Hilda TN Nathnael

Hilda Nathnael is an engineer and transportation specialist in Windhoek, Namibia. Nathnael currently serves as the coordinator of the Smart Cities and Transport program at the City of Windhoek, leading sustainable mobility initiatives with a primary focus on non-motorized transportation—namely walking and cycling—aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, Target 11.2 (affordable and sustainable transport systems for all). Nathnael is a registered Incorporated Engineer with the Engineering Council of Namibia; an Agora Verkehrswende Fellowship Alumni, a programme launched for young African professionals to discuss transport decarbonisation to fulfil the Paris Agreement; and a proud alumna of the AIIDEV Africa SDGs Mentorship Programme.

Nathnael holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from Namibia University of Science and Technology and an MSc in Civil (Transportation) Engineering from Stellenbosch University.

At MIT, Nathnael aims to engage experts in transport policy, sustainable mobility, and livable cities; master smart mobility tools, analytical dashboards, and performance indicators to enhance transport systems and elevate service quality; and research scholarship on carbon analysis—particularly focused on emissions calculations in the mobility and transport sector. 

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program.