SASSCAL appoints new executive director
The Governing Board of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) announced the appointment of Professor Irja Nelago Indongo as the new executive director, effective 1 June 2025.
Indongo will lead the organisation from the SASSCAL Regional Secretariat in Windhoek, 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 served as ED for the past seven years.
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 strong 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 UNAM.
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. During her tenure at UNAM, 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.
Transformative output
She led various teams of nearly 30 researchers, advancing cross-disciplinary research and delivering transformative outputs. She also played a central role in coordinating high-profile international conferences hosted by the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), serving as Chairperson of the Local Organising Committees.
Her efforts have extended to advancing international collaborations, strengthening research partnerships, and driving climate change and governance initiatives.
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 Indongo’s visionary leadership, regional insight, and strong academic and governance background will propel the organisation to new heights in addressing climate change and sustainable development challenges in Southern Africa.
Indongo will lead the organisation from the SASSCAL Regional Secretariat in Windhoek, 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 served as ED for the past seven years.
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 strong 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 UNAM.
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. During her tenure at UNAM, 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.
Transformative output
She led various teams of nearly 30 researchers, advancing cross-disciplinary research and delivering transformative outputs. She also played a central role in coordinating high-profile international conferences hosted by the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), serving as Chairperson of the Local Organising Committees.
Her efforts have extended to advancing international collaborations, strengthening research partnerships, and driving climate change and governance initiatives.
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 Indongo’s visionary leadership, regional insight, and strong academic and governance background will propel the organisation to new heights in addressing climate change and sustainable development challenges in Southern Africa.
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