Joseph A. Ajienka, is the Emmanuel Egbogah Chair and Professor of Petroleum Engineering, University of Port Harcourt.  In 1992, he was a Visiting Lecturer, Department of Fuel and Energy, University of Leeds. 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 pioneer example of a Triple Helix institution in Nigeria. He was the 7^th Vice-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt (2010-2015).  He was a member of the Governing Council of the University (2006-2007; 2010-2015) and Governing Board of the Institute (2003-2010); Head Department of Petroleum Engineering (1995-1997).

Professor Ajienka was member Governing Board of African Virtual University (AVU) based in Kenya (2013-2015) and Visiting Lecturer, Department of Fuel and Energy, University of Leeds (1992). He was Chairman, Committee of Vice-Chancellors (CVC) of Federal Universities and Chairman Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU), 2014-2015.  He is a member of the Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Board of National Office of Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP). He is a Director of PetroNet-Africa and member Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

A registered Engineer (COREN), registered Safety Practitioner (ISPON) and registered Environmental Practitioner (NREP, USA), Professor Ajienka is Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Engineering and Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers.  He is also Fellow, Institute of Petroleum Studies; Fellow, Nigerian Environmental Society; Fellow, Institute of Industrial Administration; Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Management and Fellow, Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON).  He is also a Member of the international Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Energy Institute (UK). He was awarded honorary Degree of the IFP School, Paris (2017).

Professor Ajienka has over 200 publications, 4 patents, software applications and won several Awards. He is an advocate of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Triple Helix Plus+ of Government-Academia-Industry collaboration in partnership with professional bodies and the development of entrepreneurial universities. He is an advocate of a change of paradigm from publish or perish to patent-publish-produce. During his tenure as Vice-Chancellor, the University of Port Harcourt was the first in the Nigerian University System to appoint a Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Development.  He re-engineered the University to become an entrepreneurial university with many landmark Research Institutes and Centres, the United Nations University Regional Centre for Sustainable Development and the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence for Oilfield Chemicals Research. Under his tenure, the Times Higher Education (THE) in 2015 ranked the University as the first in Nigeria, 6th in Africa and about 250 in the world on Research Influence. He also set up the first University Foundation in Nigeria to secure the future of the university.

Professor Ajienka is married to Mrs Mercy Finelady Ajienka (nee Isodiki). The marriage is blessed with three children – Mrs Orabelema Kalamba Anene, Dr Nemitari Miebaka Ajienka (Senior Lecturer UK) and Soala Lolia Ajienka (Architect, UK); and two granddaughter Nulu-Onu-Nna and Naefe-Nna.