Former President of Zambia Rupiah Banda is scheduled to depart tomorrow to deliver a lecture at the University of Ghana as part of Boston University’s Africa Studies Programme, according to a media statement distributed today.
The former Zambian head of State, who is President-in-Residence at Boston University’s African Presidential Archives and Research Centre in the United States of America, is expected to discuss his experiences in office, trends of democratisation and the state of African politics.
The residency enables democratically elected former African leaders to spend some time at Boston University, sharing insights and expertise on contemporary trends in Africa. It is funded by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The University of Ghana is part of the Boston University’s collaborative schools that include Morehouse College and Elizabeth City State University in the USA, and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. President Banda spent nearly three months at Boston University early this year and is set to lecture at the University of Dar es Salaam next month.
President Banda on Wednesday returned from Switzerland where he was honoured by the Crans Montana Forum with the Prix de la Fondation award, which is presented to personalities in recognition of their contribution towards peace, democracy and the creation of a better world.
Some of the past receipients of the award include former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev, US civil rights icon Jesse Jackson and Burmese opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Syu Kyi.