Research ICT Africa (RIA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Kola Ijasan as its new Research Director. Ijasan has almost two decades of academic and research leadership experience across Africa, Europe, and North America. He previously served as Associate Professor and Research Degrees Coordinator at the University of the Witwatersrand, and led strategic partnerships and large-scale research initiatives as Project Lead at the University of Toronto’s Black Research Network. His expertise spans housing and the built environment, disaster risk management, data science, and policy innovation, with a strong focus on tackling structural inequalities in the Global South.
RIA’s Executive Director, Pria Chetty, welcomed the appointment:
“RIA proudly welcomes Dr Kola Ijasan as our new Research Director. Dr Ijasan joins RIA at a critical juncture. He brings a depth of experience in research leadership, data-driven policy innovation, and tackling structural inequalities that we anticipate will be truly catalytic to our mission of just and inclusive digital futures for Africa.”
Looking ahead, Ijasan said he is eager to build and propel a pan-African research agenda that connects rigorous scholarship with policy impact. “The high-quality, evidence-based research that RIA engages in, to guide digital transformation and governance across the continent, is very much aligned with my vision of research that yields tangible results,” he explained.
He identified strengthening RIA’s position as a global thought leader in digital inclusion, data governance, and emerging technologies as a key priority, alongside building partnerships across Africa and the Global South, training the next generation of African researchers, and exploring new areas of inquiry such as the intersection of AI, housing, and socio-economic inequality.
Reflecting on RIA’s role in shaping digital policy, Dr Ijasan added: “The research conducted by RIA helps to connect evidence and policymaking. It can shape digital policies to ensure inclusion, equity, and innovation by integrating data-based insights and grounded contextual analysis.”
Dr Ijasan’s appointment strengthens RIA’s ability to deliver policy-relevant research that advances inclusive digital transformation and governance in Africa and the wider Global South.
