Experts Discuss Development in Lectures at Universities of New EU members
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Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 5 October 2009-Experts from around the world will deliver lectures on development and development cooperation at universities in 12 new European Union countries beginning Oct. 8 at the University of Tartu in Estonia. The talks are part of the“Kapuscinski Lectures” and are named for Ryszard Kapuscinski, a Polish reporter and writer who covered developing countries. The lectures will be organized jointly by the European Commission, United Nations Development Programme and partner universities.
The lecture series will offer students from 12 new member states of the European Union an opportunity to learn and discuss development, the Millennium Development Goals and issues related to development cooperation. These 12 countries have recently become mature donors supporting poorer nations. Their combined development assistance should reach 1 billion EUR in 2010.
As mature donors, the new EU member states also face important questions, which will be addressed during the meetings: Are the new EU member states rich enough to help other countries? What is the new EU member states current role as donors in the EU? Should the new EU member states keep development aid in times of economic crisis? Should the new EU member states postpone the fight against climate change until the global economy recovers? How to ensure that development aid is not wasted and reaches the poor? How is terrorism and instability rooted in unequal development? Which lessons can be learned from the transition economies in Eastern Europe?
Those and other questions will be adressed by the “Kapuscinski Lectures,” which will take place from October to December 2009. Lectures will be followed by roundtables with national development experts and policy-makers. The lectures will form part of the preparations for, and promotion of, the European Development Days-the biggest global event on development. The European Development Days are organized annually by the European Commission and the country holding the EU Presidency. In 2009, European Development Days will be held in Stockholm on 22-24 October.
The lectures honor the name of Kapuscinski, a Polish journalist and writer, who died two years ago. Kapuscinski, whose books were translated into many languages, was often named the “Third World Chronicler” or the “Voice of the Poor” for his reporting and books describing developing countries on all continents. Among other books, he was famous for his “The Emperor” on Ethiopia, “Shah of Shahs” about Iran, “The Shadow of the Sun” about Africa, “Another Day of Life” about Angola, and “Imperium” about Soviet Union.
Participating countries in the “Kapuscinski Lectures” include Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.
For more information contact: Jan Szczycinski, ODA Communications Specialist, UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre, jan.szczycinski@undp.org.
Kapuscinski Lectures - 7 December, Romania, University of Bucharest - lecturer: Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador
Kapuscinski Lectures - 8 December, Slovakia, Economic University in Bratislava - lecturer: Gasana Ndoba, former President of the National Human Rights Committee in Rwanda
