Honourable Dr Frederick M Shava is the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development of the Republic of Zimbabwe. A distinguished scientist, diplomat and statesman, he has served in various senior leadership positions in the Government of Zimbabwe since 1980.
Dr Shava holds a PhD in International Relations and Diplomacy, a Master of Philosophy in Parasitology, a Master of Science in Nematology from Imperial College, University of London, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Zambia. His strong academic background has underpinned his commitment to advancing higher education, scientific research, innovation and technology-driven national development.
He has had an accomplished diplomatic career, serving as Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China from 2007 to 2014 before being appointed Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the United Nations in New York from 2014 to 2021.
During his tenure at the United Nations, Dr Shava held several distinguished leadership positions, including:
- Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Group (2014–2015);
- President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) (2016–2017);
- Vice-President of the Seventy-Second Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2017–2018); and
- Vice-President of the Seventy-Fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2019–2020).
In addition to his public service, Dr Shava has served on the boards of a number of public and private institutions, bringing extensive experience in strategic leadership, governance and policy development.