Najam to Step Down as Pardee School Dean at End of Academic Year
Adil Najam, who has served as the inaugural Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, has announced that he plans to step down from his leadership role at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 academic year. Following a sabbatical, Professor Najam plans to return to the faculty of the Pardee School and to his scholarship in international development, climate change, and global public policy.
In a letter to the BU community, Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer, said the following of Dean Najam:
Professor Najam has been the Pardee School’s dean since its founding in 2014, working to build a world-class faculty and develop the school into a nexus for globally-significant international affairs scholarship around diplomacy, global development, international security, political economy, foreign policy, human rights, and climate change. Guiding a new unit from its inception is no small task. Professor Najam has done so with great professionalism. He has been a community builder whose focus on policy leadership, intellectual rigor, and collaborative partnerships has helped the Pardee School produce highly relevant research and programming that advance its core mission of improving the human condition.
“The privilege of helping launch and lead BU’s new school of international affairs has been a singular and great honor of my life,” said Najam. “This has not been an easy decision, but I feel truly blessed to have been granted the opportunity to work with stellar colleagues on our faculty and staff and to be inspired by the enthusiasm and ideals of our students.” When asked what he was looking forward to, Najam stated, “I look forward to getting back to my research and scholarship, but most of all returning to the classroom on a regular basis with our students.”
Provost Morrison has announced the initiation of a national search to identify the next Dean of the Pardee School. Ideally, the committee will conclude its work and submit its recommendations no later than April 4, 2022.