The is the

think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...

and academic arm of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

. Headquartered in

Shibuya, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. A major commercial center, Shibuya houses one of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya Station. As of January 1, 2024, Shibuya Ward has an estimated population of 230,609 in 142,443 households ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, with diplomatic status as a UN institution, its mission is to help resolve

global issues A global issue is a matter of Social issue#Types of social issues, public concern worldwide. This list of global issues presents problems or phenomena affecting people around the world, including but not limited to widespread social issues, econ ...

related to

human development Human development may refer to: * Development of the human body ** This includes physical developments such as growth, and also development of the brain * Developmental psychology * Development theory * Human development (economics) * Human Develo ...

and welfare through collaborative research and education. In 1969,

UN Secretary-General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...

U Thant Thant ( ; 22 January 1909 – 25 November 1974), known honorifically as U Thant (), was a Burmese diplomat and the third secretary-general of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971, the first non-Scandinavian as well as Asian to hold the positio ...

proposed "the establishment of a United Nations university, truly international and devoted to the Charter objectives of peace and progress". Following three annual sessions discussing the matter, the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...

(UNGA) approved the founding of the United Nations University in December 1972. Tokyo was chosen as the main location due to the Japanese government's commitment to provide facilities and $100 million to the UNU

endowment fund A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are ...

. The United Nations University was formally inaugurated in January 1975 as the world's first

international university An international university is funded by the governments of many countries and thereby is controlled by the officials from the government of different countries. These universities are often formed by the regional and international organizations. ...

. Since 2010, UNU has been authorized by the UNGA to grant

postgraduate Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...

degrees, offering several master's and doctoral programs. The university's research officially prioritises three thematic areas: peace and governance; global development and inclusion; and environment, climate and energy. UNU also facilitates the UN's engagement with academic institutions and policymakers around the world, in part through campuses, programmes, and affiliated institutes spanning twelve countries.

Organisation and leadership

The university is headed by a rector, who holds the rank of

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations An under-secretary-general of the United Nations (USG) is a senior official within the United Nations System, normally appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the secretary-general for a renewable term of four years. Under ...

. To date, there have been seven Rectors at UNU. The current Rector is Professor Tshilidzi Marwala of South Africa, who took over the role on 1 March 2023. Marwala succeeded David M. Malone of Canada, a two-term Rector who had been serving since 2013.

List of rectors

The Council of UNU is the governing board of the University and is composed of 12 members who are appointed by the

Secretary-General of the United Nations The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...

with the concurrence of the

Director-General A director general, general director or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''general directors'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'') is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

History

The University was formally established in 1972 and began its activities in 1975 following the signature of the permanent headquarters agreement between the United Nations and Japan. The creation of the United Nations University was set in motion by Secretary-General

in 1969. The UNU headquarters building was designed by renowned architect Dr. Kenzo Tange. The handover ceremony of the building by the Japanese Government took place on 30 June 1992, and the physical move of UNU into the new building was completed the following month. The official inauguration of the UNU headquarters building, held on 17 February 1993, was attended by then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

UNU Institutes and Vice-Rectorate

Over the years, several Institutes of UNU were created to help with the research initiatives of the United Nations. Most notably, in 2007, a vice-rectorate was established in

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

(UNU-ViE), Germany, as a way of strengthening UNU's presence in Europe.

UNU as a degree-granting institution

In December 2009, the

UN General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its 79th session, its powers, ...

amended the UNU Charter to make it possible for UNU to "grant and confer

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

s and

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

s, diplomas, certificates and other academic distinctions under conditions laid down for that purpose in the statutes by the Council." In 2013, the UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) in Tokyo announced its intention to seek accreditation from the National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation (NIAD-UE), which is the Japanese accreditation agency for higher education institutions. In 2014, UNU-ISP was consolidated with UNU Institute of Advanced Studies in

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

to form the UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS). UNU-IAS was formally accredited in April 2015, making it the first international organization to be recognized by the NIAD-UE. In 2014, UNU-MERIT, in collaboration with

Maastricht University Maastricht University (abbreviated as UM; ) is a public university, public research university in Maastricht, Netherlands. Founded in 1976, it is the second youngest of the thirteen List of universities in the Netherlands, Dutch universities. In ...

, started to grant a double degree

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

in Public Policy and Human Development. In 2018, the programme was re-accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) and received the official EAPAA accreditation by the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation.

Locations

The university has several campuses spread over five continents. Its headquarters are located at the UNU Centre in Tokyo, Japan.

Research

The role of the UN University is to generate new knowledge, educate, enhance individual and institutional capacities, and disseminate useful information to relevant audiences. Between 2020 and 2024, the University will be guided by the following four overarching objectives: # Pursue policy-relevant programming: by continuing to make policy considerations central to its research programmes and, in addition, actively shaping policy agendas through targeted and strategic collaborations. # Invest in a dynamic, innovative, and diverse institutional culture: by encouraging innovation in all dimensions of the University's work, which is undertaken by a diverse and gender-balanced community of scholars, communicators, and management professionals, and by promoting collaboration across spatial and disciplinary boundaries. # Strengthen collaboration, communications, and visibility: by leveraging the expertise and networks spread across the UNU system, promoting collaboration, impactful communications undertakings, and ensuring that UNU research meets actual demands. # Strive for financial sustainability across UNU's architecture: by addressing the financial constraints that would otherwise undermine ambitious, long-term, research planning, and ensure through participatory management practices that fundraising objectives are realistic, achievable, and complement other strategic priorities. As prescribed in the United Nations University Strategic Plan 2020–2024, the UN University's academic work falls within three thematic areas: *Peace and security *Social change and economic development *Environment, climate, and energy. Collectively, these thematic clusters define the programme space within which the UN University undertakes its academic activities. Some key perspectives (such as gender equality, human rights and sustainability) pervade all aspects of the UN University's work.

Institutes and programmes

The academic work of the United Nations University is carried out by a global system of Institutes, Operating Units, and Programmes located in 12 countries around the world.

Institutes

* Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) in New York, USA * Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) in

Bruges, Belgium Bruges ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in ...

* Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in

Bonn, Germany Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

* Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES) in

Dresden, Germany Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

* Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) in

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

* International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia * Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) in Accra, Ghana * Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) in Richmond Hill, Canada * Institute in Macau (UNU Macau) in

Macau, China Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most densely populated region in the world. Formerly a Portuguese colony, the ter ...

* Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) in Maastricht, The Netherlands *

World Institute for Development Economics Research The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) is part of the United Nations University (UNU). UNU-WIDER, the first research and training centre to be established by the UNU, is an international academ ...

(UNU-WIDER) in

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

Operating units

*Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) in

Guimarães Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga. Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

Programmes

* Programme for Biotechnology in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNU-BIOLAC) in

Caracas, Venezuela Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

Former

* International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST) in

(was closed in 2012, later gave origin to UNU-EGOV in 2014 and UNU-CS in 2016) * Institute on Computing and Society (UNU-CS) in

* Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) in

(was combined with UNU Institute of Advanced Studies to form UNU-IAS in 2014) *UNU Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE) Programme (migrated to UNITAR in 2022) *Food and Nutrition Programme for Human and Social Development (UNU-FNP) in Ithaca, United States * Fisheries Training Programme (UNU-FTP) in Reykjavik, Iceland * Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP) in Reykjavik,

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

* Land Restoration Training Programme (UNU-LRT) in Reykjavik,

* International Gender Equality Studies Training Programme (UNU-GEST) in Reykjavik,

* Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility (UNU-GCM) in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

References

External links

United Nations University Headquarters

United Nations University Vice-Rectorate in Europe (UNU-ViE)

United Nations University Office in Paris (UNU-OP)

United Nations University Office in New York (UNU-ONY)
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Shibuya Intergovernmental universities Peace and conflict studies United Nations General Assembly subsidiary organs Universities and colleges in Tokyo Universities created by intergovernmental organizations United Nations Development Group Research institutes in the United Nations System Japan and the United Nations