Nobel peace laureate and world-renowned gynecological surgeon to give Hanway Lecture in Global Studies
Denis Mukwege, M.D., Ph.D., a gynecological surgeon and Nobel peace laureate from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will deliver Â鶹Porn’s Hanway Lecture in Global Studies on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. in McGuire Hall. The event is free and open to the public but is encouraged for in-person and virtual attendance.
Dr. Mukwege's talk is titled “Global Demand, Enduring Violence: How the World’s Appetite for New Tech Fuels Conflict in the DRC.”
For more than 25 years, Dr. Mukwege has been treating survivors of sexual violence and women with severe gynecological problems at the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, DRC, which he founded. He serves as the president of the hospital and the , which together are renowned for their pioneering work in specialized responses to sexual gender-based violence, and their work in advocating for the rights and empowerment of Congolese women. Dr. Mukwege and his staff at Panzi Hospital and Foundation have helped to care for more than 87,000 survivors of sexual violence since 1999.
An advocate for the rights of survivors of sexual violence, Dr. Mukwege co-presides over the , which he co-founded in 2019. He has also served on the World Health Organization’s . His action and dedication have been recognized worldwide with various awards, among them the United Nations Human Rights Prize (2008), the Sakharov Prize (2014) and the Nobel Peace Prize (2018), as well as multiple honorary degrees.
“We have so much to learn from Dr. Mukwege,” shared Mary Kate Schneider, Ph.D., director of Global Studies and associate teaching professor of political science. “His work to advance access to medical care for women and to provide redress for victims of wartime sexual violence in eastern Congo, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize, is impressive enough. But his ability to thread the needle between what has been happening in DR Congo, global power structures, and consumer demand for emerging technology truly connects big-picture globalizing processes with their effects on real people at a granular level. We are tremendously fortunate to be able to host him here at Loyola at this year's Hanway Lecture in Global Studies.”
Dr. Mukwege received his M.A. from the University of Angers in France and his M.D. from the University of Burundi. He holds a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium, where he is a professor.
To learn more, register, and submit questions for the Q&A, visit Hanway Lecture.