Journalists and race car drivers can do without when push comes to shove. Does a Secretary General of the United Nations really need a masters degree?
Like most of his predecessors, Ban Ki-Moon of South Korea was not exactly a household word before he stepped onto the world stage. And so, a Masters in Public Administration degree (MPA) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University probably didn't hurt his chances.
Mr. Ban is the first MPA to lead the UN. Robert Zoellick, former US Deputy Secretary of State, is another well-known holder of the degree which has been likened to the MBA of diplomats and bureaucrats.
Graham Allison, director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a former dean of the Kennedy School described Ban as “an outstanding student . . . an outstanding Foreign Minister; and I am confident he will be an outstanding Secretary General.”
"Ban Ki-Moon comes to the United Nations with a reputation as a mild-mannered and soft-spoken diplomat with an easy smile," Voice of America reported upon Ban's swearing-in on Dec. 14. "He rose through the ranks to become South Korea's foreign minister during a 35-year career in which he was known for humility and modesty."
In his acceptance speech in October, Mr. Ban seemed to be calling for the UN to adopt a lower profile as well with emphasis on the walk, not the talk.
"We should be more modest in our words, but not in performance. The true measure of success for the U.N. is not how much we promise, but how much we deliver for those who need us most," he said.
“Mr. Ban’s appointment as secretary general further confirms the importance of professional public service education in relation to the international arena,” said J. Brian Atwood, Dean of the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and former director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The MPA/MPP degrees are focused in the fields of public administration, public policy and public affairs. It prepares individuals for a career in professional public service by teaching them budgeting, leadership, negotiation, quantitative skills, as well as numerous other specializations.
Ban graduated from Seoul National University with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations before continuing for his MPA in 1985.
