Global Lecture Series and Speakers
Bringing the wisdom and knowledge of renowned global thinkers to Adelphi.
The Bhisé Center for Global Understanding invites guest speakers with deep scholarship, profound expertise, or recognized leadership in their field, and of international or national renown to Adelphi’s campus to share their perspectives and knowledge with the University community.
Lecture Videos
A renowned professor of economics, author, and adviser to governments and international organizations, Jayati Ghosh, PhD, provided insights into her far-reaching scholarship on issues such as women, gender and work; poverty and human development; her critiques of neoliberalism; and her perspectives on equitable and sustainable development.
Joined by Dr. Gita Surie, professor of management at the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, Dr. Ghosh explored how social sciences (and other disciplines) can conceptualize, research, engage with, and write about history, society, social change, ourselves and others.
Dr. Amitav Ghosh, award-winning author, global thinker, environmentalist, and climate advocate, delivered a thought-provoking lecture as part of the Bhisé Center for Global Understanding’s Global Lecture Series at Adelphi University. In his talk, titled “The Poppy Flower and the Butterfly Effect: History of the Opium Trade and Contemporary Globalism,” Dr. Ghosh, alongside Craig Carson, PhD, associate dean for Academic Affairs in Adelphi’s Honors College, guided the audience through the intricate history of the opium trade. Together, they explored how this trade shaped global connections and continues to influence contemporary globalism. This insightful discussion shed light on the opium trade’s lasting impact and its ongoing relevance in today’s interconnected world.
In 2024, the Bhisé Center for Global Understanding sponsored the Scholarship and Creative Works Conference keynote, Facts vs. News: Navigating Truth in Today’s Media: A Conversation with Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Nicholas Kristof and a panel discussion in which sharing grant-funded research on the impact of colonialism on our past, present and future.
Students who traveled to India with the Bhisé Global Learning Experience also presented their research conducted as part of the trip.
Adelphi student Anna Varveris presented their research “How India Became Binary: Hijras in Text and Images from Colonial to Contemporary Society” at our annual Scholarship and Creative Works Conference.
The untold history of colonialism in Kenya was the subject of the inaugural lecture of the Bhisé Center for Global Understanding’s Distinguished Lecture Series. “A Global Reckoning: Colonialism and the Quest for Justice,” featured Caroline Elkins, PhD, a Harvard University professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Joanne Corbin, PhD, dean of the School of Social Work, moderated the talk.