University of Johannesburg (UJ) vice-chancellor, professor Tshilidzi Marwala, has been appointed as the seventh rector of the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo, Japan with effect from March 1 2023.
Chair of council at UJ Mike Teke said the university is proud of Marwala for being the first African to assume the leadership role at the UNU.
“We congratulate prof Marwala on this outstanding achievement, and we are proud that one of our own has attained such an honour,” said Teke.
Marwala’s appointment follows consultations with the director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Audrey Azoulay, and with her concurrence, United Nations secretary-general António Guterres.
Teke said: “As an international university of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future, we have robust systems in place to ensure that there is business continuity and that our strategies to attain the highest level of performance remain our focus.”
Naledi Pandor, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, also wished Marwala well.
“I wish professor Marwala well as the incoming rector of the United Nations University. I have the utmost confidence that through his leadership, the university will further contribute through collaborative research and education to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations, its peoples and the member states,” said Pandor.
Marwala will succeed professor David Malone of Canada who has served since 2013.
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