Prof Olive Shisana

Olive Shisana holds a Doctor of Science degree from Johns Hopkins University. She was awarded the Order of the Baobab in Bronze by the President of South Africa for her outstanding contribution to the field of science and community service, particularly her tireless work in researching solutions to the scourges of HIV and AIDS.

She previously served as the first Director-General in the South African Department of Health, Principal Investigator in several national population-based HIV surveys, President of the International Social Science Council, and Chief Executive Officer of the Human Sciences Research Council. She is a recipient of the South African Academy of Sciences “Science-for-Society” Gold Medal in 2013.

She is an honorary professor at the University of Cape Town and was awarded the Doctor of Laws honoris causa degree by Monash University.

She currently serves as a Special Policy Advisor to the President of South Africa since 2018. In this role, she has a line of sight of several areas, including gender, health, COVID-19, education, and social development.