Adil Najam (Urdu: عادل نجم) is a Pakistani academic who also serves as the global President of WWF, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (starting July 2023),[1] and is Dean Emerıtus and Professor of International Relations and Earth and Environment at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He was the founding Dean of the Pardee School from its creation in 2014 until 2022, when he was awarded the status of Dean Emeritus by Boston University. Previously he had served as vice-chancellor of the LUMS ın Lahore, Pakıstan.[2]
Life
Since 2023, Adil Najam serves as the global President of WWF International.[3] In 2022, Adil Najam stepped down after eight years as the founding Dean of the Boston UniversityFrederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. In recognition of his services the University conferred on his the status of Dean Emeritus and also established the "Adil Najam Prize and Fellowship for Advancing the Public Understanding of Global Affairs".[4]
In 2011, Najam returned to Pakistan to head the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) as its third vice-chancellor. During his tenure at LUMS, he oversaw the launch of a major student financial aid program and brought in major philanthropic gifts to enable an expansion of the university.[5][6] However, he faced criticism for not intervening over the controversial termination of Pervez Hoodbhoy by the university's School of Science and Engineering.[7] Najam left LUMS in June 2013,[8] and returned to Boston University. A year later he was appointed the inaugural dean of Pardee School.[9][10][11][12]
Adil Najam promotes the idea of living in the "Age of Adaptation" and conceptualizing water as being as important to climate adaptation as carbon was to mitigation.[23]
"Water is to adaptation what carbon is to mitigation."
His books include How Immigrants Impact their Homelands (co-editor, 2013), "The Future of South-South Economic Relations" (co-editor, 2012), "Envisioning a Sustainable Development Agenda for Trade and Environment" (co-editor, 2007), "Portrait of a Giving Community" (2007), "Environment, Development and Human Security" (editor, 2003), and "Civic Entrepreneurship" (co-author, 2002).[27]
Early in his career, Najam worked as a journalist (sports reporter and columnist) for various newspapers and magazines in Pakistan. He has contributed to newspapers in Pakistan and in the international press.[30][31][32][33][34] In 2007, Najam launched the blog "All Things Pakistan (Pakistaniat)" which won the Brass Crescent Award for the best South Asian blog in 2010 and was judged the best current affairs blog by the Pakistan Blog Awards 2010.[35]