Institute of Development Studies

IDS Fellow Sarah Cook to be Director of UNRISD

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has appointed IDS Fellow Dr. Sarah Cook as the new Director of United Nations Research Institute on Social Development (UNRISD). After nearly 14 years at IDS, Dr Cook will take up her new post on 1 November 2009. She is the first British national to take the helm at UNRISD.

Dr Cook is a development economist and China specialist whose recent research has focused on social welfare in China, the informalization of employment and the gender impacts of economic reform. She is Director of the multi-country ‘Social Protection in Asia' research programme.

'I am of course very excited about the move to UNRISD, and I see this as an excellent opportunity to build on my work at IDS and to strengthen the many existing links between the two institutions,' said Dr Cook.

'This move would not be possible without the experience and opportunities that IDS has given me. It has provided opportunities to work with and learn from fantastic colleagues across a range of disciplines and issues, broadening my own horizons and challenging my thinking. There is probably no other institution where I could have maintained my research focus on China while locating this within the broader field of development. I am grateful to many friends, colleagues and students at IDS with whom I have enjoyed working over the years - and I look forward to continuing to work together.'

Commenting on her appointment, IDS Director Lawrence Haddad said 'This is a highly prestigious position and it is a great testament to Sarah's sustained excellence. She has been a fantastic Fellow at IDS and I know she will be a wonderful future collaborator as Director of UNRISD.'