Hyderabad, Jun 2 (IANS): Former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin, who made his mark as India's permanent representative at the UN from 2016 to 2020, has taken the academic path after retirement.

He has joined the Kautilya School of Public Policy, Hyderabad on Tuesday. A statement issued by the School, said that the former career diplomat and Indian ambassador has joined the institution, as it's Dean.

"Excited to make a new start with Kautilya School of Policy. Looking forward to be part of an environment that will enable students better understand the processes, programs and politics of public policies in a globalized world," said Syed Akbaruddin.

"With his career spanning over three decades, Mr. Akbaruddin has now opted to serve students and academia. From building bridges among top diplomats to articulating India's foreign policies on a plethora of platforms, he sets his vision on creating an educational haven for students who would serve as tomorrow's leaders," the statement read.

"He has led India's engagement on many multilateral fora and has contributed immensely to India's growing recognition in the world and there are many valuable lessons for our students in his journey," said Sridhar Pabbisetty, Founding Director of the institute.

Syed Akbaruddin had also served as spokesperson for India's ministry of external affairs, from 2011 to 2015.

Kautilya School of Public Policy with its two-year, full-time residential Masters in Public Policy program, aims to bring together students from diverse disciplines and allow time to internalize and apply key concepts.