Director of the International Foundation for Science, Sweden

Nighisty Ghezae is the Director of International Foundation for Science, Stockholm. Formerly she was the Head of Programmes at IFS and has held responsibilities for coordinating the IFS research programme, helping develop strategy and policy, oversight of research areas, coordinating and evaluating supporting activities provided to the IFS constituency and supervising programme staff. Dr Ghezae has broad experience in the creation of international multi-stakeholder networks, has capacity to engage in dialogue and build effective work partnerships, and has led development processes, linking global goals to national priorities.

She has excellent knowledge of and contacts with researchers, research institutions, policy makers, the development community in Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Dr Ghezae has a BA in economics, an MSc in the legal and institutional management of water resources, a Ph.D. in natural resources management and another Ph.D in international economics (impact of the global economy on Africa and its development). She has more than thirty years of professional experience as a lecturer, researcher, senior network officer, training organizer, program and project leader and evaluator. She has worked as a development consultant (2004-2007) with the UNDP, UNESCO, Sida, DGIS, IDRC, AfDB, Euro Consult, Danida and the EU. As Project Manager with the Global Water Partnership (1998-2004), she managed several integrated water resources management projects and led the work program of four regional offices in Africa and two in the Mediterranean region, as well as coordinating the EU water Initiative in Africa.