Konrad Osterwalder
| Konrad Osterwalder | |
|---|---|
| Former Rector of United Nations University (UNU) Rector Emeritus of ETH Zurich | |
|
In office 1 September 2007 – 28 February 2013 |
|
| Preceded by | Hans van Ginkel |
| Succeeded by | David M. Malone |
| Secretary-General | Ban Ki Moon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 3, 1942 Frauenfeld, Thurgau, Switzerland |
| Alma mater | ETH Zurich |
Konrad Osterwalder (born June 3, 1942) is a Swiss mathematician and physicist, former Undersecretary-General of the United Nations, former Rector of the United Nations University (UNU), and Rector Emeritus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich). He is known for the Osterwalder–Schrader theorem.
Rector Osterwalder was appointed to the position of United Nations Under Secretary General and United Nations University Rector by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon May 2007 and served until 28 February 2013. He succeeded Prof. Hans van Ginkel from the Netherlands to be the fifth Rector of the United Nations University.
He is credited with turning United Nations University into a world leading institution, ranked #5 & #6 in two categories according to the 2012 Global Go to Think Tank Rankings. He was responsible for ensuring that UNU's charter was amended by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009 allowing the United Nations University to grant degrees, introducing UNU's degree programmes and creating a new concept in education, research and development by introducing the twin institute programmes. A concept that is changing the way that development, aid and capacity building is approached both by developed countries and developing and least developed countries.
Rector Osterwalder chairing UNU event on the work of the UN SC 1540 committee
UNU Rector Osterwalder with UNHCR Commissioner Gutteres at Rio+20 Press Conference
In March 2000, following the Bologna Declaration by 28 European Education Ministers, the European University Association and the Comite de Liaison within the National Rector's Conference convened the Convention of European Higher Education in salamanca Spain, hereinafter referred to as the "Salamanca Process"with the aim of discussing the Bologna Declaration and delivering an overall, univocal response to the Council of Ministers. Professor Osterwalder, Rector of ETH, was chosen by the conference as the Rapporteur of the Salamanca Process and the voice of Higher Education institutions. The meeting concluded with a declaration and a report that led to the basis of Higher Education reform within the Bologna process and the EU. In addition, the two conveners of the conference formed the European University Association.
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