US-AFRICA: Gbabgo offered position at Boston

08 May 2011

Dressed in a sagging white tank top and wearing a forlorn gaze, Cote d'Ivoire's deposed leader Laurent Gbagbo was dragged from his bunker after four months of refusing to step down from the presidency. But he had been offered another, less painful, end to his 11-year rule by US President Barack Obama - a teaching position at Boston University, writes Elizabeth Haggarty for the Toronto Star.

How does a leader go from despot to university lecturer candidate? The African Presidential Archives and Research Centre at Boston University is the brainchild of its director Charles Stith, a Methodist minister who became US ambassador to Tanzania. It is here that ousted African rulers can transform from leaders to lecturers in the 15-month tenure offered by Boston University's President-in-Residence programme.

"These guys, who have left office through a democratic process, continue to have a lot to give," Stith told the Star. "By engaging these folks we validate what they have to give and we provide a platform to help change the discussion about African leaders." While Gbagbo never responded to the offer of tenure at Boston University, six former African leaders have, the most recent being former Botswana president Festus Gontebanye Mogae.
Full report on the Toronto Star site

Receive UWN's free weekly e-newsletters

Sponsored Article

Getting to net zero, one community at a time

University of Victoria staff

Accelerating Community Energy Transformation is a University of Victoria-led collaborative initiative that brings together over 40 partners, including Indigenous knowledge keepers and community leaders, to create innovative place-based solutions for energy system transformation.

Promoted by the University of Victoria.

Sponsored Article

Africa pays a premium for global climate change sluggishness

Stellenbosch University staff

Africa needs to stop paying the price for the rest of the world’s recalcitrance to act fast enough in response to the irrefutable conclusions that climate change is real and that the impact of global warming could be devasting, says Professor Guy Midgley, interim director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Promoted by Stellenbosch University.

Sponsored Article

Innovations to ensure energy savings in a hot, arid climate

UAE University staff

Researchers from the United Arab Emirates University have shown that the potential benefits of building energy savings and a cooler indoor environment, as well as improved cooling effect on air temperature at pedestrian level, strongly indicate that a cool roof with high solar reflectance and albedo is a promising strategy for buildings in regions with hot, arid climates.

Promoted by United Arab Emirates University.

Sponsored Article

A new global university ranking with an ethical mission

Aftab Dean

A new university ranking system aims to serve as a catalyst for positive transformation in higher education, ensuring that universities create an environment grounded in integrity and sustainability that inspires and supports students and staff in the development of novel solutions to global challenges.

Promoted by Globethics.net.

Sponsored Article

SDG progress report launches university into new territory

University of Pretoria staff

In the publication of its first progress report on its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, the University of Pretoria is navigating new territory at the same time as it is acknowledging its clear stewardship role in protecting the environment and biodiversity.

Promoted by the University of Pretoria.