Artificial Intelligence, fostering collaboration across continents in advanced research domains. Prof. Petruccione pursued his studies in Physics at the University of Freiburg, Germany, where he obtained his PhD in 1988 and the prestigious Habilitation (Dr. rer. nat. habil.) in 1994. His distinguished career includes a long tenure as Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), where he also served as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Big Data and Informatics, and as Deputy Director of the National Institute for Theoretical Physics (NITheP). Additionally, he has held adjunct appointments internationally and sits on editorial boards such as “Open Systems and Information Dynamics”.

Professor Sarah Ssali is the newly appointed First Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) at Makerere University, making her only the second woman in the institution’s century-long history to hold this office. A distinguished social scientist with a PhD in International Health Studies from Queen Margaret University, Scotland, Professor Ssali also holds a Master’s in Gender Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Makerere University. Since joining Makerere in 2003, she has made significant contributions as a lecturer, Dean of the School of Women and Gender Studies, Director of the Institute of Gender and Development Studies, and through leadership roles within governing and advisory boards. Renowned for her research on public policy, health systems, HIV/AIDS, post-conflict settings, and marginalized groups, Professor Ssali has published widely and influenced academic discourse in these areas. In her new role, she aims to strengthen the research-teaching nexus at Makerere, fostering high-quality, relevant, and globally competitive graduates who will drive Africa’s transformation.

Prof Francis W Petersen is a visionary leader in the South African higher education sector and the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria. He has previously held esteemed positions as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Cape Town. Prof Petersen holds a PhD in Engineering from Stellenbosch University. His international speaking engagements include prominent conferences worldwide, contributing to the global discourse on higher education and research. Currently, he is the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Universities South Africa (USAf).

Dr Kwezi Mzilikazi is Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Rhodes University, providing strategic leadership in research, innovation, postgraduate performance, and global partnerships. A Zoologist by training with a PhD in evolutionary physiology, she has a deep interest in human capacity development to advance South Africa’s knowledge economy. She has previously held leadership roles at Nelson Mandela University and the National Research Foundation. Dr Mzilikazi serves on the Presidential PhD Programme advisory group, is Deputy Chair of South Africa’s National Governing Council of the International Science Council, and a lifetime member of the Zoological Society of Southern Africa.

Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, PhD, FGA, is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana. She is a Professor of Linguistics and an experienced university administrator, with over 22 years of experience in the higher education sector. Professor Amfo previously served as the Pro Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for Academic and Student Affairs, the Dean of the School of Languages, and the Head of the Department of Linguistics, of the same university. She is the Vice-Chairman of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). Prof. Amfo is a Partnership Board member of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) and a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities Governing Board.