John Samuel Chairperson Of Academic Council
John Samuel is an international strategic adviser, policy and governance expert, social entrepreneur and civic leader with more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles at the United Nations, International development organizations, and policy research and advocacy think tanks. He is an international consulting advisor to various United Nations agencies and other international organizations. He was formerly director and head of the global program for governance well as the global democratic advisor at the UNDP headquarters. He is the former CEO of FORUM ASIA, the largest membership-based human rights and development organization in Asia. He also served as the International Director of Actionaid International, leading the global thematic work on Democratic Governance as well as heading the Asia Pacific Region. He helped to establish the National Centre for Advocacy Studies in Pune and served as its Chief Executive for around ten years. He currently leads several organizations as the sitting President of Trancivic International, Institute of Sustainable Development and Governance, National Center for Advocacy Studies and Bodhigram Foundation. He helped to establish more than 10 research and advocacy organizations and alliances in India and Internationally. He was the founding Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty and serves on the board of several national and international organizations. John Samuel has a multidisciplinary academic background. He was a visiting fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex and the Advocacy Institute, Washington DC. He has published several books and articles on public policy, civil society, human rights and governance.