Professor Sir Myles Wickstead KCMG CBE MA M.Litt
Between 1993 and 1997 he was based in Nairobi as Head of the British Development Division in Eastern Africa, responsible for UK international development programmes in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
He coordinated the British Government White Paper ‘Eliminating World Poverty: A Challenge for the 21st Century’ in 1997; represented the UK on the Board of the World Bank from 1997 to 2000; and was based in Addis Ababa as British Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union from 2000-2004. During 2004-5, he was Head of Secretariat to the Commission for Africa, following which he left Government service.
He has since then held a wide range of roles, including on the Boards of a number of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and as a Specialist Advisor to the International Development Select Committee. He spent many years on the Advisory Council of Wilton Park, where, from April-December 2017, he was also Acting Chief Executive.
Myles is currently Visiting Professor (International Relations) at King’s College London and Honorary Associate Professor at the Strategy and Security Institute, University of Exeter. He has written extensively on Africa and development. His book ‘Aid and Development: A Brief Introduction’ was published by OUP in June 2015.
He has degrees from the University of St Andrews (MA First Class Honours) and Oxford (M.Litt) and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates by Leeds Beckett University, the University of Ulster and the Open University (where he was also a Visiting Professor) in recognition of his work on Africa and development.
In the New year’s Honours 2006 he was appointed CBE and in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021 he was appointed KCMG.