Lehigh University Launches LU/UN Faculty Fellows Program to Deepen United Nations Engagement
Lehigh University (LU) has launched the LU/UN Faculty Fellows Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative enabled by its recent accreditation with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This status - held by only about 20 universities worldwide - gives Lehigh expanded access to U.N. processes and allows faculty to engage directly in global policymaking rather than observing from the sidelines.
The program competitively selects faculty from all five colleges to receive U.N. NGO badges, granting access to U.N. headquarters in New York City and opportunities to collaborate with diplomats, officials, NGOs, and global experts. About 16 faculty members participate annually, each proposing how their work will advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while strengthening research, teaching, and institutional impact.
Inaugural fellows include experts in disaster resilience, bioengineering, and global health whose work addresses climate-driven risks, low-cost and AI-enabled health technologies, mental and women’s health, biosecurity, human rights, and the health impacts of conflict. Through this program, Lehigh positions itself as a distinctive academic partner to the United Nations, integrating global engagement, policy impact, and education around the SDGs.