The University of Strathclyde has awarded an honorary degree to Joyce Msuya, a globally respected humanitarian and development leader with more than 25 years of experience at the highest levels of the United Nations and the World Bank Group.
She received the degree of Doctor of the University in recognition of her contribution to international development, humanitarian action and environmental leadership.
Born in Tanzania, Joyce grew up between Dar es Salaam and the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. She came to Glasgow to study Biochemistry and Immunology at Strathclyde and graduated in 1992.
International development
After completing postgraduate studies in Canada, she joined the World Bank in 1998 and went on to hold senior leadership roles across Africa, Asia and North America.
During her career, she helped to establish the World Bank Group's first office in the Republic of Korea, led development programmes in East Asia and the Pacific, and co-directed the International Finance Corporation’s $1.3 billion Africa investment strategy to support sustainable agribusiness and food systems in emerging markets.
In 2018, as former UN Assistant-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, she led the turnaround of the UN Environment Programme, first as Interim and later as Deputy Executive Director. During a challenging period for the organisation, she helped restore confidence in its leadership and guided the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly.
Her career then moved to the forefront of the international humanitarian response. In 2022, she became Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In this role, she helped lead humanitarian operations across more than 60 countries, overseeing thousands of staff and coordinating responses to major crises.
Humanitarian leadership
In 2024, she served as Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, advising the UN Secretary-General and all 193 Member States through a period of geopolitical and humanitarian pressure, one of the most senior humanitarian leadership positions within the United Nations.
Reflecting on her work, Joyce has described humanitarian action as "a gift of service to humanity", highlighting the importance of ensuring international institutions remain focused on the people they exist to serve.
Throughout her career, she has maintained strong links with Strathclyde. In 2019, she was recognised with the University's Alumna of the Year award and has continued to support the University's Centre for Sustainable Development through sharing expertise and helping to strengthen international partnerships.
During the ceremony, Joyce spoke about her time at Glasgow and Strathclyde, saying: “To be honoured by Strathclyde is a privilege. This University was my springboard. I widened my imagination about the world, what I might become and about what an education is for. But Strathclyde taught me something more enduring – knowledge has a purpose.”
The degree was conferred by Professor Stuart McIntyre, who said: "A degree, earned here at Strathclyde, became the foundation for a career that has influenced international policy and improved responses to some of humanity's most pressing challenges.
“Her achievements embody the very best of a Strathclyde education: knowledge applied to the world's most pressing challenges, leadership in the service of others, and a determination to make a positive difference in the world."