Speakers

William Odinga Balikuddembe

Place of Birth : Uganda
Born : 1978
Position : President and CEO of Uganda Science Journalists Association (USJA), Uganda
Field of study : Science Journalism and Science Communication, Research in Natural Resources and Political Economy, Development Media, Documentary filmmaking

Mr. Balikuddembe is a Ugandan Science Journalist, Researcher, Filmmaker, Journalism Trainer and Mobiliser with a career spanning 18 years. He is the President and CEO of the Uganda Science Journalists Association (USJA). A champion of collaborative journalism engagement with science since 2005, he is casually referred by colleague as “Mr. President.” His commitment to the growth of science journalism and science communication extends to the global science journalism community – the World Federation of Science Journalists. He qualified as a professional journalist in 2002. He has extensively covered the Environment, Water, Fisheries, Agriculture, Health, Society and Development for local and international media including films for Wild Dog, Euro News, RAI Italia, and Hot Spot Films (for Al Jazeera). He has consulted for UN-FAO, Global Water Initiative, Nile Basin Initiative, Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation, and others. He has spoken at many science-based events from Uganda to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Egypt, South Africa, Qatar, Britain, Japan, and Australia. He is a 2013 Fellow Biosciences for Farming in Africa; Best 2004 African Print Media Reporter on Water and Sanitation (African Ministers’ Council on Water), and 2003 Runner-up, Print Category, Global Water Media Network competition (World Bank and the Government of Japan). He is Co-author IWRM in Uganda - Progress after Decades of Implementation (2016); Food for Thought: Demand for Agricultural Produce in the Nile Basin for 2030 (2008). He is a Member of the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation Sector Working Group, Former Board Member of Nile Basin Discourse; and Member of Technical Advisory Committee for the Annual Science Week (Uganda National Council for Science and Technology).

• He is currently engaged by the Danish Development Research Network (DDRN) in finding links between PhD and other academic research in Uganda (involving South-North collaboration) with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), starting with Gulu University.

• His 2016 publication with Dr. Alan Nicol, IWRM in Uganda - Progress after Decades of Implementation, is receiving considerable attention in the research circles.

• Between 2015 and 2016 he supervised the implementation of the “Understanding Climate Change through Journalism” project in eastern, western and northern regions of Uganda. He also, on behalf of the Uganda Science Journalists Association, launched a science journalists’ network for each of the regions and ever since they have been building capacity of journalists in those regions to engage with and effectively communicate science.

• In 2018 he coordinated training for journalists in those regions to report effectively on issues of biosciences.

• He works with Sensal Systems and the National Curriculum Development Centre to promote the adoption of digital learning tools and technologies in Uganda’s schools from primary to tertiary level (Since 2018).

• In 2018 he established the “Tree Billionaire Generation” initiative and he has since been joined by a number of natural resources experts to build it. It focuses on local initiatives for micro climate management as well as land restoration and land management.

• He is the founding Chairperson of the Uganda Science Journalists Association (2005) and the current President and CEO (from November 2015);

• Correspondent for the Danish Development Research Network (ddrn.dk) from February 2019 to date;

• East Africa Producer Wild Dog Films (UK) from 2013 to date. He was Fixer and Local Producer of three Al-Jazeera documentaries (with Hotspot Films), 2010;

• Contributing Editor and Journalism Trainer, The Sunrise newspaper based in Kampala (2013 to date);

• Media and Communication Consultant for the Global Water Imitative East Africa (GWI-EA) project in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda (2014 to 2015);

• Scenario Researcher and Writer for United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation project FAO-NILE (2006-2008);

• Reporter, Environment Editor, Features Editor, The Sunrise (2001-2006).