It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Dr David Malone, the sixth Rector of the United Nations University.
During his decade of leadership, Dr Malone was a steady supporter and mentor to many across the UNU system – including our Director, Prof Edeltraud Guenther, who often credits him with immersing her fully in the responsibilities and realities of leading a UNU institute, and with encouraging our core value of achieving impact from the outset. He played a key role in the early development of our strategic partnership with TU Dresden, and generously shared his diplomatic experience with former UNU-FLORES Director Prof Reza Ardakanian as the Institute established enduring relationships with our long-term donors, SMWK and BMBF. For this guidance, we remain deeply grateful.
Dr Malone was also a committed advocate for lifelong learning – beginning his own doctoral studies in his early forties and later publishing five books, many of which continue to be used in diplomatic studies programmes around the world. His pragmatic, strategic voice was always welcomed at UNU-FLORES Advisory Committee meetings and during the Dresden Nexus Conference.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Dr Malone’s family, his friends and colleagues, and to Rector Marwala and the team at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
Learning can be a lifelong vocation; it’s one of the satisfactions of growing older. And one can hope that we also grow wiser along the way.
– Dr David Malone, addressing DNC2020
