On 17 April 2023, a Swearing-in Ceremony for the seventh Rector of the ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ (²ÝÁñÊÓƵ) was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. United Nations Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres administered the oath of office to Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala of South Africa, who had assumed the role of ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Rector on 1 March. In his capacity as ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Rector, Prof. Marwala holds the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Prof. Marwala¡¯s appointment as Rector of the ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ was made by United Nations Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres, in consultation with, and with the concurrence of, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Audrey Azoulay. Prof Marwala is serving a five-year term as ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Rector, through February 2028; he succeeds Dr David M. Malone of Canada, who served as ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Rector from March 2013 through February 2023.
Rector Marwala, based at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Centre in Tokyo, leads the global ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ system of 13 research and training institutes. The University conducts objective, policy-relevant research on pressing global issues, and feeds its scientific expertise and evidence-based findings into the policymaking and decision-making processes of the United Nations and its Member States.
Prof. Marwala brings to the role exceptional leadership experience and an extensive academic background. Prior to joining ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ, he served as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg (South Africa) from 2018 through 2023. He holds a PhD degree from the University of Cambridge (UK), a Master of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Pretoria (South Africa), and a Bachelor of Science degree (magna cum laude) from Case Western Reserve University (USA).
For more about Prof. Marwala, including a brief profile, see the issued on 1 March upon when he began his tenure as ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Rector.
