The United Nations University (UNU) is the academic arm of the United Nations (UN). It
bridges the academic world and the UN system. Its goal is to develop
sustainable solutions for current and future problems of humankind in all
aspects of life. Through a problem-oriented and interdisciplinary approach it
aims at applied research and education on a global scale. UNU was founded in
1973 and is an autonomous organ of the UN General Assembly. The
University comprises headquarters Tokyo, Japan, and more than a dozen Institutes
and Programmes worldwide.
PRESS RELEASEUnited Nations University (UNU) inaugurates its Vice Rectorate in Europe in Bonn
BMBF and UNU sign a strategic partnership agreement
Parliamentary Secretary Andreas Storm (BMBF) and Rector Hans van Ginkel (UNU) signing the partnership agreement
4 June 2007: The United Nations University (UNU) and the Ministry of Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMBF) have signed an agreement on the establishment of a UNU Vice Rectorate in Europe (UNU-ViE). UNU-ViE will be located at the UN Campus in Bonn.
The foundation of UNU-ViE will be marking the establishment of the first UNU Vice Rectorate outside Tokyo. It constitutes an important building block towards the aim to strengthen the UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY’s presence in Europe, and a further step in its process of decentralization. The Vice Rectorate is expected to develop good relationships with agencies and programmes within the UN system, international and regional organizations, governmental bodies and other entities such as enterprises and public and private sector organizations, as well as university and research institutions and foundations primarily located in Europe. These endeavours are further supported by the long standing partnership existing between UNU and the ‘Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelm’ University of Bonn. The two universities signed an association agreement in March 2007.
UNU-ViE’s main focus of topical attention will concentrate first and foremost on questions relating to ‘Science and Technology to Ensure Human Security’. Important themes within this context are climate change, energy security, and environmental degradation. The regional focus of UNU-ViE is on Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and Africa. The multidimensional co-operation with the Centre for Development Research (ZEF) of the University of Bonn has already materialized in joint projects in Africa and Central Asia. UNU-ViE’s activities shall concentrate primarily on the initiation, support, and co-ordination of projects aiming to develop intellectual capacity building and knowledge transfer. To this end, it is intended to carry out numerous scientific exchange programmes involving Europe, Africa and Central Asia and a larger number of UNU research and training centres.
The decision to select Bonn as the seat of the new Vice Rectorate is attributable, among several reasons, to the former German capital’s strategic proximity to other UN cities such as Rome, Vienna, Paris, and Copenhagen. This advantage which will allow UNU-ViE a wide access to important institutions such as UNESCO and OECD in Paris, the EU in Brussels, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), to cite just a few. Furthermore, many other UN organizations are also located in Bonn, among them the Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), one amongst UNU’s 14 research and training centres, which assumed operations in December 2003 and whose thematic focus complements the scope of work of the new Vice Rectorate. Professor Janos Bogardi, Director of UNU-EHS, has been appointed as Vice Rector ad interim by the Rector of UNU, Professor Hans van Ginkel, effective 1 May 2007.
Since UNU-ViE forms part of the Rector’s Office, the Vice Rector in Europe will support the Rector accordingly, particularly in regard to the co-ordination of the University’s activities in this area.
On 4 June 2007 Parliamentary Secretary Andreas Storm, on behalf of BMBF, and Rector Hans van Ginkel, on behalf of UNU, signed the strategic Co-operation Agreement which also includes the Ministry’s support to UNU-ViE. By promoting this venture, BMBF enhances and strengthens the Bonn region as a leading edge scientific location, and helps ensure the establishment of a sustainable and globally visible network linking science to research. BMBF’s contribution amounts to a total of 5 million Euros until the year 2011.
The Rector of the University of Bonn, Professor Matthias Winiger, the Association Commissioner of the University of Bonn, Professor Paul Vlek, and the Director of the UNU-EHS Institute in Bonn, Professor Janos Bogardi, have been present to witness the signing ceremony.
About UNU - Background Information
_
The UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY (UNU) was founded in 1973 by the UN General Assembly. As an international community of scholars it serves as the University’s think tank. UNU sees itself as a bridge between the academic world and the UN system. The UNU headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan.
UNU has been contributing to the development of capacity building for 30 years, mostly in developing countries, and constitutes a forum for dialogue and exchange of ideas. Its scope of work comprises more than 25 thematic clusters allocated to five thematic fields and can be subsumed under two main fields: Peace and Governance and Sustainable Development.
