Join us for a talk with Dr. Athar Sultan-Khan, Dean and Professor of International Relations at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and Special Advisor for Diplomacy at UNHCR.
The Centre for Fundamental Rights, in association with the ERC RefMig project, is honoured to host Dr. Athar Sultan-Khan for a talk with Hertie School students and alumni.
Dr. Sultan-Khan is currently Dean and Professor for Diplomacy at the Geneva School for Diplomacy, and serves as the UNHCR Special Advisor for Diplomacy. Across his distinguished 41-year career with UNHCR, Dr. Sultan-Khan held posts ranging from country representative to spending 14 years as Chief of Staff to three separate High Commissioners.
In this talk, he will discuss the UNHCR's role in global refugee governance, the challenges of high-stakes diplomacy, as well as possible directions for young professionals pursuing a career with UNHCR.
Prior registration is required.
Speaker
Dr. Athar Sultan-Khan currently serves as both Dean and Professor of International Relations at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and as Special Advisor for Diplomacy at UNHCR on a pro bono basis. In both capacities, he shapes diplomacy in some of the world’s most politically-sensitive environments. In his 38 years of service with UNHCR, Athar held leadership positions supporting the resolution of some of the world’s most complex refugee crises in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. His last position, from 2002 to 2016, was as Chief of Staff to three consecutive UN High Commissioners, where he also directly coordinated with three UN Secretary-Generals. He was Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General in 2017. In addition, as Special Advisor for Diplomacy, he trains some of UNHCR’s most senior staff on diplomacy in politically complex and high-risk assignments. A Pakistani national of dual Swiss citizenship, Athar Sultan-Khan was born in Brussels and studied in Geneva and New York. He joined the United Nations in 1980 in New York, immediately after he graduated from Columbia University with a Masters of International Affairs. He was awarded in 2016 with a Doctor of International Relations from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and was appointed in 2018 as Dean and Professor of International Relations.
