The International Space University is pleased to announce that Dr. Valanathan Munsami will be its new honorary Chancellor, with a three-year mandate. The ISU Chancellor is an honorary representative of the university, participates in convocations, delivers special lectures, and provides advice to the President as required.
Chairman of the ISU Board, Dr. Christian Sallaberger stated: “After carefully considering several top candidates, the ISU board has chosen Dr. Munsami as our next Chancellor. He is an inspirational leader in the international space community and has strong commitments both to space education and to unlocking the benefits of space for humanity. He embodies the spirit of ISU!”
President of ISU, Prof. Pascale Ehrenfreund added: “I am looking forward to working with Dr. Munsami in his role as Chancellor. He is a truly exceptional manager and leader in the space sector.”
ISU’s new Chancellor, Dr. Valanathan Munsami, said: “I am humbled and thrilled to serve as Chancellor of this prestigious institution. As an ISU Space Studies Programme (SSP) 2009 alumni, my career and confidence in the space sector has been significantly influenced by the depth of knowledge gained and the incredible people I have met through the ISU experience. I now look forward to serving our next generation of students.”
Dr. Munsami is ISU’s 5th honorary Chancellor. The other chancellors in ISU’s 35-year history were Pascale Ehrenfreund, Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, former ESA DG Jean-Jacques Dordain, and acclaimed science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.
His nomination, as first representative of the African region in this position, also underlines again the continuous efforts of ISU to work towards interculturality in the space sector.
