Arcadia University South Africa Director,
April 13 Lecture:
Of Magic, Mandela and Politics: Exploring Democracy in South Africa
Glenside, Pa., March 17, 2010—Dr. Alan Jansen, Director of Arcadia University’s Center for South African Studies in The College of Global Studies, will address “Of Magic, Mandela, and Politics: Exploring Democracy in South Africa” on Tuesday, April 13, at 4 p.m. in the Castle Rose Room. His address, part of Arcadia’s Faculty Lecture Series, is free and open to the public. Arcadia University is located at 450 S. Easton Road in Glenside, Pa.
Arcadia’s Center for South African Studies is located in Cape Town, South Africa. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990. The past two years in particular have seen his total absence from the political arena, and the enormous influence he exerted over South Africa is fast fading. Jansen’s lecture will explore the implications for South Africa’s young democracy in the wake of Nelson Mandela’s departure from politics.
“The question that I will explore is: What are the implications of this for South Africa’s young democracy?” says Jansen, who will speak about the nature of democracy and whether recent events in South Africa are steps toward its normalization or aspects of its undermining.
Jansen is a native and resident of Cape Town familiar with both U.S. and South African higher education, having done post-graduate study in both countries. Initially trained and pursuing a career in mechanical engineering, his developing interests in education and psychology led to further undergraduate and then post-graduate studies in these fields. Jansen holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town and was a research fellow at Yale University.
Jansen spent 15 years as president of Cornerstone College in Cape Town, where he developed international programs in conjunction with several U.S. universities and colleges. He assisted with the development of the orientation program of the Colby, Bates, Bowdoin independent study-abroad program in Cape Town. He is the founder and Director of Leadership Matters, an organizational leadership consultancy firm, and has been involved as an associate staff member at the Centre for Coaching at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.
About Arcadia University
Arcadia University is a top-ranked private university in metropolitan Philadelphia and the national leader in study abroad. The 2009 Open Doors report ranks Arcadia University 1st in the nation among master’s universities in the percentage of undergraduate students studying abroad. U.S. News & World Report ranks Arcadia University among the top master’s universities in the North, as one of the top study abroad programs in the nation, and a “top up-and-coming school.” The Physical Therapy program is ranked 7th in the nation. Arcadia University promises a distinctively global, integrative and personal learning experience that prepares students to contribute and prosper in a diverse and dynamic world.
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