Multilateralism for Sustainable Development

Dr. Patrick Paul Walsh currently serves as Vice President of Education and Director of the SDG Academy at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), while maintaining his position as Full Professor of International Development Studies at University College Dublin. After earning his Ph.D. in Economics from the London School of Economics in 1994, he has built an impressive career spanning academia, international development, and global policy. His journey includes significant roles at Trinity College Dublin as Professor of Economics and Dean of Social and Human Sciences, visiting positions at KU Leuven, Harvard University, and Columbia University, where he was instrumental in shaping the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. As Senior Adviser to SDSN and representative of the UN Scientific and Technological Community Major Group, he played a crucial role in the inter-governmental negotiations that produced the UN 2030 Agenda. His academic contributions include supervising 30 Ph.D. students, publishing in prestigious journals, and developing courses across multiple institutions. Currently, he leads UCD's engagement with the UN Economic and Social Council while serving as President of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland, continuing his work on sustainable development education informed by science, practice, and policy.