Prof. M. Maaza is a native of North Africa, holds a PhD from the University of Paris-VI, is the current incumbent, in South Africa, of the UNESCO UNISA-ITLABS-NRF Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies. He is a joint staff of the University of South Africa and the National Research Foundation of South Africa. His Hindex is about 99 and i10 =475 with a total citations above 30 000. . •He is a fellow of various Academies, including the African Academy of Science, the European Academy of Arts & Sciences as well as the National Academy of Science of India, the Islamic Academy of Sciences & the Royal Society of Chemistry-London as well as the New York Academy of Sciences. •Prof. M. Maaza has been bestowed several awards & accolade among which; the African Union Nkwame Nkrumah award for Excellence in Science & Technology & the Galileo-Galilei award by the International Commission for Optics (ICO)as well as the J. Vasconcelos award for education by the World Cultural Council-Hong Kong and recently the Khawarizmi International award. •Prof. M. Maaza has been the architect behind several continental & National ongoing platforms including the African Laser Centre (ALC), the African Materials Research Society (AMRS), the African Light Source (AfLS), the Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), the National Laser Centre (NLC) and the UNESCO Africa nanoChair, among others,… .