23 Feb 2024
The University of Glasgow is awarding an honorary degree to Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for his inspirational and global leadership.
Dr Tedros is being recognised for his dedication to improving health conditions across the world and challenging nations to raise ambitions to boost the wellbeing of every citizen on the planet.
Elected Director-General in 2017, Dr Tedros was the first person from the African Region to lead WHO, having previously held senior positions at several global health organisations.
Receiving his honorary degree at a special ceremony in the University’s Bute Hall on 5th March 2024, Dr Tedros will give a keynote speech focusing on future health challenges we face. The public speech will be followed by a Q&A session featuring special guests, to be announced.
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Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal & Vice-Chancellor, University of Glasgow, said: “I’m really delighted to welcome Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to Glasgow and to hear his keynote speech on the future global health challenges we might face. In awarding this honorary degree, we are recognising the exceptional impact Dr Tedros has made as Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) in improving global health, expanding universal health coverage and responding to global health emergencies. We are also proud to celebrate the impact he has made throughout his career to promote community health initiatives and tackle the prevalence of infectious and non-communicable diseases.
“Glasgow has been at the cutting-edge of innovation in medicine, life sciences and public health for centuries- from the invention of beta blockers and ultrasound in medicine, to our rapid response to Covid-19 which saw the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab process over 31 million cumulative tests throughout the pandemic. It is therefore fitting that we confer this honorary degree upon Dr Tedros in recognition of his role as a global health visionary and welcome him to our community of world changers.”
Born in the Eritrean city of Asmara, Dr Tedros graduated from the University of Asmara with a Bachelor of Biology, before earning a Master of Science in Immunology of Infectious Diseases from the University of London, a Doctorate of Philosophy in Community Health from the University of Nottingham and an Honorary Fellowship from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Following his studies, Dr Tedros returned to Africa to support the delivery of health services in Ethiopia, first working as a field-level malariologist, before heading a regional health service, later serving in Ethiopia’s federal government for over a decade as Minister of Health and Minister of Foreign Affairs. In these roles, he elevated the status of health on the political agenda nationally, regionally and globally.
Prior to his role at WHO, Dr Tedros held leadership positions as Chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; Chair of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership; and, Co-chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Board.
A celebrated global figure, Dr Tedros was the first non-American to be awarded the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award in 2011 recognising his contributions to public health. He was one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2020 and won the African of the Year Award for 2020 from African Leadership Magazine.
Accepting the honorary degree, Dr Tedros said: “I am deeply honoured to be recognised by the University of Glasgow, a storied institution and leading research university with a long history of important contributions to science, medicine and global health.”
