Department of Communication Services Records, 1926-2022, 83737: Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, CD-R Optical Disc, 11 February 2008, Card box 2-493.
Fabulous 50: Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Dr. Rajendra Pachauri
April 23, 2024
Blog post contributed by Katelyn Cuomo, Graduate Assistant for the Special Collections Research Center.
Join us for another post in the Fabulous 50 blog series, where we discuss the work and accomplishments of Dr. Rajendra Pachauri (1940-2020). Dr. Pachauri is the first and only NC State graduate to become a Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He earned a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering in December 1972 and a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Economics in 1974. Today, he is known globally as a world leader in the study of climate change who devoted his career to studying energy and environmental-related issues.
Dr. Pachauri studied engineering at La Martiniere College in Lucknow, India, and at the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in Jamalpur. In 1972, he came to NC State to study Industrial Engineering, and he graduated with a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Economics in December 1974.
Notably, he served as the Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from 2002 to 2015. In this role, he led the preparation of assessment reports on climate change and its long-term environmental impact. Additionally, Dr. Pachauri worked as Chief Executive of the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in India for more than three decades, and his work in this role significantly contributed to the development of global sustainability initiatives.
Dr. Pachauri returned to NC State numerous times throughout his life and career. From 1974 to 1975, he served as an assistant professor. In the 1976 and 1977 summer sessions, he taught courses as a visiting faculty member in the Department of Economics and Business. He later returned to NC State in fall 2009 and fall 2011 as the commencement speaker for graduation. In the 2009 commencement ceremony, Dr. Pachauri received an honorary Doctor of Sciences degree.
In 2007, Dr. Pachauri accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) along with Vice President Al Gore. According to Dr. Pachauri's website, the IPCC was recognized for its “efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.” At the Nobel Peace Prize Awards ceremony in Oslo, Norway, Dr. Pachauri referenced his belief in the Hindu philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means “the whole universe is one family” in the context of international efforts to protect the environment.
Dr. Pachauri returned to NC State again in 2014 to discuss the latest findings of the IPCC. In his talk, Dr. Pachuari discussed the findings of the IPCC’s fifth assessment report, which provided evidence on the environmental and global economic impact of climate change and conveyed recommendations for global regulation of climate change. Dr. Pachauri also addressed the concept of sustainable development, which is defined by the International Institute for Sustainable Development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
If you have any questions or are interested in viewing Special Collections materials, please contact us at library_specialcollections@ncsu.edu or submit a request online. The Special Collections Research Center is open by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm and Saturday, 1pm–5pm. Requests for a Saturday appointment must be received no later than Tuesday of the same week.