Mr. Mucktarr M.Y Darboe Bio

Mucktarr M.Y Darboe is currently the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Technical and formerly the Director of Science, Technology and Innovation at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology of The Gambia. A current PhD student with the Beijing Institute of Technology and formerly, a graduate of the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) of the University of Sussex in the UK. He is an experienced STI Expert with a demonstrated history of working in the public policy industry, specifically on STI 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 of the Participation Programme including but not limited to design of STEM education & STI policies, implementing the GO-SPIN, SAGA and robotics programmes.

Mr. Darboe currently facilitates Gambia’s participation in the UN Global STI4SDGs Roadmap Project (endorsed by the G20) to enhance global cooperation for a Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM) envisioned in the Agenda 2030 (SDGs) with support from the European Union.   

During the last decade, 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 National Robotics Team that performed tremendously at the FIRST Global Robotics Olympiad in Washington D.C.  

Mr. Darboe was a speaker at the 2019 and 2022 World Science Forums held in Budapest, Hungary and Cape Town, South Africa respectively Mr. Darboe also served as a panellist at the UNESCO Round Table entitled, "What drives the gender gap in STI? And how do we close it” organized in the Framework of the 63rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2019 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

He doubles as an Independent Consultant of the OACP PSF to develop a Research & Innovation Policy and to establish a National Innovation Agency in Lesotho and a requesting authority for the development of the National Innovation Fund for the Gambia. He has been a speaker too at the Ministerial Roundtable of 26th Commission of Science and Technology for Development at the UNCTAD in Geneva, Switzerland.

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