Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be the "Distinguished Lecturer in Residence" for the next Semester at Sea voyage during the entire spring 2007 semester.
Tutu is a South African cleric and Nobel laureate who rose to fame in the 1980s as a proponent of the struggle against apartheid. He was the first black South African to be elected as the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town.
He and roughly 600 students from universities and colleges all over the world will spend 100 days on the vessel, the MV Explorer, traveling in Africa and Asia with the program. The University is the academic sponsor of the Semester at Sea program.
"The fact that [Tutu] is an internationally recognized figure and a Nobel laureate, as well as his efforts in breaking down apartheid in South Africa and his leadership in the Truth and Reconciliations Commission, will be an invaluable experience for all of those involved," said Les McCabe, president of the Institute for Shipboard Education.
ISE spokesperson Kay Volkema, said a point of focus is the extent to which the students will be interacting on an informal and personal level with Tutu.
"This is the first time someone of his international stature has sailed aboard with a program such as Semester at Sea," Volkema said. "He will be interacting on levels with the students beyond just pure lectureship, as he will be eating with the students, attending student-run events such as the talent show or the mock Olympics, and just being a real part of the community."
Tutu will be guest lecturing in courses such as anthropology, history, religion and political science. He was an "interport lecturer" when he first participated in a partial voyage in 1992. McCabe was present at the time, and recalled that Tutu was an engaging lecturer and was very effective at communicating with the students. For this reason he is particularly eager to have Tutu on board for a full semester.
"His visionary perspectives on global and intercultural understanding make him a special individual," McCabe said. "Now that he will be involved in a full semester with the program, the students will have an unforgettable learning experience."
Tutu's affiliation with SAS is expected to add luster to an academic program that drew criticism from some faculty members at the University. At a Faculty Senate meeting last March some faculty members expressed concern that the courses offered aboard the ship are inferior to those on-Grounds. Spanish Prof. David T. Gies, who will serve as Academic Dean of the SAS program for Summer 2007, said Tutu's presence on the ship will increase the stature of the whole program.
"The Tutu appointment not only raises the profile of Semester at Sea, but also demonstrates the high regard in which the program is held in many circles," Gies said. "His presence will certainly intensify the experience for the students on board and hopefully encourage other high-profile guests and scholars to participate in the program."
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