World Leaders, NGOs, and Academics Remember Calestous Juma

Amina Mohamed, Kenyan Minister for Foreign Affairs

I have received the news of the passing on of my friend, compatriot and a role model Professor Calestous Juma, with a deep sense of great personal loss. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Raila Odinga, Kenyan opposition leader

It is with deep sadness that I received the news of the passing of the distinguished Kenyan scholar Prof. Calestous Juma, who helped build the country’s profile across the globe. We pray for and mourn with his family, students and the entire Harvard University fraternity.

Wilber Ottichilo, Kenyan politician

R.I.P. my friend @calestous Juma, your wise counsel and insightful contribution to academia will surely be missed. We'll hold down the fort in your absence in a bid to make the world a better place. Till we meet again Brother. #RIPCalestous

Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation

#RIPCalestousJuma! Calestous was a very valuable African, always wanting his brilliant mind to serve the continent! May his family and #Harvard colleagues find in his life strength and solace!

Babatunde Raji Fashola, Nigerian Minister of Works, Power and Housing

From the time I met him in 2010, he gave so much of himself to me, the Government of Lagos State while I served and to Nigerians. He was a true African Patriot. If he came across any datum, book information that he thought would be useful, Calestous made it his responsibility to get it to me. I would open my mail from time to time and find that “Santa” Calestous had visited and dropped gifts of development. He advised me when we confronted the Ebola virus. The Establishment of the Lagos Innovation Advisory Council was informed by his Idea. His thoughts on Agriculture and Farming were most helpful in shaping our State Agro policy.

Kifefe Kizza-Besigye, Ugandan politician

Thanks @Harvard for honouring late Prof Calestous Juma! Kenya has produced great people; there must be more to come!

Owen Paterson, MP, British politician

So sorry to hear of the death of Prof Calestous Juma, a visionary and promoter of innovation in African agriculture; he was also enormous fun.

Genet Teshome, Ethiopian diplomat

He will be missed for his important and informative tweets. I liked most of his tweets without knowing him. Rest in peace.

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International

The last msg you sent me you wanted to meet my son Anselm. It wasn't to be. Farewell, great, warm, brilliant Prof @calestous Juma. World poorer without you.

Mark Tercek, CEO of The Nature Conservancy

RIP Calestous Juma. You will be missed so very much. Thank you for all you did to make the world a better place, thank you for caring and doing so much for the less fortunate. I was deeply honored to know you.

Shane McHugh, Head of International Activities at the Royal Academy of Engineering

We at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London are heartbroken to hear of Calestous’s passing. Calestous was a Fellow and a friend, and he was at the heart of much of our work on Africa and international innovation. His wisdom, generosity of spirit, and optimism about Africa’s future permeated all the policy and programme activity we did together. He was also kind, caring, and hilarious, and a source of joy throughout the organisation, as I’m sure he was at the Belfer Center. I and my colleagues will miss him a great deal.

Browne of Madingley, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering

It is with deep sadness that I heard the news of the passing of Calestous Juma. He was a founding judge of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. I got to know him in this role. He was a very important contributor who brought a different perspective to bear in making his always wise judgements. He taught me a lot. And I will never forget his infectious enthusiasm and laughter. We have lost an uncommon man. I will miss him. On behalf of all the Trustees of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering I send our condolences to his family. Our thoughts are with you.

Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank

I am deeply saddened by the death of my friend Prof. Calestous Juma of Harvard University. A world class mind, a fountain of knowledge, an inspiration, a rare gentleman. Africa has lost one of its best intellectual minds on the global stage. RIP.

Donald Kaberuka, Former president of the African Development Bank

Shocking and devastating. A great African an outstanding scholar is gone.My heartfelt condolences to his family , his country Kenya .RIP Calestous.

Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission

Saddened by the news of the passing of Prof. Calestous Juma @calestous. Such a loss to #Africa. His dedication to matters #Education, #Innovation and the #Progress of #Africa was & will forever be cherished. My condolences to his family & friends. May his soul rest in peace.

Ibrahim Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa's Development and former Prime Minister of Niger

I would like to formally pay my respect one last time to my dear friend @calestous  who passed away last week.Of course,my first thoughts go to his family and friends. But I think they won’t be the only ones deeply affected by his passing.

Johan Schot, Director of the Science Policy Research Unit

.@calestous Juma was a great scholar and activist, @SPRU graduate with @IDRC scholarship, his contributions to our field will not be forgotten. Still remember reading his long run economics book with Norman Clark, it was such an exciting reading @SPRU

UNESCO Botswana

Shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Havard Professor @calestous Juma. His support for our innovation community was empowering #RIPCalestous

World Resources Institute

Sad to read this news. He shall be missed. - Calestous Juma: Kenyan-born Harvard technology scholar has died

The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University 

We are so sad to hear of the passing of Prof. @Calestous Juma, who spoke so passionately about the future of innovation in Africa as our guest for the 2015 Pardee Center Distinguished Lecture. #RIPCalestous

STEPS Centre

We are saddened to hear of the death of Prof Calestous Juma at the age of 64. Prof Juma had a huge influence on scholarship and public debate about science and innovation worldwide.

Among his many achievements was the founding of the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in 1995, a pioneering development research thinktank. He was an alumnus of the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and continued to engage with SPRU much later – including participating in discussions around the STEPS Centre’s ‘Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto’ project in 2009.

He will be much missed as an excellent communicator, mentor and passionate advocate for the application of science, technology and innovation in sustainable development.

Next Einstein Forum

Known for his work on innovation & how that intersected with sectors including agriculture, education, health & economic prosperity, Calestous Juma meticulously dissected complex systems & ideas to reveal the unknown through his books, essays & papers.#RIP

Philippe Le Corre, Belfer Center fellow

Just a few weeks ago, he was talking to us about his latest book. Wonderful man

Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University

Saddened to learn of the death of my colleague Calestous Juma, a brilliant analyst and advocate of innovation to improve human life all over the world.

William Easterly, Professor of Economics at New York University

In memoriam of the great Kenyan scholar and Harvard Kennedy School Professor Calestous Juma @calestous -- the absence of his wise voice on African development will be a great loss

Rasmus G. Bertelsen, Professor, Barents Chair in Politics, University of Tromsø -The Arctic University of Norway

I am so profoundly shocked and saddened by the loss of my @BelferCenter@Kennedy_School postdoc supervisor @calestous . Never walking into your office again sensing your energy & enthusiasm is unbelievable

John McArthur, Senior Fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution

So many people around the globe are mourning the loss of @calestous. So many of us were deeply privileged to be able to work with him and learn from his artful approaches, on so many fronts. His contributions will persist for many, many years to come.

C.S. Prakash, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Plant and Soil Science at Tuskegee University

A passionate advocate of innovation, Prof Juma believed that biotechnology particularly had the potential to spur a green revolution in Africa similar to the one that helped contain acute famines in Asia in the 1960s

Kate Raworth, Senior Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute

I'm just gutted to hear of the death of Calestous Juma @calestous - a totally inspirational thinker & doer, my fab friend & sparring partner of 20 years. In the '90s, he was the only person I knew who was *always* online. A pioneer in every way.

Kelly Sims Gallagher, Director of the Center for International Environment & Resource Policy at The Fletcher School, Tufts University

Devastated to lose @calestous so soon. He was a exceptionally generous mentor who stimulated and encouraged me to pursue many ideas about innovation. We taught together, laughed together, & enjoyed many cups of coffee together. Above all, will miss his silly sense of humor.

Science & Diplomacy, journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of @calestous Juma, a scholar, science diplomat, and true champion

Conrad Hackett, Senior Demographer & Associate Director at Pew Research Center

I have enjoyed following Harvard professor & prolific tweeter @Calestous Juma for years & was looking forward to meeting him in person. I am sad to learn of his untimely death. He will be missed on Twitter and by those fortunate to know him personally.

Antonio Copete, Postdoctoral Associate at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

On an #MLKDay preceded by shameful comments by the president about immigrants of African descent, I'm paying tribute a dear Kenyan professor and mentor, prof. @Calestous Juma. May your passion for science and innovation in developing countries stay alive!

Tony O. Elumelu, Nigerian businessman

I am in shock hearing about the passing of Prof @calestous Juma. Such a brilliant mind and star, and a friend. We’ve lost a giant. My condolences to his family and the Harvard community

Mohammed Dewji, Tanzanian businessman

The world lost yet another intellectual giant, Professor @Calestous Juma. Not only was he a great patriot of our great continent but was also a passionate advocate for all things #ForAfrica & #ByAfricans. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Quartz Africa

We're very sad to learn news of the passing of Harvard professor Calestous Juma @calestous, a great supporter of @qzafrica right from the start. Like us, he was a great believer in the power of innovation in driving the future of the continent.He'll be sorely missed #RIPCalestous

Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist

Harvard Prof. Calestous Juma, the brilliant Kenyan scholar of technology and development, is dead at 64. RIP.

Matina Stevis-Gridneff, Africa correspondent for The Wall Street Journal

Gutted to hear of the passing of Calestous Juma, Kenyan intellectual & Harvard professor. Looking through my chats w him this morning. I will treasure what I learned from him about Kenya & its elites, technology & democracy. He loved his country so much. Rest In Peace. Sad day.

Karen Attiah, Global Opinions Editor at The Washington Post

Really shocked and saddened this morning to hear that Kenyan Professor @calestous has passed away. I’ll miss our exchanges about Africa, and his lively mind. Rest In Peace my friend. :(

Mark Lynas, Author and environmental activist

Not unexpected, but still desperately sad. RIP Calestous Juma - you taught us much and we are grateful for it. Your constant good humour and intellectual honesty will be missed by all.

Barbara Kiser, Books & Arts Editor at Nature

I am very sad to hear of Calestous Juma's passing. I valued his insight and experience at SciDev.Net  and latterly at Nature, and was bowled over by his books, not least the 2016 Innovation and Its Enemies. My thoughts with his family and colleagues.

Julie Gichuru, Kenyan entrepreneur and media personality

Devastated. Kwaheri @calestous, thank you for being a great teacher, an exemplary being. Asante for being a passionate advocate for #AfricanIntegration & #Innovation. We shall never forget our epic twitterchats & the knowledge & grace you imparted. Devastated. #RIPCalestous

Ngosa Whoopi Chungu, Zambian storyteller

I highly recommend you check out Calestous Juma's Twitter feed. The great thing about the internet is that when used correctly, it is a great preserver of the best of us. His mind lives on for us to mine and innovate from.