Prof Berhanu is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg and immediate past Executive Director (2011- 2017) of the African Academy of Sciences. Born in Ethiopia, he earned a BSc in chemistry from Haile Selassie University, Addis Ababa, and a PhD from the University of Vermont. He did postdoctoral studies at the University of Ibadan (Nigeria), Florida State University (USA), Kings College (UK), and the University of Bochum and Humboldt University (Germany). He has taught in many universities, including Addis Ababa, Boston, and Botswana. He has served on several international committees and boards such as IOCD, ICSU, IFS Board of Trustees and UNESCO.