Aditya Ramji Named Head of Mission Innovation Secretariat at International Energy Agency

Aditya Ramji, founding director of the Global South Center for Clean Transportation at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis), has been named Head of the Mission Innovation Secretariat, hosted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris.

In the new role, Ramji will lead a global intergovernmental initiative focused on accelerating research, innovation, and investment in clean energy technologies. He will work with Mission Innovation member countries to strengthen international cooperation, advance technology development and deployment, and help translate clean energy innovation into action.

Ramji will be the third person to lead the Mission Innovation Secretariat since its founding in 2015 and the first person from India and from a developing country to hold the position.

“It’s hard to say goodbye to a colleague who has become such an important part of our ITS team, but at the same time, we couldn’t be prouder of where Aditya is headed,” said Alissa Kendall, director of ITS-Davis. “His leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment have built the Global South Center into an important part of ITS and expanded our ability to engage with partners around the world. This new role is an extraordinary opportunity for Aditya to bring that experience to an international stage.”

From Ph.D. student to global leadership

Ramji joined UC Davis in 2021 as a Ph.D. student in the Transportation Technology and Policy Graduate Group, graduating in 2024. His experience at UC Davis, he said, fundamentally broadened his perspective on how research institutions can work with governments to shape transportation and energy policy.

“When I came to Davis as a Ph.D. student, that opened the door for me,” Ramji said. “It really helped me understand the regional nuances of achieving clean transportation and energy transitions and what it takes for meaningful international cooperation.”

That experience helped inspire Ramji to establish what would become the Global South Center in 2022. What began as a program focused on India has grown into an international research and policy initiative working across more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and beyond.

Under Ramji’s leadership, the Center has brought together researchers, policymakers, industry, and other stakeholders to advance clean and sustainable transportation in emerging and developing economies and explore how transportation and energy transitions can support economic development, resilience, and inclusive growth.

Ramji credits the culture and institutional model of ITS-Davis with giving him the opportunity to build the Center.

“I originally came to ITS to earn my Ph.D. I never planned to establish an institution within ITS,” Ramji said. “I’m proud of what we have achieved, and it was possible because ITS created an ecosystem that allowed me to take risks and hope they would pay off. In this case, I think they did.”

Moving from research to implementation

Mission Innovation was launched in 2015 as an international initiative to accelerate clean energy innovation. Ramji sees his new position as an opportunity to build on his work at UC Davis while moving closer to the implementation of clean energy technologies and policies.

“The role is implementation-oriented and delivery-focused, translating research into action,” Ramji said. “It sits at the intersection of what I call science, policy, and diplomacy.”

Among his priorities will be encouraging greater investment in clean energy research and innovation and helping countries move promising technologies toward deployment at scale.

“The biggest inflection point we face is the speed and scale at which clean energy technologies can be deployed,” Ramji said. “We will have to focus on how we can move toward action faster.”

His appointment as the first person from a developing country to head the Secretariat also carries particular significance for Ramji, whose career has increasingly focused on bridging the priorities and experiences of developed and developing economies.

“Personally, it is a big moment,” he said. “Professionally, it is a huge responsibility to continue bridging that gap.”

Continuing his connection to UC Davis

Although Ramji is stepping down as director of the Global South Center, he looks forward to remaining engaged with both the Center and ITS-Davis in an advisory capacity.

“ITS evaluates technologies, examines pathways, and studies the policies countries can put in place to drive or accelerate the clean energy transition,” Ramji said. “My new role will focus more on how those ideas are put into action, implemented, and delivered on the ground.”

Roland Hwang, who has been deeply involved in ITS-Davis’s international efforts and has led strategic initiatives with the World Bank and in Africa, will succeed Ramji in leading the Global South Center. Hwang brings nearly three decades of global experience in climate, energy, and transportation, and along with senior Center staff will shape the Center's programmatic initiatives and research projects.

“Aditya has built an extraordinary foundation for the Global South Center and helped expand ITS-Davis’ engagement and impact around the world,” said Hwang. “Our talented team is excited to build on that foundation with our partners, deepen our international collaborations, and continue advancing research that can make a real difference in emerging and developing economies. We’re also fortunate that Aditya will remain connected to the ITS-Davis community, and I look forward to finding new ways to collaborate with him in his new role.”

For Ramji, this appointment, which begins today, October 1, marks a new chapter in a professional journey rooted in his experiences at UC Davis.

“The opportunity to be part of an ecosystem that has both the potential and the platform to deliver is the most exciting thing,” he said. “This is a ‘walk the talk’ moment in my life.”

And despite the move, Ramji said one connection will remain firmly in place: “I will always be a proud Aggie.”

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