Calestous Juma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Calestous Juma
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 9 June 1953 |
| Died | 15 December 2017 (aged 64) Boston, Massachusetts
|
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Alma mater | University of Sussex (D.Phil) |
| Occupation | Professor, author |
| Known for | Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development |
Calestous Juma (9 June 1953 – 15 December 2017) was a brilliant Kenyan scientist and professor. He focused on finding ways for countries to grow and develop without harming the environment, a field called sustainable development. He was so influential that New African magazine named him one of the 100 most important Africans in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Professor Juma taught at Harvard Kennedy School, a famous university in the United States. There, he led programs about how new ideas and technologies could help countries grow their economies. He also directed projects on how science and technology connect the world, and a special project about improving farming in Africa, which was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His last book, Innovation and Its Enemies, published in 2016, explored why people sometimes resist new technologies.
He was chosen to be a member of many important science groups around the world. These included the Royal Society in London, the United States National Academy of Sciences, and the African Academy of Sciences.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Calestous Juma grew up in Kenya, near the shores of Lake Victoria. He went to Port Victoria Secondary School from 1968 to 1971. After school, he first worked as a teacher. Then, he became Africa's first journalist to write about science and the environment for Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper.
Later, he helped start and edit a magazine called Ecoforum. He then went to the University of Sussex in the UK. There, he earned two advanced degrees: one in Science, Technology, and Industrialization, and another in Science and Technology Policy.
Leading New Ideas
In 1988, Professor Juma started the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS). This was Africa's first independent research group focused on how technology could help development.
In 1989, ACTS published an important study called "Innovation and Sovereignty." This study helped Kenya create a new law, the Industrial Property Act. This law also led to the creation of the Kenya Industrial Property Office, which helps protect new inventions and ideas.
Research and Discoveries
Professor Juma's main work was about understanding how technology changes over time. He used this knowledge to help countries create better science and technology policies. He also worked to protect biodiversity, which means protecting the many different kinds of plants and animals on Earth.
How Technology Helps Countries Grow
Juma greatly helped us understand how new technologies can change economies in developing countries. He came up with the idea of "evolutionary technological change." This idea explains how a country's society and economy affect how new technologies are used and spread.
He wrote about this in his early books, like Long-Run Economics (1987) and The Gene Hunters (1989). His ideas are still important today for understanding how technology helps countries grow in a sustainable way.
Biotechnology and Its Uses
Professor Juma led a program about how biotechnology spreads around the world. Biotechnology uses living things to create new products or solve problems. He also helped lead research and training at Harvard University. He was also an editor for the International Journal of Technology and Globalisation, a magazine where experts share their research.
Protecting Nature's Diversity
Juma helped protect biological diversity in two main ways. First, he was the first Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In this role, he helped shape global programs to protect nature.
Second, his research led to a new field called "biodiplomacy." This field looks at how biosciences (the study of living things) and international relations (how countries work together) are connected.
Understanding Property Rights
Professor Juma's research also helped people understand how property rights (who owns what) are important for conservation. He wrote about this in his book In Land We Trust (1996). His work also guided international talks for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). He later became the Executive Secretary of the CBD, where he encouraged using scientific knowledge to protect nature.
Teaching and Mentoring
Professor Juma taught university courses about how science, technology, and new ideas help development. One course focused on how new technologies lead to economic growth, especially in developing regions. Another course looked at the effects of new biotechnology products on health, farming, industry, and the environment.
He also taught a special course for important leaders and policymakers. This program helped leaders from governments, universities, businesses, and other groups learn how to use science and technology in their country's development plans.
Giving Advice to Leaders
Professor Juma led important groups that advised governments and international organizations. He chaired the Global Challenges and Biotechnology group for the United States National Academy of Sciences. He also co-chaired a high-level group for the African Union (AU) and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) on modern biotechnology.
He led international experts in figuring out how to use science and technology to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. These goals were set by the United Nations in 2000 to improve lives worldwide. His report, Innovation: Applying Knowledge in Development (2005), became a key guide for governments and aid groups.
In another study called Going for Growth, Juma suggested that international development should focus on building scientific and technical skills in developing countries. He believed that universities should play a direct role in solving development challenges.
In 2012, the African Union asked Professor Juma to lead their High-Level Panel on Science, Technology, and Innovation.
Important Science Groups He Joined
Professor Juma was a member of many respected science and engineering groups:
- Fellow, Royal Society of London
- Foreign Associate, US National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.
- Fellow, The World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, Italy
- Honorary Fellow, Royal Academy of Engineering, London
- Fellow, African Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya
- Fellow, World Academy of Art and Science, USA
- Fellow, New York Academy of Sciences
Awards and Recognitions
Professor Juma received many awards for his important work:
- 2013: Doctor of Science (Honorary), McGill University, Canada
- 2012: 50th Anniversary Fellow, University of Sussex, UK
- 2012: Doctor of Science (Honorary), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya (for his work on farming biotechnology)
- 2007: Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
- 2007: Doctor of Science (Honorary), University of Education, Winneba, Ghana (for his inspiring leadership in using science and technology for sustainable development)
- 2006: Doctor of Science (Honorary), University of Sussex, UK (for his work on applying science and technology in many countries)
- 2006: Order of the Elder of the Burning Spear, from the President of Kenya (for being a respected international diplomat)
- 2001: Henry Shaw Medal, Missouri Botanical Garden (for his important contributions to plant research and conservation)
- 1993: Global 500 Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievement, United Nations Environment Programme (for his work on biotechnology, biodiversity, and technology transfer in Africa)
- 1992: Justinian Rweyemamu Prize (for helping Africa gain more knowledge for development)
- 1991: Pew Scholars Award in Conservation and the Environment (for his dedication to protecting global biodiversity)
Special Projects and Roles
Professor Juma took on many special roles to help solve global challenges:
- African Union (2012–2017): Co-chair of the High-Level Panel on Science, Technology and Innovation.
- United Nations Development Programme (2011–2012): Advisor for the Africa Human Development Report, focusing on food security.
- World Bank (2008–2009): Advisor for the World Development Report, helping with ideas on technology and climate change.
- Africa Schools of Kenya (2009): Narrated a documentary called Maasai: At the Crossroads, about educating Maasai children while respecting their culture.
- International Whaling Commission (2007–2008): Special Advisor, helping to find solutions to the whaling debate.
- African Union and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) (2005–2008): Co-chair of the High-Level African Panel on Modern Biotechnology, advising African presidents.
- Office of the President, Kenya (2004–2006): Member of the National Economic and Social Council, advising the President of Kenya.
- United Nations Development Programme (2001–2006): Co-chair of a task force for the UN Millennium Project, focusing on science, technology, and innovation.
- United Nations Development Programme (2001): Main consultant for the Human Development Report 2001, which looked at how new technologies could help human development.
- Government of Kenya (1989): Helped draft the Industrial Property Bill, which became law and led to the Kenya Industrial Property Office.
Selected Books and Reports
Professor Juma wrote or contributed to many important publications:
- 2016: Innovation and Its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technologies.
- 2011: The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa.
- 2007: Freedom to Innovate: Biotechnology in Africa's Development. (with Ismail Serageldin)
- 2005: Going for Growth: Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa.
- 2005: Innovation: Applying Knowledge in Development. (with Lee Yee-Cheong)
- 1996: In Land We Trust: Environment, Private Property and Constitutional Change. (with J. B. Ojwang)
- 1994: Biodiplomacy: Genetic Resources and International Relations. (with Vicente Sánchez)
- 1989: The Gene Hunters: Biotechnology and the Scramble for Seeds.
- 1987: Long-Run Economics: An Evolutionary Approach to Economic Growth. (with Norman Clark)
