Assistant Director General, Natural Sciences, UNESCO
Lidia Arthur Brito (Mozambique), a former minister, was appointed to the position of Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences on 2 November 2023.
Lidia Arthur Brito obtained a bachelor’s degree in forestry engineering (1981) from Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique) before obtaining a master’s degree (1990) and a doctorate in forestry sciences (1994) from Colorado State University (United States).
From 1998 to 1999, she was Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique).
From 2000 to 2005, Lidia Arthur Brito served as Mozambique’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology. In particular, she carried out several reforms strengthening the visibility of Mozambican universities internationally. From 2005 to 2007, she served as Advisor for Strategic Planning and External Relations of the Mayor of Maputo City (Mozambique).
Lidia Arthur Brito joined UNESCO in 2009 as Director of the Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building. In 2014, she was appointed Director of the Regional Office for Science in Latin America and the Caribbean in Montevideo (Uruguay), where she notably promoted the implementation of programmes in artificial intelligence and open science. In 2021, she was appointed Director of the Multisectoral Regional Office for Southern Africa in Harare (Zimbabwe) and UNESCO Representative for Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
