Professor Osman Sankoh, Commander of the Order of the Rokel (COR), is an accomplished Sierra Leonean academic with extensive experience in research, teaching, and high-level administrative roles. His work spans several continents, with current positions as Executive Director of the Centre for Health Research and Training at the University of Management and Technology (UNIMTECH) where he is a Research Professor and the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration). He is an adjunct professor in the School of Community Health Sciences at Njala University, Bo Campus in Sierra Leone. He holds honorary professorships in South Africa (Wits University) and Germany (Heidelberg University). His expertise lies in Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, with a significant impact on health data research. Prof. Sankoh has a strong background in managing an international research network, as Executive Director of the INDEPTH Network of health and demographic surveillance systems in Africa, Asia and Oceania from 2007-2018 and has generated numerous research grants from Welcome Trust, Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Sida, CIDA, IDRC and others. He served the United Nations Statistical Commission both as Rapporteur and Vice-Chair and was the Statistician General of Sierra Leone and CEO of Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) from 2018-2023. He also acted as Vice-Chancellor & Principal of Njala University, the second largest public university of Sierra Leone. 

He is recognised for his leadership roles in national and international statistics and health initiatives and has an extensive publication record of over 120 articles in key international journals such as The Lancet, Science and International Journal of Epidemiology. His education includes BSc. Hons., MSc., and DSc degrees in Statistics from Germany (Technical University of Dortmund) and a B.Sc. Ed. in Mathematics/English from Sierra Leone (University of Sierra Leone). Prof. Sankoh also actively contributes to editorial boards of international journals such as The Lancet Global Health, Tropical Medicine and International Health and Global Health Journal. He has been honored with prestigious awards and scholarships for his academic excellence and leadership. Prof Sankoh was bestowed one of the highest national awards – ‘Commander of the Order of the Rokel (COR)’ by the President of Sierra Leone in April 2022.

Commonly known as Mallam O., he is an established writer and Founding publisher of the Sierra Leonean Writers Series. His memoir, Hybrid Eyes – Reflection of an African in Europe, first published in German, is an approved text for Senior Secondary Schools in Sierra Leone.