Hite Chair Scholar Lecture Series

Press Release
 
January 28, 2010
The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) Scholar Speaker Series Event
 
The SRF Hite Foundation Chair Scholar Speaker Series seeks to inform and promote interest in issues of academic freedom and political liberties among undergraduate and graduate university students, civic society organizations, and secondary school audiences.  
 
On January 25, an SRF rescued scholar from Zimbabwe Professor Eric Shumba spoke to a group of 600 middle and high school students and faculty at Newark Academy as part of the school’s acclaimed Global Speaker Series. Following his presentation, Professor Shumba visited several classrooms to continue the dialogue on human rights and academic freedom.
 
The event received rave reviews from both students and faculty for promoting relations between cultures and countries by engaging a rescued scholar with a diverse group of young students and future leaders on issues of human rights, academic freedom, and global affairs. An audience member remarked, “I am in awe of this individual and the program that saved his life. Hearing the scholar speak about his experiences in Zimbabwe has left me both traumatized and humbled.”
 
The Scholar Rescue Fund would like to thank the administration, faculty and students at Newark Academy for making this event possible.  Special recognition goes out to the Newark Academy Global Speaker Series coordinator Mr. Derek Kanerek and the Newark Academy SRF student coordinator Jacob Zack for facilitating this event.
 
Several photos from the event capturing Professor Shumba during his lecture and in the classroom document the impact of his visit:

Pictured above:  Professor Shumba speaking to a group of 600 students and faculty at Newark Academy

Pictured above:  Professor Shumba conducting a Q & A session with a group of Newark Academy students

 
Pictured above:  Professor Shumba in a discussion with students in a senior course entitled, "The Theory of Knowledge"

Professor Shumba is a scholar of religious studies from Zimbabwe and is currently teaching and conducting research on peace studies at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA.  To learn more about this scholar, please visit our featured scholar page by clicking here.  For more information on hosting an SRF scholar at your university or college, please click here.

Institutions interested in inviting a scholar to speak on campus as part of the Hite Chair Scholar Speaker Series may contact SRF directly at SRF@iie.org. 

 

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