The Governing Board of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) has announced the appointment of Professor Irja Nelago Indongo as the new Executive Director, effective 1st June 2025.
Professor Indongo will lead the organisation from the SASSCAL Regional Secretariat in Windhoek, Namibia, overseeing the planning, implementation, and strategic direction of programmes across the five SASSCAL member countries: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia. She succeeds Dr Jane Olwoch, who has commendably served as Executive Director for the past seven years.
Professor Indongo is a distinguished social scientist with expertise in social statistics and sociology. She brings to SASSCAL over 13 years of senior management experience from the University of Namibia (UNAM), supported by a track record in research management, academic leadership, and institutional development. Her academic credentials include a DPhil in Sociology from the University of Pretoria, Master’s and Honours degrees from the University of Southampton and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Namibia.
She began her academic career at UNAM as a Staff Development Fellow, eventually rising to the rank of Associate Professor, with numerous publications in peer-reviewed national and international journals, and successful supervision of many postgraduate students. Throughout her tenure at UNAM, Professor Indongo held several key leadership roles, including; Director of the Multidisciplinary Research Centre, Director of the Research Services Centre and Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development.
She led various teams of nearly 30 researchers, advancing cross-disciplinary research and transformative outputs. She played a central role in coordinating high-profile international conferences, such as those by the Association of African Universities (AAU) and Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), as Chairperson of the Local Organising Committees.
Her efforts also extended to advancing international collaborations and strengthening research partnerships and Driving Climate Change and Governance Initiatives. Professor Indongo represented UNAM in the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) Climate Change Steering Committee. In this capacity, she contributed to the development and revision of climate change curricula and supported the creation of a digital ecosystem for sustainable development.
Her leadership experience also spans governance, having served as Vice Chairperson of the Namibia Statistics Agency Board and Chairperson of its Statistics Board Committees. Looking Ahead, SASSCAL is confident that Professor Indongo’s visionary leadership, regional comprehension, and strong academic and governance background will drive the organisation to new heights in addressing climate change and sustainable development challenges in Southern Africa.