Strathmore Governance Centre, an affiliate of the Hills Program on Governance in Washington, DC, has a new leader, Dr. Antoinette K. Kankindi. The two-year appointment was announced last week by Strathmore University Vice Chancellor John Odhiambo in Nairobi.

A lecturer in Strathmore University’s Institute of Humanities Education and Development Studies, Dr. Kankindi is a Congolese citizen, born in North-Kivu. She received her bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Kinshasa in The Congo. She received both her master’s degree in governance (MGCO) and Ph.D. in Philosophy (summa cum laude) from the University of Navarra in Spain.

Before pursuing her postgraduate studies, Dr. Kankindi worked in the legal office of Chevron-Texaco (previously the Zaire Gulf Oil Company) and the Chilean Embassy in Kinshasa. She has also worked on different women empowerment projects especially with female university students and underprivileged women. She is a consultant with Kianda Foundation in Nairobi on the legal frameworks for endowment scholarship funds.

The Strathmore Governance Center is a partnership with Hills Program on Governance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. The Hills Program focuses on one of the central problems raised by the process of economic globalization: the need for multinational companies and governments to work jointly to promote good governance, especially in emerging markets.

Working through regional centers at leading universities around the world, such as Yonsei University in Korea, Tsinghua University in China, University of Indonesia, and IPADE in Mexico, the central task of the Hills Program is to develop actionable agendas that promotes good governance at the intersection of the private and public sectors, confronting corruption and encouraging accountability. The Strathmore Governance Centre is the Hills Program’s first center in Africa.

“With the new Strathmore Governance Centre our university is in an excellent position to bring new focus and attention in Africa to the critical challenges of corruption and governance,” said Vice Chancellor John Odhiambo when announcing the appointment. “Dr. Kankindi will bring to this important new position outstanding drive, leadership, and resourcefulness. We look forward to achieving significant impact and sustainable growth of the Center during her tenure.”

The Hills Center is a creation of Roderick and Carla Hills, long-time international government, business, and policy leaders. Mr. Hills served under President Gerald R. Ford as Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mrs. Hills has held several senior American government positions, including Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Ford and U.S. Trade Representative under President George H.W. Bush. She currently serves as co-chair of the Council on Foreign Relations.