On 28 April 2024, it was announced that former UNU Senior Vice-Rector Taikan Oki will be awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon for his extensive contributions to the field of hydrology and to sustainable water resources management.
The Medal with Purple Ribbon, one of Japan’s highest honours, is awarded to individuals who have contributed to academic and artistic developments, improvements and accomplishments. Professor Oki will receive the Medal from the Prime Minister of Japan during a ceremony held in Tokyo.
Professor Oki, born in 1964 in Hyogo Prefecture, is a leading global authority in hydrology research. He served as UNU Senior Vice-Rector, with the rank of UN Assistant Secretary-General, from 2016 to 2021.
Among Prof. Oki’s many contributions to his field of expertise, he was a lead author for the Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the first Japanese Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in Hydrology. He is currently Special Advisor to the President of the University of Tokyo, and a Professor at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering.
“On behalf of the United Nations University, I extend warm congratulations to Prof. Taikan Oki on receiving this distinguished honour”, said UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala. “His contributions as an educator and researcher have been invaluable in shaping sustainable development in Japan and throughout the world.”
