In early February, UNU Vice Rector Jakob Rhyner and UNU-EHS Academic Officer Joern Birkmann participated in a symposium at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, and visited tsunami-affected areas. »

Students from developing countries and countries in economic transition can apply for two joint UNIDO/UNU-MERIT Scholarships, for PhD study in Structural Change & Industrialization in Maastricht. »

Social and natural sciences scholars and practitioners are invited to submit papers on one of the six inter-related conference themes. Abstracts must be received by 1 July 2012; full papers are due on 1 December 2012. »

Ambassador Dr. Richard Sezibera, Secretary General of the East African Community, spoke at UNU Headquarters on 9 February.. The focus of his presentation was on regional integration as a tool for furthering social and economic development. »

Two UNU-IIGH staff members recently conducted a five-day mission in Iran to introduce the UNU-IIGH casemix system to the Iranian Social Security Organization and Ministry of Health. »

This full-day symposium was held to mark the end of a three-year ecosystem services assessment project that sought to identify a new commons for a nature-harmonious society. »

In January 2012, UNU-IIST and the UNDESA Division for Public Administration and Development Management agreed to collaborate on two "electronic governance for sustainable development" initiatives. »

Dr. Tonni Kurniawan, a postdoctoral fellow at UNU-IAS, ranks among the top 1 percent of researchers in the field of Engineering according to Essential Science Indicators from Thomson Reuters. »

The 17 January presentation by Foreign Minister Naseem, Republic of Maldives, was the part of UNU Ambassador Lecture series, which is managed by the UNU Rector's Office Junior Fellows. »

On 12 January 2012, UNU and the University of Yaoundé I (Cameroon) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance collaboration between the two institutions. »