Alumni Spotlight: Augustino Mayai named new chairperson of the National Bureau of Statistics for South Sudan

Congratulations to former CDE graduate student Augustino Ting Mayai who has been announced as the new chairperson of the South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics. 

In an interview with Radio Tamazuj, Dr. Mayai stated that the NBS in South Sudan has not done any data collection and analysis work since 2010 because of a lack of resources. He added the improvement of the statistical system will allow for official data to be more comprehensive, accurate and credible. Mayai said this can help describe the social, economic and environmental conditions of South Sudan, improving the wellbeing and opportunities for its citizens. 

Prior to this achievement, Dr. Mayai received his doctorate in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is presently the managing director and a co-founder of the Sudd Institute, an independent research organization in South Sudan focused on improving policy and decision-making to promote peace. Dr. Mayai studies how state effectiveness affects child health outcomes in South Sudan and Ethiopia. He is also a Research Fellow at UW-Madison, a Research Board Member of the World Health Organization’s Sub-Saharan African Region, and a principal investigator for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office and University of Oxford’s funded research projects in South Sudan.

Congratulations once again to Dr. Mayai! 

For more information on what Dr. Mayai has been up to, check out Eye Radio.

For more information on his position in the NBS, check out Radio Tamazuj.

For more information on Mayai’s recent work in Juba, South Sudan check out the StarTribune

Photo Credits: Eye Radio