DENNIS MICHAEL WARREN is Professor of Anthropology, and Director, Center for Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture and Rural Development (CIKARD), at Iowa State University. He holds a B.A. in biology (Stanford University, 1964), and a Ph.D. in anthropology (Indiana University, 1974), with minors in linguistic anthropology and African Studies. He is the author of 115 books, chapters, and articles, mostly on the role of indigenous knowledge in development (e.g., "The Cultural Dimension of Development: Indigenous KnowledgeSystems", ed. by D.M. Warren, L.J. Slikkerveer, and D. Brokensha, 1995). Warren has carried out more than 50 short-term and long-term international development consultancies for The World Bank, UN agencies, USAID, etc., with more than 12 years residence in Africa.
The global network of 31 IK resource centers is involved in national networking of individuals and institutions concerned with indigenous knowledge, documentation of IK, establishment of documentation centers, conducting conferences and workshops on IK and sustainable development, publication of conference proceedings and IK case studies, introduction of IK into educational curricula and the agricultural extension systems, improving Internet connectivity, popularizing IK through newspapers, radio and TV, protecting IK with commercial value, and influencing international and national development policy.