The Africa Institute faculty selected among prestigious fellows by International Science Council (ISC)

Binyam Sisay Mendisu, Associate Professor of African Languages and Linguistics at The Africa Institute, Sharjah, has been awarded the Fellowship of International Science Council (ISC) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to promoting science as a global public good.

The ISC Fellowship is the highest honor that can be conferred by the International Science Council to support its vital mission to bring science to society and help address urgent societal problems such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, water, energy, and food security, as well as urgent transformations required in the research itself.

“It is an honor to be selected as an ISC fellow, but I see it as a responsibility to do more transdisciplinary and collaborative science that puts humans at the center, and as an impetus to make more effort to bring science and society closer,” said Professor Mendisu who has worked as an education specialist at UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), before he joined The Africa Institute, leading programs and projects on teacher policy development, mother tongue and early childhood education in several countries in Africa. 

Professor Mendisu’s work largely interfaces between science, society, policy and capacity development. He is an alumnus of the Global Young Academy (GYA) where he was a co-lead of the Science Advice and Fundamental Science working groups. He is also a facilitator and Steering Committee member of the African Science Leadership Program (ASLP), University of Pretoria. In 2020, he was one of the global expert steering committee members convened to debate and rearticulate human development for the 21st century, which is a joint initiative of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Science Council (ISC). He is a member of the Governing Board of International Network of Government Science Advice (INGSA) and serves as Vice President for Capacity Development.

The announcement was made in December during the World Science Forum 2022 held in Cape Town, South Africa. 

“I am delighted to announce the election of Honorary Fellows and ISC Fellows during the 2022 World Science Forum.  Recognised for their service to science for society, these individuals have and will continue to play an important role in ISC’s mission to use science as a global public good.  They bring a diversity of experience, insight and perspective and I look forward to working with them over the coming months and years.  Our mission has never been more urgent. I would like to add my special and wholehearted thanks to our outgoing Patrons, who have now been endowed Honorary Fellowships for their distinguished contributions to the goals of the ISC,” said Peter Gluckman, President of the International Science Council.

Professor Mendisu joins the newly appointed cohort of 60 fellows from different countries and regions, disciplines, sectors and career stages that include eminent social and natural scientists, engineers and thought-leaders who have made impactful contributions in the science-policy sphere. 

“We want to clearly recognize those scientists who have and continue to contribute to the global voice for science. In that way we expand our footprint and our voice. Science needs champions, not just those who receive high profile scientific prizes but champions who can give voice to the global voice for science,” added Gluckman.