Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was the first female president of Mauritius, serving from 2015 to 2018. Prior to the presidency, she was the Managing Director of the Centre International de Développement Pharmaceutique (CIDP) Research and Innovation as well as Professor of Organic Chemistry with an endowed chair at the University of Mauritius. Dr. Gurib-Fakim earned a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Surrey (1983), and a PhD from the University of Exeter (1987). From 2000 to 2002, she served as the National Coordinator for the ‘Indian Ocean University’ funded by the European Union. She has participated in several consultation meetings on environmental issues organized by international organizations such as the World Bank, SIDA, CIDA, EU and UN amongst others. She has authored and/or co-edited 28 books and several book chapters and scientific articles in the field of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. She has lectured extensively across the world and is a Member of the Editorial Boards of major journals, has served on Technical Committees in various capacities, including the Chair of several National Committees in Mauritius. Dr. Gurib-Fakim received the 2007 L’Oréal-UNESCO Prize for Women in Science and Laureate of the National Economic and Social Council, was elevated to the Order of the Commander of the Star and Key by the Government of Mauritius in 2008, and admitted to the Order of the Chevalier de L’Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the Government of France in 2010. She received DSc from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Sorbonne Université), Paris, France in 2013 and from Greenwich University Pakistan (2015).