Author BiographyJabulani was born in Chipinge, Zimbabwe in 1960. In 1975, Jabulani crossed the border into Mozambique to join Robert Mugabe's ZANU guerilla movement that was fighting for the liberation of Zimbabwe. In 1978, Jabulani was one of 22 ZANU youths to be awarded a United Nations Development Programme scholarship to study in Sierra Leone. He completed his high school and earned a B.Sc degree in Physics with Education from Njala University College - a University College of the University of Sierra Leone. In 1985 Jabulani returned to independent Zimbabwe and took up teaching positions at Chindunduma High School and Harare Polytechnic. In 1989 Jabulani left Zimbabwe for Laurentian University in Canada where he studied for an M.Sc degree in Physics before moving to the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK, where he graduated with a PhD in Physics, specializing in Fiber Optic Sensors. In 1997, Jabulani joined Ando Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer of test instrumentation for optical communications, in Rockville, Maryland, USA. As a Technical Marketing Engineer for Ando Corporation, he supported leading telecommunication companies in North America - including Lucent Technologies, SIECOR, WorldCom, Bell South, CIENA and New Brunswick Telephone - with their optical fiber measurement requirements. In 1999, Jabulani joined Corning Incorporated, the world's largest supplier of optical fiber as a Senior Research Scientist. In this role, he developed novel measurement systems for next generation photonics components and optical fiber, at Corning's Sullivan Park research complex in Corning, New York. After 5 years in research and development Jabulani took up a variety of commercial roles, including Senior Worldwide Application Engineer, Product Line Manager and Market Development Manager for Africa. As the Market Development Manager for Africa, Jabulani promotes Corning fiber to operators throughout the continent - from Cape to Cairo. In 2004 Jabulani joined NEPAD Council, a voluntary organization of African professionals in the Diaspora whose mission is to support the African Union. In this organization, Jabulani persuaded African policy makers to embrace modern technologies, including modern ICTs and the deployment of optical fiber in the continent as vehicles for sustained economic development. Jabulani is the father of two daughters, Sinikiwe Stephanie and Tinashe Irikidzai Chelsea.
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