UNITAR and Newcastle University Sign MOU to Advance Training and Academic Collaboration

22 February 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is pleased to announce that Michelle Gyles-McDonnough has officially assumed office as its new Executive Director. She succeeds Nikhil Seth of India, whose mandate concluded on 31 January 2025.

21 February 2025, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) hosted and led a high-level delegation from the Dominican Republic for the International Workshop on Governance and Public Policy in Geneva from 12 to 17 February 2025. This significant event was organized in collaboration with the recently established CIFAL Dominican Republic and with the support of the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations in Geneva, reinforcing a joint commitment to capacity-building and sustainable governance.

21 February 2025, Tokyo, Japan – Fifty agents of change from 18 Asia-Pacific countries graduated from the UNITAR “Leaders for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Sea and Human Security” training programme on 21 February 2025.

20 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – John Ladu Simon Jacob is on a mission to transform agriculture in South Sudan. As a managing director of an agricultural enterprise, John is tackling one of his country’s greatest challenges: food insecurity. His vision is to reduce South Sudan’s reliance on food imports and build a self-sufficient agricultural system. The UNITAR Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme helped John gain more skills and confidence to turn his vision into action.

21 February 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in partnership with the University of Arizona, is pleased to announce the launch of the Professional Certificate in Science Policy and Diplomatic Practice.

20 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan - Seungjae Lee is a South Korean student at an international school in Hong Kong. He is passionate about social issues and active in leadership positions and service activities. One year ago, he started a project to help refugees in Hong Kong who face language barriers.

20 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – John Isidore Laure, a youth advocate from Cotabato City, Philippines, currently serves as a monitoring, evaluation and learning officer at a local non-governmental organization (NGO), where he works with local youth councils (Sangguniang Kabataan) to promote good governance and community development. As a teenager, he co-established an organization to prevent violent extremism and misinformation in his community. This experience shaped his commitment to empowering young people and addressing pressing social issues.

20 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – In Kenya, where access to basic technology remains a luxury for many, Betty Mwende advocates for digital literacy and inclusivity. Learning through a UNITAR programme and applying what she learned have helped Betty – a student of applied computer technology and communication coordinator for a non-profit to foster collaboration in the tech industry – develop her project management and digital skills while championing digital literacy for marginalized youth.

Competency-based learning is reshaping education and professional training by making learning more personalized, goal-driven, and impactful. CBL empowers learners to thrive in dynamic, skill-driven environments by focusing on real-world competencies rather than passive knowledge accumulation.