Rector of United Nations University reappointed

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today re-appointed Professor Hans van Ginkel of the Netherlands to a second five-year term as Rector of the United Nations University (UNU).

The re-appointment, which takes effect from 1 September, was made after consultations with the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Prof. van Ginkel, 62, graduated in human and physical geography, anthropology and history at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, where he also earned his doctorate degree. Among other positions over the course of his academic career, Prof. van Ginkel has served as Dean of Faculty and Rector of Utrecht University. In 1992, he became a member of the UNU Governing Council and was appointed as its fourth Rector in 1997.

Founded in 1973, the UNU is an international community of scholars engaged in research, postgraduate training and the dissemination of knowledge to further the UN's aims of peace and progress. Headquartered in Tokyo, the University has 13 research and training centres around the world and cooperates with more than 100 research institutions in various countries across the globe.