Announcements & Events
SRF Scholar Speaker Series Visits The Newark Academy
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 Tompson Makahamadze 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 Makahamadze visited several classrooms to continue the dialogue on human rights and academic freedom.
The event that received rave reviews from both students and faculty successfully promoted educational relations between cultures and countries by engaging a rescued scholar in a dialogue 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.
In particular, IIE’s SRF acknowledges with gratitude the support and leadership of Mr. Larry Hite, SRF Board Member and founder of the Hite Foundation Chair for Communications of IIE's Scholar Rescue Fund.
A link to Newark Academy's announcement of this event can be found here.
Several photos from the event capturing Professor Makahamadze during his lecture and in the classroom document the impact of his visit:
Pictured above: Professor Makahamadze speaking to a group of 600 students and faculty at Newark Academy
Pictured above: Professor Makahamadze conducting a Q & A session with a group of Newark Academy students
Pictured above: Professor Makahamadze in a discussion with students in a senior course entitled, "The Theory of Knowledge"
Professor Makahamadze 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.
