Dr. Jafar Javan

Dr. Jafar Javan is a senior international development leader with more than three decades of experience across the United Nations (UN) system. He served as Director of the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) from 2008 to 2025, following several years as Deputy Director and Head of Programmes. During his tenure, he played a central role in strengthening learning, leadership development, and policy support for UN personnel worldwide.

Before joining UNSSC, Dr. Javan spent twenty years with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), holding senior posts in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the region of the Commonwealth of Independent States. His work focused on development policy, education and training, employment, community participation, and strengthening national capacities. His earlier roles included Director of Policy Support and Programme Development, Chief of the Subregional Resource Facility, and Policy Liaison Adviser in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Javan’s academic background lies at the intersection of psychology and public policy. He earned his doctoral degree from North Carolina State University, where he specialized in the role of psychology in policy development. His dissertation examined community empowerment in development projects, and he designed a methodology to measure empowerment at the community level. He also holds a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the School of International Service at the American University in Washington, D.C.