Dr Phil Mjwara

Dr Phil Mjwara was appointed directorgeneral in April 2006. He is responsible for policy development in the science and technology sector in South Africa. Prior to his appointment at the Department of Science and Technology, Dr Mjwara was the group executive: Research and Development and Strategic Human Capital at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. In 2001, he joined the National Laser Centre as its head. He was instrumental in growing the Centre’s activities from its inception, and in creating a network of centres in Africa until 2005. Dr Mjwara’s public sector career includes serving as director of technology development at the former Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology. His academic career includes serving as professor of Science and Technology Policy at the University of Pretoria, and Physics lectureships at the universities of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and Fort Hare.

He has been involved in the management of technological innovation as well as in processes for policy formulation. Dr Mjwara led the team that conducted the first South African technology foresight project. He has published and presented numerous papers relating to Physics, Technology Analysis and Foresighting. Dr Mjwara is one of the co-chairs of the Group on Earth Observations based in Geneva.