Hany Besada is a Senior Fellow, Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa Regional Advisor, African Mineral Development Centre (AMDC) at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Non-Resident Senior Research Fellow with the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), an Adjunct Research Professor, Institute of African Studies at Carleton University. He is also a Senior Governance Specialist with Act For Performance in Ottawa. Until very recently, he was Theme Leader: Governance of Natural Resources at the North-South Institute (NSI) in Ottawa, Canada and Research Specialist on the United Nations High Level Panel Secretariat-Post 2015 Development Agenda, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in New York. Previously, Prof Besada was Program Leader and Senior Researcher at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Waterloo, Canada where he oversaw the Health and Social Governance Program. Prior to that, he was the Principle Researcher: Business in Africa at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Prof Besada has worked as Policy Advisor for the South African Ministry of Local and Provisional Government, Amnesty International, United Nations Associations, the Joan Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice (IPJ) and the Office of US Senator Dianne Feinstein. He has consulted for the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, United Nations Office for Sustainable Development, United States International Development Agency, African Capacity Building Foundation, and the Government of Sierra Leone.
Prof. Besada has published widely in international news media and academic journals. He is the author of 70 peer-reviewed scholarly papers and over 70 opinion pieces. He is the author editor/co-editor of Development in Africa: Refocusing the Lens After the Millennium Development Goals (Policy Press, 2015), Moving Health Sovereignty in Africa: Disease, Governance and Climate Change (Ashgate, 2014), Africa’s Health Challenges: Sovereignty, Mobility of People and Healthcare Governance (Ashgate, 2013), Multilateral Development Cooperation in a Changing Global Order (Palgrave, 2013), Zimbabwe: Picking Up the Pieces (Palgrave, 2011), Crafting an African Security Architecture: Addressing Regional Peace and Conflict in the 21st Century (Ashgate, 2010), From Civil Strife to Peace Building: Examining Private Sector Involvement in West African Reconstruction (WLU Press, 2009), Unlocking Africa’s Potential: The Role of Corporate South Africa in Strengthening Africa’s Private Sector (SAIIA, 2008), Francophone Africa’s Democratic Jewel: The Experience of South African Firms Doing Business in Senegal (SAIIA, 2007), Meeting the Sphinx: Thee Experience of South African firms Doing Business in Egypt (SAIIA, 2006) and A Glimpse of Hope in West Africa: The Experience of South African Firms Doing Business in Ghana (SAIIA, 2005).
He has appeared in over a dozen media interviews conducted by Voice of America, BBC Arabic, Canadian Television, Canadian Broadcast Corporation and South Africa Broadcast Corporation on a range of current socio-economic and political debates concerning Africa and the Middle East. He sits on a number of boards, panels and expert groups, including 2013-2015 African Capacity Indicators Reference Group, Society of International Development, Canadian International Council’s Aid Study Group, Pan-African Legal Network, Institute of African Studies Advisory Committee, United Nations Association-San Diego Advisory Council, Canadian International Council’s Africa Study Group, Cambridge Review of International Affairs Review Board, Canadian Foreign Policy Review Board, Alvin Curling Foundation Advisory Board, Centre for Youth Development and Engagement Advisory Board. His research interests cover an array of themes ranging from natural resource governance, global governance, Africa’s socio-economic and security development, private sector growth, trade and investment facilitation, Middle Eastern politics, fragile/failed states, peace building and post-conflict economic reconstruction.
