Mirjana Povic (1981, Serbia) is assistant professor at the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI) and associate researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía in Spain. She obtained her PhD in astrophysics in 2010 at the Institito de Astrofísica de Canarias (Spain). Her main research interests are related with galaxy formation and evolution, in particular with nuclear activity in galaxies, star formation, morphological classification of galaxies, and galaxy clusters. In addition, over more than 10 years she worked on development in astronomy, science and education in different parts of Africa. She believes that through education and science we can fight poverty on a long term and make in future our world to be a better place for everyone, independently on where our roots are. In 2018 she received the inaugural Nature Research Award for Inspiring Science for her research achievements and contribution to the society.