International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) Special Advisor
Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences of UNESCO (2010-2014)
BIOGRAPHY
Prof. Gretchen Kalonji has a long-term history of leadership in international collaborations in science and engineering, in innovations in science and engineering education, as well as in strategic approaches to strengthening our higher education systems.
In July 2024, she accepted a position with the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) as a Special Advisor. Kalonji previously served as the Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO, from 2010-2014, where she had responsibility for multiple international and intergovernmental science programs. Prior to joining CBAS, Kalonji served as Professor and Dean of the Sichuan University – the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction (IDMR), from 2016 - 2024. Kalonji also served as the Director of International Strategy Development for the 10 campus University of California system from 2005 to 2010, and as Kyocera Professor of Materials Science at the University of Washington, from 1990 – 2005. From 1987 – 1900, while a faculty member at MIT, Kalonji also worked with the leadership of the African National Congress, then in exile, on electronics and computer science programs for the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College (SOMAFCO) in Tanzania.
Kalonji has served as visiting professor in prestigious universities in Japan, France, Germany and China, and on boards of directors for numerous international scientific initiatives. She is the recipient of multiple honors and awards, including, in 2021, the China Friendship Award, which is the highest honor offered to a foreigner for contributions to the social and economic development of China.