UM News

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (June 17, 2016)—A month after his appointment to the Board of Directors of the United Nations Foundation, University of Miami President Julio Frenk has written his first blog for the international organization that supports UN initiatives, calling for global collaborations to help solve the ever-growing problem of climate change.

“Real connectivity—between disciplines and between nations—is vital to the success of the Paris Agreement and the future of our planet,” Frenk wrote, referring to the landmark accord that commits nearly every country to lowering planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

In his blog, titled Forces of Change, Frenk also notes that UM scholars in a variety of academic disciplines are developing strategies to mitigate the effects of sea level rise and climate change, and that the institution is launching a cross-disciplinary initiative to expand and strengthen its commitment in that area. (Explore their ongoing research at climate.miami.edu.)

Frenk, along with Baroness Valerie Amos, director of SOAS University of London, became a member of the UN Foundation Board of Directors in May, joining a distinguished list of global leaders that includes Nobel laureate and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Founded as a public charity in 1998 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner, the foundation has evolved into an active problem-solver that builds public-private partnerships and implements issue-based campaigns to address some of the 21st century’s most intractable problems—including climate change, poverty and human rights violations.

“I am honored to be among those tasked with weaving a montage of ideas and cultural nuances into a focused plan of action to support the UN’s vital role as a platform for global problem-solving,” says Frenk.