Former U.S. President Bill Clinton will be coming to the Hill to deliver this year's Issam M. Fares Lecture on Nov. 6, the university announced in a statement to the press.
The lecture series first started in 1993 and is dedicated to bringing influential public figures to Tufts to share their views on international contemporary issues, especially as they relate to the Middle East.
The Fares Lecture last took place in Feb. 2009, featuring former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Other speakers have included dignitaries like then-Senator and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell and James Baker, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and former U.S. President George H. W. Bush.
"We are privileged that President Clinton, who delivered the Fares Lecture at the dedication of Tufts' Fares Center for Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean Studies almost 10 years ago, will be returning to Tufts," University President Anthony Monaco said in a statement. "This lecture series brings to Tufts some of the world's most influential leaders, and we know that President Clinton will once again challenge, engage and inspire our students and the broader Tufts community."
The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies sponsors the lecture series, which is supported by an endowment from the Issam M. Fares family that seeks to promote Middle Eastern studies in multiple disciplines, shedding light on the region's history and contemporary challenges.
"Our mission at the Fares Center is to bring exceptional leaders to campus who can offer different viewpoints for us to consider through their informed perspectives on international issues," founding Director of the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies Leila Fawaz said in an e-mail to the Daily.
Fawaz noted that Clinton's first address, delivered in 2002, was well received by the Tufts community and expects the same this year.
"Clinton delivered the Fares Lecture almost 10 years ago and we look forward to hearing the thoughts of a public figure of his stature once again," she said. "Students loved his lecture and we thought a new generation of students would enjoy having an opportunity to hear a president of the U.S.A."
Clinton served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001.
During his presidency, Clinton sought to address the Arab-Israeli conflict, most notably at the Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David. After leaving the presidency, he established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the goal of building capacity to meet the challenges of global interdependence in areas such as health, climate change and global poverty.
"Students and faculty as well as everyone in the Tufts family and its supporters are eager to hear what he has to say as he has accomplished so much in the U.S. but also overseas since he left office," Fawaz said.
The Fares lecture did not take place the last two academic years, and administrators explained that it not necessarily an annual event but rather depends on a confluence of factors.
"The timing of the lectures varies depending upon speaker schedules and availability," Fawaz said. "Given the extremely high profile of Fares lecturers, the complexity of organizing such an event is, it's not unusual to skip a year. We're thankful that President Bill Clinton has been accommodating with his incredibly busy schedule and will once again be returning to Tufts."
She noted also that the reputation of both Tufts and the lecture series itself made it possible to engage such high profile leaders to deliver the address.
Tickets will be made available to the Tufts community at a later date.
