Penn State Sustainability

      Anti-apartheid hero and scholar Mamphela Ramphele visiting Penn State

      Doctor, scholar, activist and co-president of the Club of Rome will be featured at Colloquium on the Environment and the Nelson Mandela Lecture

      Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, renowned anti-apartheid activist, medical doctor, sociologist and co-president of the Club of Rome is visiting Penn State from October 9 to 11 to take part in multiple classes, roundtables and talks. Her visit is co-sponsored by Penn State Sustainability, the Africana Research Center, the Center for Global Studies, Penn State Global and the Institute of Energy and the Environment and includes participation in both the annual Colloquium on the Environment and the Nelson Mandela lecture. Credit: Provided by Dr. Mamphela Ramphele. All Rights Reserved.

      UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mamphela Ramphele, a world-renowned activist, medical doctor, academic and political thinker, will visit Penn State Oct. 9-11 for a series of discussions, class engagements and talks focused on her work advocating for social justice, human rights and building global community.

      Ramphele co-founded of the Black Consciousness Movement with South African apartheid activist Steve Biko, which reignited the struggle for freedom in South Africa. She is co-founder of ReimagineSA , co-president of The  Club of Rome  and chair at the Desmond Tutu IP Trust.  She has received numerous national and international awards acknowledging her scholarship and leading role in promoting the empowerment of women, youth and other oppressed people in South Africa and globally.  

      Ramphele will be available for several public events open to all students, faculty, staff and the general public. These include:

      • Monday, Oct. 9, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Sparks 124: Ramphele will delve into her personal and professional journey in a discourse at Penn State. As a key figure in the anti-apartheid struggle and a co-founder of the Black Consciousness Movement, Ramphele will share her reflections on the 30-year trajectory of South African democracy, as well as her own achievements, which include becoming one of the first Black women medical doctors in South Africa and serving as the vice chancellor of the University of Cape Town. 
      •  Tuesday, Oct. 10, noon to 1:30 p.m. in Foster Auditorium 102 Paterno Library: Ramphele will participate in a Colloquium on the Environment roundtable, addressing critical topics related to sustainable development for all and laying out her vision for an intergenerational planetary community. This event will be livestreamed for attendees from across Penn State and the general public.
      • Wednesday, Oct. 11, 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the HUB Freeman Auditorium: Ramphele will deliver the Nelson Mandela Lecture exploring the human rights narrative, while drawing connections between the struggles in South Africa and broader global human rights issues focused on bringing context to "Nelson Mandela the Man," a person with whom she collaborated extensively. This event will be livestreamed for attendees across the University and the general public.

      Ramphele's visit is jointly sponsored by Penn State Sustainability and the Africana Research Center in collaboration with the Center for Global Studies, Institute for Energy and the Environment and Penn State Global.

      For more information and/or to register for the livestreamed events, visit Penn State Sustainability or contact sustainability@psu.edu. 

      Last Updated October 4, 2023

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