The guest speaker at the April 2010 Breakfast meeting was Jin Zhang, the Program Manager of the United Nations University, New York Office (UNU-ONY). Ms. Zhang studied History and Economics at Peking University and Public Policy at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Her previous posts include the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York, and the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London, UK. She also coordinated activities on partnerships initatives for UNU.(UNU) is a United Nations agency that was established in Tokyo in 1973 to "research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations and its agencies". Its was created by the Secretary-General U Thant in 1969, with the motto of "Advancing knowledge for human security, peace, and development."
The United Nations University provides educational opportunities to researchers mainly at the graduate and post-graduate level through an extensive range of fellowships. It operates through a number of research centres around the world, where research fellows or Ph.D. students from other universities can come to do research. It especially targets researchers and students from developing countries. UNU is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
It does not receive any funding from the regular UN budget and relies upon voluntary contributions from member states with an annual budget of approximately US$37 million.
