Januarius Jingwa Asongu

Januarius Jingwa (JJ) Asongu (born 17 August 1970) is a Cameroonian-American multi-disciplinary scholar, philosopher, and cybersecurity executive. He is the founder and chancellor of Saint Monica University (SMU) in Cameroon and the American Institute of Technology (AIT) in Sierra Leone.

Asongu is best known for developing the philosophical framework of Critical Synthetic Realism (CSR), which seeks to address epistemic fragmentation and ethical polarization in contemporary society. A prominent voice in contemporary liberation theology, his "critical liberative" lens advocates for an emancipatory Christian faith that moves beyond rigid doctrine to address the intersections of social justice, environmental sustainability, and the rights of marginalized groups In addition to his philosophical and theological works, his scholarship on corporate social responsibility has been widely cited as a foundational critique of how corporate and philanthropic entities engage with social issues.

A former journalist and advocate for Anglophone Cameroonian rights, Asongu emigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s, where he has pursued careers in academia, communication, information technology, and business. After naturalizing as a United States citizen, he has attempted to build bridges between the US and Africa, primarily by founding US-style higher educational institutions in Africa. He is the founder and chancellor of Saint Monica University (SMU), an American-style international university with campuses in Cameroon, and the American Institute of Technology (AIT), Freetown, Sierra Leone.