Prof. Oliver Saasa
ABOUT
Professor Oliver Saasa is the Chancellor of Mulungushi University. He is Professor of International Economic Relations and Managing Consultant/CEO of Premier Consult Limited, a social, business and economic consulting Firm based in Lusaka. Before he joined the Consulting World in 2000 by setting up his own firm, Prof. Saasa served for 12 years as the Director of the Institute of Economic and Social Research at the University of Zambia. Before that, he was Head of the Department of Development Studies at the same University. During his 21-year academic career with the University of Zambia, he served for the most part in the University Senate and as member of some of the University Council committees. He was promoted to the rank of Professor in 1994.
A Rhodes Scholar, Prof. Saasa obtained his doctorate in 1983 from Southampton University in the UK. His doctoral thesis is on the regulation of transnational corporation in developing countries: A Comparative Analysis of national policy-making towards international investment in Zambia and Tanzania.
Prof. Saasa has published widely in the field of trade, international economic relations and economic development, concentrating in earlier years on regional integration and trade promotion in Southern Africa. In the past 15 years, he has released several publications on the relations between developed and developing countries, focusing primarily on aid flows and donor-recipient structures for aid management. His most recent publications include the book published in Sweden, Aid and Poverty Reduction in Zambia: Mission Unaccomplished, a highly acclaimed publication in the field of aid relationships and effectiveness.
Prof. Saasa has served as a consultant for many regional and international organisations that include the World Bank, OECD, UNDP, UNICEF, USAID, EU, UNCTAD, Sida, IFAD, NORAD, GIZ, JICA, DfID, Danida, COMESA, and SADC, mainly evaluating their programme and project support to Southern Africa and Zambia. Prof. Saasa serves on many boards at both national and international levels. These include the National Governing Council of the APRM (Zambia); Zambia Railways Limited Board of Director where he is Vice-Chair; Public Service Pensions Fund (Zambia); Stanbic Bank; and Governing Council of the International Africa Institute (UK), and African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS). Lastly, Prof. Saasa was hired by the Zambian Government to prepare Zambia’s Aid Policy and Strategy and did put together on behalf of the Ministry of Finance the country’s Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP).
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
1 University Level (up to 200)
2.Director of the Institute of Economic and Social Research (INESOR), University of Zambia,September 1988 to August 2000.
3.Head of the Department of Development Studies (University of Zambia), 1985-88.
4.Member of the University of Zambia Council’s Plannig and Resources Committee
5.Member of the University of Zambia Senate (1985 to 2003)
6.Member, Graduate Studies Committee
7.Member, Research Ethics Committee, School of Medicine, University of Zambia
8.Chairman of the INESOR: (a) Board of Research Programmes; (b) Finance Committee; (c)Appointments Committee; (d) Management Committee
9.Chairman, Senate Universty RestorationRehabilitation Committee
10.Member of the Senate Publications Committee
CORPORATE BOARDS MEMBERSHIP/RESPONSIBILITIES
1.Non-Executive Director, Stanbic Bank Plc Board of Directors (this is Standard Bank of SouthAfrica trading in Zambia as Stanbic Bank Plc), 2006.
2.Chairman, Board of Directors, Eastern and Southern African Trade & Development Bank(PTA Bank), December 2013.
3.Special Advisor to the President (COMESA/SADC/EAC Tripartite Regional InfrastructureInvestment)), The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (PTA Bank,Kenya), May–October 2013.
4.Chairman, Board of Directors, Stanbic Nominees Limited (a subsidiary company ofStanbic Standard Bank Ltd)
5.Chairman, Loans Review Committee of Stanbic Bank Zambia Limited (2007-2011)
6.Chairman, Risk Committee, Stanbic Bank, Zambia, 2011
7.Director, Public Service Pensions Fund Board of Directors, 2005 (Appointed by thePresident of Zambia).
8.Chairman, Technical Committee of the Board of Directors of Public Service Pensions Fund Board.
NON-CORPORATE BOARDS MEMBERSHIPS
1.Chairman, National Food and Nutrition Commission (Zambia), 2002-2004.
2.Chairman, Media Trust Fund (Financed by Norway), 2007-2010.
3.Chairman, National Museums Board (Zambia), 2000- 2004.
4.Chairman, World Bank Study Fund Committee (Zambi), 1997 – 2000.
5.Member, National Arts Council, 2009.
6.Commissioner, Zambia Law Development Commission (1997- 2002)
7.Member of the Editorial Advisory Board, Development Southern Africa
8.Journal, DevelopmentBank of Southern Africa (DBSA) Journal, South Africa (200)
9.Member of the Board, Governing Council of the International Africa Institute, London (1996-1998)
10.Member of the Editorial Board,Contemporary African Studies Journal, Rhodes University,South Africa (1998)
11.Editorial Board Member,Africa Insights Journal, Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria.
12.Member of the Advisory Board of the Journal of Southern African Studies (JSAS), UnitedKingdom (2000-2004)
13.Member of the International Advisory Board, Insight on Africa Journal, (India), 2010.
PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITIES
1.Chancellor, Mulungushi University (Zambia’s third public university), Kabwe, Zambia
2.Chancellor, Copperstone University, Kitwe, Zambia, 2007-2010.
3.Member, National Governing Council (as part of the African Peer Review Mechanism– APRM), appointed by the Minister of Justice, Government of Zambia, Lusaka, 2008.
4.Member, Project Management Committee, COMESA/IDRC Programme on regionalintegration studies (1994 – 2004).
5.Government-appointed Focal Point (in Zambia) of the World Bank-Government of ZambiaCapacity Building Initiative (1998 – 2004)
6.National Secretary / Administrator, Rhodes Trust – Zambia 1992.
7.Member of the Steering Committee, Poverty component, Zambia Social Investment Fund(ZAMSIF), 2001 – 2005