UNU Rector Dr David Malone visits UNU-LRT
The UNU Rector Dr David Malone visited the four UNU programmes hosted in Iceland this week: the Geothermal, Fisheries, Gender Equality and Land Restoration Training Programmes. UNU-LRT welcomed the Rector at the headquarters of the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI) where the UNU-LRT fellows stay these days. A workshop was held at SCSI where UNU-LRT Director introduced the activities, priorities and future directions of the programme, and the fellows shared experiences from their work at home and told how they anticipate the training at UNU-LRT will benefit them and their institutions when back home at work. The research activities and international cooperation of the two implementing institutions of UNU-LRT, the Agricultural University of Iceland and SCSI, were also introduced.
The Directors of the other UNU programmes in Iceland attended the workshop at SCSI as well as UNU Vice Rector Mr Max Bond. They enjoyed together with the Rector a guided tour around the SCSI premises where SCSI Director, Mr. Sveinn Runólfsson, went over the history of restoration in the area, which has been driven by research and innovation as in the whole of the country.
In his visit, Rector Malone had several high-level meetings, including with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, and Iceland's president Mr Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson as well as former president Ms Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.
Dr. Malone joined the United Nations University in 2013 and is the sixth Rector of UNU. In that role, he holds the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.