Global Center on Adaptation CEO Prof. Patrick Verkooijen has been appointed the new Chancellor of the University of Nairobi.
Prof. Verkooijen, who takes over from Dr Vijoo Rattansi whose tenure has ended, becomes the institution’s first Chancellor from outside Africa.
He will formally assume the role on 1st of February 2024.
“He brings a wealth of experience that will help stimulate the University of Nairobi’s growth,” said President William Ruto who made the appointment on 12th of January 2024.
The new Chancellor has a broad network of think-tanks in educational development with solid track-record in climate adaptation and the green economy.
It is expected that he will leverage on these attributes to strengthening the university’s place as a centre of excellence.
He is one of the architects of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme, a joint initiative of the African Development Bank and the Global Centre on Adaptation that aims to mobilize $25 billion to accelerate and scale climate adaptation action across Africa.
Working with heads of state and government from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, Prof. Verkooijen has convened multiple summits to advance the climate adaptation cause.
He also managed the Global Commission on Adaptation chaired by Ban Ki-moon and co-led by Kristalina Georgieva and Bill Gates which led to widespread awareness of the benefits of climate adaptation.
Importantly, he was the brains behind the first ever Climate Adaptation Summit hosted by the Netherlands in January 2021.
A Dutch national, Prof. Verkooijen holds a PhD from Wageningen University, an MPA from Harvard, a masters in philosophy from the University of Amsterdam and an environmental engineering degree from the University of Utrecht Applied Sciences.