H.E. Amb. Prof. Muhammadou M.O. Kah, D.Sc. (h.c), Ph.D.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The Gambia to the Swiss Confederation & Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), WTO & Other International Organizations in Switzerland.
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Bio
H.E. Ambassador Professor Muhammadou M.O. Kah is a visionary Gambian diplomat, scholar, and technology governance trailblazer, reshaping the global digital order from the heart of Geneva鈥檚 multilateral arena. As The Gambia鈥檚 Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNOG, WTO, WIPO, ITU, and other key international organizations in Switzerland, he drives equitable digital transformation, ethical AI frameworks, robust data governance, and inclusive digital public infrastructure ensuring the Global South not only participates in but co-authors the rules of frontier technologies and reaps the rewards of the digital economy.
Appointed in 2020, Amb. Prof. Kah previously served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the 黑料网 (AUN), where he held the rank of Professor of Information Technology & Computing. Earlier, he made history as the first Gambian-born Vice Chancellor (President) and Professor of IT and Communications of the University of The Gambia (2009鈥�2015), spearheading institutional growth, digital modernization, and transformative academic reforms to elevate quality and align with global benchmarks.
A prolific institution-builder, he founded and led Schools of IT and Engineering at ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan, as Founding Dean and Professor of IT and Communications and while simultaneously served as Vice Rector for Technology and Innovation. And, at AUN, he provided leadership that established the School of Information Technology and Communications as Founding Dean Founding Dean and Associate Professor and later promoted to the rank of Professor of IT and Communications, while simultaneously serving as Interim Dean of the School of Business and Interim CIO/CTO.
Renowned as a global thought leader, Amb. Prof. Kah has taught at Rutgers, Howard, and George Washington Universities; served as Non-Resident Fellow at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School; and holds appointments as Non-Resident Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg and Non-Resident Scholar at the AI Ethics Lab, Rutgers University-Camden.
He supervised and Co-supervised many PhD and master Thesis in Information Systems. He also served and continue to serve as PhD external Examiner for over a decade at various reputable Universities.
His peer-reviewed publications span ICT innovation, AI ethics, and developmental impact, with over 1,20 citations. He recently co-authored Digital Technology 360掳 (2025) a seminal guide to leveraging technology for secure, sustainable digital futures.
In UN leadership, Ambassador Kah excels: Chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD); Vice Chair of the CSTD Working Group on Data Governance; Vice President (Africa) of the UN Human Rights Council (served two rare consecutive terms, 2022鈥�2024); Coordinator of Human Rights Matters for the African Group of Ambassadors in Geneva; Vice President of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board (2021鈥�2023); Co-Friends of the Chair for the Digital Economy Pillar at UNCTAD 16; Chair of WIPO High-Level Conversations on IP and Frontier Technologies/AI; Co-Facilitator of UNHRC Dialogues on AI, Data, Digital Divide & Human Rights; and Advisory Board Member of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board (2021鈥�2023). He has also served as Vice Chair of the WIPO General Assembly, Chair of the Africa Group of Ambassadors in Geneva, and Vice Chair of the 34th International Conference of the ICRC. And, at the WTO, he currently serves as Coordinator of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and as a Member of the WTO 3rd Phase of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Executive Board.
Most recently, he was appointed by the UN Secretary General to the UN Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Safeguards Strategic Advisory Board and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Advisory Group.
Externally, he contributes strategic insight to boards including EffectiveRAI (AI Strategic Advisory), UNICCON Group, I-DAIR (Health AI), African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and the Malabo Montpellier Panel. He is a Board of Trustees and Governing Council Member of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), following a decade on the AUN Board of Trustees and a return to its Governing Council.
In the private and public sectors, Amb. Prof. Kah has chaired Zenith Bank (Gambia), Gambia International Airlines (GIA), Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI), and ACT Afrique Group (Senegal). He currently chairs Bridge Konekt (Investment Management Advisory Firm, New York & Dakar) and serves on boards of non-profits and academic bodies advancing STEM, innovation, and inclusive prosperity.
Amb. Prof. Kah holds a Ph.D., M.Sc., and B.Sc. in Information & Technology Management from Stevens Institute of Technology; an M.Sc. in Finance from George Washington University; and a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategy & Innovation from Sa茂d Business School, University of Oxford. He has completed executive programs at Harvard, INSEAD, Cambridge and Imperial College, and in 2016, he was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) by the University of The Gambia.
His national merit accolades include The Gambia鈥檚 Order of the Republic (OFR), Member of the Order of the Republic of The Gambia (MRG), and The President鈥檚 Leadership Award. Recently, he received the 3rd IHETT 鈥淪pecial Contribution Award for Digital Intelligence鈥� presented at the 3rd International Academic Forum on AI Governance (China).
Forged in elite institutions and honed through frontline diplomacy and digital leadership, Amb. Prof.Kah masterfully blends technical expertise with strategic foresight to forge a digital world that is secure, inclusive, and sustainable one where technology empowers humanity, bridges divides, ignites prosperity, and accelerates equitable development.
鈥淭echnology must serve humanity equitably, ethically, and without borders.鈥�
H.E. Amb. Prof. Muhammadou M.O. Kah