Tuesday, January 19, 2021, Peterborough

The Kennedy Lecture in Global Social Issues, a new endowed sociology lecture series at Trent University, will engage scholars, thought leaders and community members around important global social justice issues ranging from cultural diversity and social experiences to the dynamics of power and inequality.

“This past year has shown us the global interconnectedness of our societies, from the impacts of the pandemic to the worldwide protests for racial justice, and the hope for more equality across different nations as we emerge from this period of economic and social disruption,” explains Dr. Momin Rahman, chair of Trent University’s Sociology department. “This new endowed lecture series provides an opportunity to spotlight such issues by bringing world-leading scholars and practitioners to Trent to enrich our understanding of complex global problems. These lectures will add depth to the learning experience for students across the University and exemplifies the direct and productive impact that alumni have on Trent’s mission to ‘challenge the way you think.’”

The new lecture series, which launches virtually on Wednesday, January 27 at 3 p.m., will provide a focal point for discussions that can lead to a better understanding of our world, our place within it, and an examination of how to make it better.

The inaugural lecturer, Dr. Jeremy Youde, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota Duluth, will examine how in just over a year, COVID-19 has gone from completely unknown to dramatically altering the global landscape.

Professor Youde is an internationally-recognized expert on global health politics and chair of the Global Health Section of the International Studies Association. His lecture, Four Lessons From The Middle of the Pandemic, explores how the global health system has responded to COVID-19, the plethora of unknowns about the virus and how we are starting to see some important truths come to light in governmental responses, how different groups have been impacted and the role of a vaccine.

The new lecture series has been established with a generous donation by Trent alumnus Bruce Kennedy (’66) who completed a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Trent, a Master of Arts in Sociology at Carleton University, and a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University.

"My undergraduate degree at Trent set in motion my life's work in social justice," says Mr. Kennedy. "Through the Kennedy Lecture in Global Social Issues, I hope to help provide access to exemplary scholars and leaders on a global scale that can lead to a better understanding of our world, our place within it, and an examination of how to make it better.” 

In addition to his background in sociology, Mr. Kennedy has also always had a strong interest in international development work. He was a founding member of Amnesty International's national presence in Canada and was recruited as a CUSO volunteer to teach English in a rural secondary school in Thailand for two years. Following this experience, Mr. Kennedy was recruited to a field director position with Plan International, where he focused on pre-primary and adult literacy education and nutrition in Haiti and Sudan. In the early ‘80s, Mr. Kennedy joined UNICEF as its services were expanding in Africa. He worked in various capacities in Zaire, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Madagascar before moving to Fiji to organize support to 13 Pacific island countries. 

Since his retirement, Mr. Kennedy has lived in Thailand and stays active promoting basic education, social justice and intercultural understanding. He has regularly given back to his alma mater—he was the University’s third alumnus-in-residence in 2005. This most recent gift to establish the Kennedy Lecture in Global Social Issues will help further enhance the profile of Trent’s notable Sociology program.

The Kennedy Lecture in Global Social Issues is free to attend and open to all community members. Register now for the January 27 lecture, Four Lessons From The Middle of the Pandemic, with Dr. Jeremy Youde.