Tanzanian born Dr Rukia Baruti, listed in the Legal 500 Arbitration Powerlist 2021: Africa, is a qualified solicitor in England & Wales and sits as an international arbitrator. She is the current Secretary General at African Arbitration Association (AfAA) with responsibility for implementing and achieving the AfAA objectives. She is a champion for Africans in the fields of international law and international arbitration and has taken on a significant role in advocating and promoting the AfAA initiative, aimed at closing the diversity gap. Dr Baruti has over 15 years’ experience in international law and international arbitration, spanning both the practice and training of these fields. Prior to co-founding the AfAA, Dr Baruti founded and managed Africa International Legal Awareness (AILA) to build capacity of African lawyers in investment treaty law and arbitration. Previously, Dr Baruti practised law at SJ Berwin’s International Arbitration Group in London where her contribution to a pro bono initiative to train African lawyers in international law saw her listed in The Lawyer 'Hot 100'. Dr Baruti benefits from experience in the roles of Counsel, Arbitrator and Secretary to the Tribunal in arbitrations conducted under various arbitration rules. She also has a well-rounded knowledge of Public International Law and International Relations gained from her postgraduate studies.