Aggrey Ambali

Professor Aggrey Ambali is the Advisor and Head of Science, Technology and Innovation Hub (NSTIH) at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency, where he oversees development and implementation of programmes in education, health, and science and technology. He has also served in other positions at the NEPAD Agency, including Director of Policy Alignment and Programme Development Directorate, Coordinator of the African Biosciences Initiative, and Coordinator of Science and Technology for the Southern Africa region.
Prof. Ambali has wide experience in the operations of the African Union (AU) and its economic development programme, NEPAD as well as collaborating organisations like the UN agencies, foundations, development banks and CGIAR. He recently coordinated the work of the African Union High Level Panel on Science, Technology and Innovation which was appointed in July 2012 and mandated to prepare a ten year Science, Technology and Innovation strategy for Africa (STISA 2024).

Outside the NEPAD Agency, Prof Ambali serves as an external member of Governing Council of the University of Namibia, member of the Innovation Council of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), appointed by the Heads of State and Government. He serves on several committees either as Chair or member including the Technical Advisory Committee of the Biosafety Programme of ICGEB, Chair of the Management Committee of the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), member of the Advisory Panel of the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA), etc.

Prof. Ambali holds a PhD in Population Genetics from Dalhousie University (Canada), Masters of Science in Fish Breeding from Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand) and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Malawi (Malawi). He worked for the University of Malawi where he taught courses in Fisheries and Aquatic Biology and Genetics from 1991 to 2004; he rose to the rank of full Professor of Biology in 2003.  He Chaired the University of Malawi Research and Publications Committee for four years and served as Head of the Department of Biological Sciences. Prof. Ambali was actively involved in research in fisheries biology and ecology and attracted research grants through which he developed research facilities for molecular biology and ecology. These continue to play an important role for postgraduate research at the University of Malawi. He was awarded the TWAS Young Scientist Award in Biological Science in 2003 based on his contribution to research and development in Malawi. Prof. Ambali has served as reviewer of several scientific journals as well as of grant proposals for major funding agencies. He was elected a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences in 2013.