Sion College Founder’s Day Lecture – Populism: Conflict and Hope. Speaker: Rory Stewart
Rory Stewart is the Brady-Johnson Professor of Grand Strategy at Yale University. A former UK cabinet minister and diplomat and Member of Parliament for Penrith and the Border, he served as an Infantry Officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, was a professor at Harvard University and has written a number of bestselling books. His book The Marches and his BBC documentary Borderland focus on the history of Cumbria. He co-presents the UK’s top podcast, The Rest Is Politics, with Alastair Campbell, and is also a Senior Advisor to GiveDirectly - the fastest growing non-profit in the world last year, specialising in cash transfers to the extreme poor, particularly in Africa.
Previously, Rory was Secretary of State for International Development, Minister of State for Justice, Minister of State in Foreign Office and DFID, Minister for the Environment and Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. After the army he joined the UK Diplomatic Service, serving in Jakarta, as British representative to Montenegro in the wake of the Kosovo crisis, and as the coalition Deputy-Governor of two provinces of Southern Iraq following the intervention of 2003. He left the diplomatic service to undertake a two-year walk across Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal.
Rory’s books also include: The Places in Between, Occupational Hazards or The Prince of the Marshes, Can Intervention Work? and The Marches. His most recent book, published in September 2023, is Politics on the Edge: A Memoir from Within.
Entry to the Dutch Church will be from 5:15pm, with Evening Prayer at 5:30pm. After this there will be a drinks reception downstairs, followed by the lecture in the Church at 6:30pm and a buffet dinner at 7:45pm. The evening will finish with departure by 9:30pm.
Fellows and members are invited to apply for places for guests (maximum one guest each). However, please note that guest applications can only be accepted if there is space after applications from fellows and members.
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