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Yale professor calls on UEL academics to stamp out world poverty

Friday 30 November 2012

Thomas Pogge

Leitner Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs at Yale University, Thomas Pogge, gave an impassioned public lecture at the University of East London on Wednesday, urging academics ‘to come down from their ivory towers’ and take direct action in eradicating world poverty.

In a compelling address, he told students and staff that where businesses and politicians had failed, it was now up to the academic world to tackle this global crisis, which he described as being more devastating than the Second World War in terms of lives lost. Validating this claim, he explained that while 7 million people had died in the war, 400 million people had died globally from poverty-related deaths in the last twenty years; largely caused by health problems which are all but eradicated in the developed world.

Professor Pogge, who co-created and is president of the international organisation, Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP) backed his argument with many such sobering statistics, adding that: “Academics are the ideal people to take on the role of educators in society, with a unique skill set in their ability to describe, explain, assess and reform.”

Dr Meera Tiwari, Field Leader in the School of Law and Social Sciences, who organised the event, said: “As a school, we are delighted to host a guest of Professor Pogge’s international standing - especially when addressing such an important issue. I doubt there was anyone in the room who was not shocked by the scale of the problem he revealed and who wasn’t subsequently drawn to reassess their own role in addressing this global crisis.”

(photo credit: Gavin Tapp) 

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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