Mucktarr M.Y Darboe is the Director of Science, Technology and Innovation of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology of The Republic of The Gambia. A graduate from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) of the University of Sussex in the UK, he is an experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the public policy industry, specifically on Science, Technology and Innovation policy matters at national, regional and global levels. For the past decade, he has contributed towards the achievement of UNESCO objectives through the implementation of various projects through the UNESCO Participation Programmes. These programmes include but are not limited to design of STEM education and STI policies, implementing the Global Observatory of Science Policy Instruments (GO-SPIN) and the STEM and Gender Advancement Progrmmes (SAGA) in The Gambia.  

Over the period under review, he has implemented other important programmes including the publication of a triennial report on the National Innovation Outlook and the strengthening of international collaboration and partnership between the Ministry and relevant STI institutions including but not limited to COMSTECH, COMSATS, AOSTI, NEPAD, UNESCO, OPCW, CTBTO among others. Mucktarr is also the National Focal Point for the Governing Board of the African Regional Centre For Space Science and Technology Education in English (ARCSSTE-E), and the African Union’s Scientific, Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC). In 2017, he was the team mentor of the Gambia National Robotics Team that performed tremendously at the FIRST Global Robotics Olympiad in Washington D.C in the USA. He is currently working with local and international stakeholders to assist The Gambia in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the SAGA Project by UNESCO, the Ministry has now finalised the Mandate of the Gender Unit and is working with legal advisers to draft laws in the promotion gender equality in STI.

Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mucktarr-darboe-my-24374019 Twitter: @mucktarr1