Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce Sunil Amrith, Renu and Anand Dhawan Professor of History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and professor at the Yale School of the Environment, as Yale’s vice provost for international affairs, effective immediately. A distinguished scholar of human migration and global environmental history, Sunil will lead Yale’s international strategy and engagement efforts, assuming responsibility for the portfolio held by Steven Wilkinson before he was appointed dean of the FAS earlier this year.
As vice provost, Sunil will coordinate with senior leaders, faculty, and staff to advance Yale’s research on issues of global importance, educate students for international leadership and citizenship, and coordinate partnerships that benefit communities around the world. He will also serve as a strategic advisor to university leaders on international matters and continue to direct the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies. The Office of International Affairs, the Office of International Students and Scholars, and other international programs will continue to be led by Senior Associate Provost for International Affairs Brendan Walsh, who will report to Sunil.
Sunil’s background in fostering global scholarship and dialogue make him ideally suited to this role. Prior to becoming director of the MacMillan Center, he served as chair of the Center’s Council on South Asian Studies, leading strategic planning to promote faculty and student research and advance the Council’s global reputation. Prior to joining Yale in 2020, Sunil served as codirector of Harvard University’s Joint Center for History and Economics and interim director of the Mahindra Humanities Center.
Sunil’s contributions to global historical scholarship have earned him numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship, the 2025 Toynbee Prize, the 2024 Fukuoka Academic Prize, the 2022 Dr. A.H. Heineken Prize for History, and election as an International Fellow of the British Academy. His recent book, The Burning Earth: A History, has received widespread recognition and is being translated into ten languages.
Advancing Yale’s international strategy in an increasingly complex world requires a committed, collaborative, and innovative leader. Sunil’s capacity to build bridges between disciplines, foster international exchanges, and address challenges impacting communities around the globe perfectly position him for this work. With the benefit of his expertise, we will fulfill Yale’s international goals and support the faculty, students, and staff who are at the heart of our mission to improve the world. I am delighted to welcome Sunil to this role.
Sincerely,
Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Image credit: Stephanie Anestes