Ms Jacquelene Friedenthal

Jacquelene Friedenthal has a Master’s in Public Health. She commenced at the Science and Technology Counsellor at the Swiss Embassy in South Africa in 2010 where she initiated the science and technology programme between Switzerland and South Africa beyond the joint research projects.  Jacquelene has 17 years’ experience in International Collaboration commencing in 2000 at the Danish Embassy in South Africa. Her focus at the Danish Embassy was the fostering of collaboration in environmental management working in South Africa and selective SADC countries. At the Danish Embassy she spear headed Danida support for renewable energy and energy efficiency in South Africa overseeing support for the Darling Windfarm and the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol. She moved on to the Department of Science and Technology in 2005 where she was responsible for science diplomacy amongst the European and Gulf States. She was responsible for the initiation of a number of science and technology agreements including the Swiss South Africa Science and Technology Agreement that was signed in 2007.

Prior to a career in international collaboration was her focus on environmental health. A highlight of her career in environmental health was her position at the City of Johannesburg where she provided strategic direction for the nearly two hundred environmental health practitioners. Jacquelene was also responsible for the conceptualisation and development of the Gauteng Environmental Health Pollution Programme, the development of the Gauteng Integrated Schools Sanitation Improvement Programme, the conceptualisation, development and implementation of a rural health and hygiene sanitation programme and the Ekurhuleni Community Environment and Health Education Programme. She also developed the environmental health content for the first geographical information system in the City of Johannesburg.