ISSUE 38:
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2005
network of research and training centres/programmes
FRONT PAGE | ARCHIVE |
Rector announces plan to retire next year
UN University Rector Hans van Ginkel has announced his decision to retire at the end of August next year. Prof. van Ginkel has held the post since September 1997.
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| Hans van Ginkel |
In a letter to senior UNU staff, Prof. van Ginkel said that at the time of taking up his second term as Rector, he had indicated that he would stay only three more years and retire at the regular retirement age in his country of 65. He will have completed four years of his second term by the end of August next year.
"In taking this decision, I have, however, in particular, the interest of UNU in mind," van Ginkel wrote. "I believe, for example, that 2006 is a much better moment for a change of rector than 2007 which is again a year when the academic programme and budget needs to be prepared. In the autumn of 2006 the new Rector can be directly involved in drawing the Strategic Directions 2008-2012 as the framework of the academic programme and budget for the 2008-2009 biennium."
He had also ensured that both Vice Rectors would continue well beyond September 2006 so that the new Rector can profit for one or two years from their expertise and then make his or her own choices.
"I also believe that our RTC/Ps are in the hands of a very capable and committed group of Directors who jointly and with the new Rector and both Vice Rectors will be able to steer UNU well into its next stage of its development."
Prof. van Ginkel said he had informed the UN Secretary-General as well as the Director-General of UNESCO of his decision. The Bureau of the UNU Council had taken the necessary steps to establish a nominating committee to identify a panel of names for consideration by the appointing authorities.
The committee would work this autumn to review applications received on the basis of international advertisement as well as nominations received from UN member states, regional organizations and educational consortia, among others. A panel of names will be presented for consideration by the UNU Council at its 52nd session December 5-9.
A former Rector of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Prof. van Ginkel holds a Ph.D. cum laude from Utrecht and honorary doctorates from Universitatea Babes-Bolyai, Cluj, Romania (1997), State University of California (Sacramento) (2003), and University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana (2005). His fields of interest are urban and regional development, population, housing studies, science policy, internationalization and university management. He has published widely on these areas and has contributed extensively to the work of various international educational organizations.
© 2005 United Nations University