Joseph Atubokiki Ajienka is Emmanuel Egbogah Chair/Professor of Petroleum Engineering and University Administrator. He is a Fellow of several professional bodies and the Nigerian Academy of Engineering. He has authored /co-authored over 260 publications and received 5 patents; delivered over 100 lectures/presentations, developed/co-developed 6 software applications; founded/co-founded Startups, Research Institutes and Centres, and attracted over 10 national and international research grants. He pioneered the development of entrepreneurial university in Nigeria. He was awarded Honorary Degree of the IFP School, Paris (2017).

Professor Ajienka, was the 7th Vice-Chancellor (2010-2015) of the University of Port Harcourt. He was the pioneer Director of the Institute of Petroleum Studies (2003-2010), an international collaborative graduate school between the University of Port Harcourt and the IFP School Paris in partnership with NNPC/TOTAL Joint Venture, the first example of a Triple Helix institution. He was Head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering (1995-1997); Member Governing Board of African Virtual University (AVU) Kenya (2013-2015). In 2014/2015, he was Chairman, Committee of Vice-Chancellors (CVC) of Federal Universities and Chairman Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) and represented CVC on the NYSC National Governing Board.

He was a member of the Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Board of National Office of Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP); Chairman, National Advisory Committee on Universities of Technology, 2021; Member National University Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC), 2022; Chairman, National Technical Committee on Oil & Gas, (Petroleum & Petrochemicals), Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, 2009-; Member, Advisory Board of “Deep Decarbonization Pathways in Nigeria Project (DDP- Nigeria Project; Long-Term Energy Scenarios/Modelling)”, Centre for Climate Change and Development, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike.

He is a member Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), member, SPE Africa Regional Advisory Board and chairman Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Institution of Petroleum Engineers. He is the chairman of the Technical Board of NEDDI Nnewi of NASENI; Director of PetroNet-Africa and Vice-Chairman Emmanuel Egbogah Foundation.

Professor Ajienka is married to Dr (Mrs.) Mercy Finelady Ajienka and the marriage is blessed with three children and four grandchildren.