DMQ
Dr Mzukisi Qobo
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, South Africa
Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation
Description
For the past 25 years, Dr Qobo has worked across the public service, academia, and policy think-tank environment. Prior to his diplomatic assignment, he served as the Head of School at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Here, he founded the Tayarisha Research Group for Digital Governance. He was previously Associate Professor of Strategy and International Business at the Wits Business School.
Dr Qobo was appointed to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019. He also spearheaded the development of South Africa’s Agriculture and Agro-processing Masterplan in 2020 on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
Dr Qobo’s experience includes service as a consultant to the World Bank, where he helped to craft the investment framework for agricultural development in the Eastern Cape province.
From 2007 to 2009, Dr Qobo served as Chief Director at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), playing a pivotal role in formulating South Africa's trade policy.
Dr Qobo is still associated with academia as Visiting Professor at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Notably, he is also a published author, with his most recent work, China-US Relations: Digital Futures and African Agency, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2022.
He holds a PhD from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, an MA from the University of Stellenbosch, and a BA from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Loading