Recent Guest Speakers
Fiona Hyslop
Fiona Hyslop is an elected Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Linlithgow and was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs following the Scottish Parliament Elections in May 2011. Previously Ms Hyslop was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning. Her Ministerial portfolio covers External Affairs, Europe, Culture and the Arts, Broadcasting, Heritage, Lottery funding, Historic Scotland, National Records of Scotland and Major Events Strategy.
Kandeh K. Yumkella
Kandeh K. Yumkella is a Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Chief Executive for the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative. Dr Yumkella mobilizes action toward a sustainable energy future and engages with the leadership of relevant stakeholders in government, businesses, academia and civil society at the highest level to advocate for, and promote, sustainable energy for all. Previously he was the Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Special Adviser to two previous Director-Generals and Representative and Director of the UNIDO Regional Office in Nigeria. He was also Minister for Trade, Industry and State Enterprises of Sierra Leone.
Phillip Hannaford
Phillip Hannaford is Vice-Principal for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Aberdeen. Professor Hannaford was Director of the Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) Manchester Research Unit and is National Health Service Grampian Chair of Primary Care in Aberdeen. He is also member of: the World Health Organization Guideline Steering Group on Evidence-based Contraceptive Guidelines; Medicines for Women’s Health Advisory Group, Commission on Human Medicines; and the Research Excellence Framework Subpanel 2 on Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care.
Ian Williamson
Ian Williamson is Vice President of Contracts and Commercial at Lloyds Register Senergy, an energy company. He is responsible for the risk management of contracts and ensuring consistency. His team also champions commercial business best practice and takes on an entrepreneurial role in supporting new contracts to enhance Senergy’s capabilities. He is Chair of the advisory board of the Offshore Renewables Institute of the University of Dundee. Mr Williamson has 30 years of operational and business experience and was originally a well engineer.
Yakubu Abdul-Salam
Yakubu Abdul-Salam is a doctoral student at the University of Aberdeen. His research is on access to electricity in Ghana and looks at the economic feasibility of stand-alone renewable energy technologies relative to grid connected electricity systems in remote and sparsely populated rural communities. He has a Master’s degree MSc (Econ) in International Business, Energy and Petroleum from the University of Aberdeen.
Hilary Homans
Hilary Homans is Director of the Centre for Sustainable International Development (CSID) at the University of Aberdeen. Dr Homans is committed to poverty alleviation, reducing inequity and promoting social inclusion (especially of women and marginalised groups). She was previously Professor at the University of Zimbabwe and since 1987 has worked for DfID and the UN in over 45 developing countries (including conflict-affected and humanitarian situations and lived in sub- Saharan Africa for nine years). She is co-author of the 2011 UN Security Council Report On the Frontline and has written five books and numerous UN reports.
Gabriel Torwua Suswam
Gabriel Torwua Suswam is a Nigerian politician and Governor of Benue State. The Right Honourable Suswam began his career in private legal practice as a Junior Counsel. In 2003 he was re-elected into the House of Representatives and appointed Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Members’ Welfare and Chairman of the House Committees on Appropriations and Power. Since 2007 as Governor he has worked to transform Benue State through the provision of critical infrastructure and social facilities to improve economic well-being of the people.
Rosemary Lindsay
Rosemary Lindsay is deputy head of the Scottish Government’s international development team. The team is responsible for the Scottish Government's International Development Fund (IDF) which supports a programme of development delivered by a range of organisations and institutions in Scotland working with partners overseas and focused on achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The fund is focussed on seven countries, Bangladesh, India, Malawi, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. The single largest project to date funded from the IDF is the Malawi Renewable Energy Acceleration Programme (MREAP).
David Sigsworth
David Sigsworth is Chairman of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). He is also Chairman of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum, Chairman of the Scottish Energy Technology Partnership Industry Advisory Group and a member of the Scottish Government’s Expert Commission on Energy Regulation. Mr Sigsworth is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an Honorary Professor at the University of Dundee. He also undertakes a range of non-executive roles for Sigma Capital Group plc, SeaEnergy plc, Flexitricity Limited, the Dundee Science Centre, the Combined Heat and Power Association and the Think Tank Sustainability First.
Beltus Etchu Ojong
Beltus Etchu Ojong is the Chief Executive Officer of African Forum Scotland (AFS) and Next Step Initiative (NSI). He has vast experience in the Third Sector in Scotland working with various pioneering organisations including the Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisation (CEMVO), Pollok Integration Network, Ethnic Enable and ASCEND Scotland. Mr Ojong has devised several projects including the first African Climate Change and Resource Centre. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Arts and Director for Centre for African Policy, Research of Development (CfPRD).
Afe Adogame
Afe Adogame is a Professor of Religion and Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. He was Sen-ior Fellow in Harvard University (2003/4). His research focuses on new religious dynamics in Africa and the African Diaspora; the interconnectedness between religion and migration, globalization, poli-tics, economy, and the civil society. Owing to his passion for Africa's development, he has convened international conferences on pertinent issues such as the ‘Africa in Scotland, Scotland in Afri-ca’ (Edinburgh, 2009); ‘Religion, Conflict, Violence and Tolerance’ (Abuja 2012). He is Secretary to IAHR Africa Trust Fund. He is also a board member of the Scottish Council of African Churches, and Special Adviser to Greatway Foundation