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Biddeford, Maine

ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ to host prominent U.N. diplomat for annual Connections lecture on Oct. 17

Younes Abouyoub will discuss the challenges and opportunities of political conflict and the topic of rebel governance

Headshot of Younes Abouyoub against a blue backdrop
Younes Abouyoub, Ph.D.

The ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ will welcome prominent diplomat Younes Abouyoub as the speaker for its annual Connections Lecture series on Thursday, Oct. 17. 

Abouyoub is head of governance and state-building for the Governance and Conflict Prevention Division of the United Nations’ Middle East and North Africa region. His discussion, β€œChallenges and Opportunities of Post-Conflict Political Transitions: Lessons from the Field,” will be held at 12:30 p.m. in the multipurpose rooms of the Campus Center in Biddeford.

The Connections Lecture series, hosted by ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ’s College of Arts and Sciences, brings together leading thinkers from multidisciplinary perspectives. It encourages attendees to engage with scholarly work beyond the classroom with the notion that true understanding comes from breaking down disciplinary boundaries.

Abouyoub is the former head of the political office of the U.N. Under-Secretary General for Conflict Prevention and senior political advisor to the U.N. Secretary General Special Envoy to Burundi. In his current position, he oversees a diverse portfolio of programs on governance, public policy and administration, and institutional development for conflict prevention and sustainable development, which provides member states with substantive analysis, policy advice, technical assistance, capacity-building and knowledge sharing on a host of public governance and institutional matters.

 Abouyoub holds a Ph.D. in political sociology and master’s and post-graduate degrees in geopolitics and law. He is a contributing author to the β€œOxford Encyclopedia of Modern History,” β€œThe Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam,” and β€œThe Routledge International Handbook of World-Systems Analysis,” the β€œEncyclopedia of Global Human Migration.” He has published numerous scholarly articles, op-eds, and contributed to edited books.

Melanie DiLorenzo, M.S., associate professor of Chemistry in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, said Abouyoub’s knowledge and expertise will provide important overlap between multiple disciplines, including history, political science, and even sociology. 

β€œThe Connections Lecture series exists to demonstrate how an individual’s area of expertise has a much broader reach and application than one might expect,” DiLorenzo remarked. β€œDr. Abouyoub’s presentation is timely given the multiple conflicts at the fore of current events. Students and faculty alike should come away with an increased appreciation for the important work of individuals whose task it is to assist in resolving conflict as well as rebuilding communities following conflict.”

Light refreshments will be provided. 

A panel featuring Abouyoub and ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ faculty will also be held at 4 p.m. the same day in the St. Francis Room within the Jack S. Ketchum Library. The panel will focus on the topic of rebel governance. 

About the ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ

The ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.