Siddharth Chatterjee, former United Nations resident coordinator in China, was appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor of Tsinghua University at a ceremony held at the School of Public Policy and Management on April 29. Yang Bin, vice chancellor of Tsinghua University Council, presented Chatterjee with the letter of appointment.

Yang Bin presents Prof. Siddharth Chatterjee with the letter of appointment

Yang Bin congratulated Professor Chatterjee on his appointment on behalf of Tsinghua University, noting his longstanding work in international humanitarian affairs and global development, his senior roles within the United Nations system, and his widely recognized leadership. He hopes that Professor Chatterjee’s experience and insights in global governance and sustainable development would contribute to Tsinghua’s academic development and education, support a more open, diverse, and dynamic international scholarly community, and help strengthen the University’s global engagement.

Zhu Xufeng, dean of the School of Public Policy and Management, said the appointment reflects Professor Chatterjee’s longstanding relationship with Tsinghua and would bring global perspectives and first-hand practical experience to the School, supporting its international development and global academic engagement. Qian Xiaojun, chief academic officer of Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, also highlighted Professor Chatterjee’s experience as an educator, think tank leader, and international affairs practitioner, noting that his extensive experience in international affairs would bring new perspectives to the College’s work in student development.

Professor Chatterjee described his appointment as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Tsinghua University as both an honor and a privilege. During his five years in China, he witnessed the country’s progress in poverty alleviation, scientific and technological innovation, and other areas, gaining a deeper understanding of China’s approach to openness, cooperation, and shared development.

He noted that global challenges, including climate change, public health, and pressures on multilateralism, require sustained international cooperation. Tsinghua’s rigorous, practice-oriented, and interdisciplinary approach to scholarship, he said, can help address these challenges. Professor Chatterjee will offer courses at the School of Public Policy and Management and Schwarzman College on topics including China and the world and global governance. He said he looked forward to working alongside Tsinghua faculty and students in teaching, research, and shared intellectual inquiry.

Attendees of the appointment ceremony

Professor Siddharth Chatterjee is chief executive officer of Global Neighbours and previously served as United Nations resident coordinator in China. He has nearly three decades of senior international leadership experience and is widely recognized for his work in global governance and humanitarian assistance.

Writer: Gillian Tang

Editors: Li Han, John Paul Grima