Dickson Makanji

I am a PhD holder in Forestry, with specific qualifications as follows. I have a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management and wrote my dissertation on Socio-cultural values of trees in Kakamega District in Kenya.

I hold a Master of Science in Agricultural Sciences (Life and Environmental Science Option). My Thesis focussed on Marketing of Wood Forest Products from Kakamega Forest in Kenya.

I was awarded a PhD in Agricultural Sciences (Life and Environmental Science Option) in the course Appropriate Technology and Sciences for Sustainable Development. My thesis title is Logging Ban, Conservation Policy, and Industrial Growth in Kenya. I obtained my Master and Doctorate from the University of Tsukuba after several years of rigorous work in the areas of study I was engaged in.

After obtaining my first degree, I have served in various capacities. I have worked as an assistant research officer, assistant socio-economist, research officer, social forestry training officer, teaching assistant, instructor, consultant, lecturer, manager, program manager all in fields related to environmental science and forestry. Through these work related experienced I have horned not only my professional skills and interpersonal skills. It is through these work experiencse that I have gained knowledge about working in multicultural environments and I believe I work well in a team. In the eraes that I have worked, be it in research or academia I have always left behind an employer satisfied with my perfomance.

My communication skills are good as I have been involved in many teaching opportunities. I have good leadership skills as I have worked both in the public and private sectors at different levels of management. In some of the areas I have worked, there have been conflicts. This is specifically the ASAL areas of Kenya. Here, I gained skills in conflict management. Overall, I wish to state that I am capable of adapting to different situations and have a high level of stress tolerance.

Over the years I have done work for different organizations. I have worked fro JICA as alivelihoods and program manager in Marsanit and Turkana. I have also taught at various universities culminating i the current one where I teach forest resources management, rural development, Agroforestry among many other courses.

Recently I have done work on climate change for African Forest Forum (AFF), ASARECA and COMESA.

I am also involved in charity work where I am a chair of an agricultural committe in Khwisero SubCounty and also the Patron of Tusomehse Watoto.