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Prof. Wole Soyinka
Nehru Ord
Excitement fills the air in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has been appointed Professor of Theatre Arts at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) starting September 1
“We are very proud and honored to invite world-renowned artist, scholar, activist, true world citizen and Nobel laureate Soyinka to join the NYU community. Abu Dhabi is a transnational and cross-cultural hub for the exchange of Eastern and Western artistic and cultural traditions , which puts NYU in a unique position to catalyze and lead new discourses in the field.
“We are delighted to be home to Soyinka’s intellectual contributions to addressing and engaging with our world and history,” NYU Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann said in a joint statement from her and University Provost Arlie Petters.
“Soyinka is an accomplished artist and dramatist, poet, essayist, musician, philosopher, scholar, teacher, human rights activist and global artist and scholar. His appointment is in line with NYU’s academic strategy and its mission He will play a key role in continuing to elevate the University’s position in the arts and its growth into a research and teaching university of excellence and a global leader in higher education.
“Our location in Abu Dhabi is a transnational crossroads for the exchange of cultural and artistic traditions, and NYU is uniquely positioned to foster new creativity and discourse. We are delighted to be able to offer a place in the UAE for the beauty and power of Soyinka home, let us understand our history and our humanity,” she added.
According to Westermann, Soyinka’s “Arts, Literature, Citizenship and Culture” course this fall will explore issues of citizenship and culture, how works of art are said to “belong” to a country or culture and help shape a nation or culture identify. The workshop will draw on different literary genres from different eras and places – from ancient Greece to the Harlem Renaissance to contemporary Turkey and eighteenth-century England.
Soyinka’s appointment is in line with NYU’s academic strategy and its mission as a university in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. He will play a key role in continuing to elevate the University’s position in the arts and its growth into a research and teaching university of excellence and a global leader in higher education.
“Soyinka has left an impressive legacy in his native Nigeria, as well as in Africa and around the world. The students he has taught and mentored, as well as the many teachers who have translated, developed and expanded his ideas, remains the most tangible and the most enduring legacy. Our community is privileged to be a part of this journey, and his ongoing work will impact future generations,” Petters said.
This is indeed not the first time the Nobel laureate has honored NYU for his outstanding performance. In 2020, he first came to NYU as a writer-in-residence. He then visited at the joint invitation of the African Studies, Film and New Media, History, Literary and Creative Writing, and Drama programs sponsored and supported by NYU College. Other offices throughout the University.
The Vice-Chancellor also took the opportunity to thank Awam Ampka, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities “for his outstanding leadership and key role in this important appointment”.
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