American-born Raymond J. Smyke has worked in African education for over 30 years. As Assistant Secretary General for the World Confederation of Teachers and head of its African Program, Smyke oversaw the training of national teacher leaders in all English and French language countries, including the Republic of South Africa.

Smyke later taught African Studies and Third World Politics, in Geneva's Webster University, co-founding its Refugee Studies Program and serving as Department Chair. He founded, and chaired for a decade, the European Association of Development and Training Institutes (EADI), Working Group on Refugees.

His published work focuses on African biography, development, education, and the movement of people. Smyke's longitudinal study of the Massaquoi family is unique to African historiography. He currently lives in Switzerland where he advises the Accra-based Association of African Universities' (AAU) Graduate Program of Humanitarian and Refugee Studies.

20 March 2003