CLASS OF 2025: From Wolverhampton to the World Stage: UN Leader awarded Honorary Professorship

Nikhil Seth, a visionary global leader and former Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), has been awarded an Honorary Professorship for Sustainable Development by the University of Wolverhampton.  He is internationally recognised for his exceptional contributions to diplomacy and sustainable development.

His leadership has shaped landmark UN initiatives, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, driving progress across continents and making a lasting impact in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

Nikhil said, “My own journey began in the classrooms of Delhi University-as a student, then a teacher of economics. It then took me into the world of diplomacy and the United Nations. There, for several decades, my life revolved around a single, resonant idea: sustainable development. What began as a vision of reconciling environment and development evolved into a global framework encompassing human rights, economic dignity, environmental balance, and peaceful cooperation. From Rio to the 2030 Agenda, from the Millennium Goals to the newly adopted Pact for the Future, we have always returned to the same foundational aspiration: to build just, inclusive, and sustainable societies where no one is left behind. And that vision lives here-in Wolverhampton. 

As I accept this honour, I also accept a responsibility-to share what I have learned through my work in multilateral diplomacy. To support this University in its mission. And to engage with young changemakers, researchers, and dreamers in the years ahead."

Honorary Professorships are awarded to distinguished academics or practitioners who have demonstrated a commitment to, and interest in, the University’s academic life and who are actively associated with the University’s academic community. 

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After graduation, graduates become members of the Alumni Association and are encouraged to keep in touch, to take advantage of a wide range of benefits and support on offer, including a discount for postgraduate study.      

To learn more about the University’s Alumni Association please visit here, where graduates can also update their details with the Association.    

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