Press Releases
Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala's Assumption of Office as the Rector of the United Nations University
The Government of Japan welcomes Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala, who has begun his term today as the new Rector of the United Nations University (UNU), which is headquartered in Tokyo.
The UNU, the only United Nations organization headquartered in Japan, serves as a think tank for the overall UN System and conducts research that contributes to resolving key global issues. The UNU offers Master's and Doctoral degrees in sustainability studies through post-graduate degree programmes, and also serves as an educational institution that nurtures the people who will lead the next generation. The UNU engages in activities ranging from peace and security to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as poverty reduction and climate change. As a result, the international community's expectations for the UNU are growing even greater. The Government of Japan looks forward to the further development of the University by Prof. Marwala.
As the host country of the UNU, Japan intends to deepen its relationship with the UNU and support its activities.
The United Nations University (UNU), with its headquarters in Japan, is a global research and teaching organization with 13 affiliated institutions and programmes in 12 countries worldwide. The UNU focuses on pressing global issues that are especially important for the United Nations and its Member States. In 2010, the UNU launched the post-graduate degree programmes. These programmes aim to cultivate human resources who will play active roles in international organizations such as UN agencies.
Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala was born in South Africa in 1971. Prof. Marwala holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Engineering from the University of Cambridge and had been Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg since 2018.