Kenyan President William Ruto has appointed renowned environmentalist Prof. Patrick V. Verkooijen as the Chancellor of the University of Nairobi for a five-year term.
Patrick V. Verkooijen was born on May 21, 1969, and is of Dutch nationality. He holds a Master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Amsterdam and an environmental engineering degree from the University of Utrecht Applied Sciences.
He earned a PhD in Sustainable Development Diplomacy from Wageningen University, an MPA from Harvard University, and a Master’s Degree in Social and Political Philosophy from the University of Amsterdam.
Verkooijen is the CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), an international organization focused on adapting our world to the impacts of climate change.
In 2023, the Global Center on Adaptation announced plans to open its Africa office in Nairobi.
The organization intends to make its Nairobi office the largest adaptation building in the world.
In May 2023, President Ruto joined global leaders at GCA’s floating headquarters in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to participate in a strategic dialogue on climate action.