Press release
Climate expert to launch new lecture series
Published on 14 November 2022
One of Africa’s leading academics will address the University of Dundee at the launch of a major new series of lectures.
Professor Sosten Chiotha will deliver the inaugural seminar in the Africa Lecture Series, which will champion some of the continent’s leading minds.
A highly regarded environmentalist, Professor Chiotha is internationally recognised for his work on climate change. He will use the lecture to highlight the impact of the climate crisis on Lake Chilwa, in his native Malawi, and the vulnerability of the ecosystem and its surrounding communities to a warming planet.
The lecture - Building community and ecosystem resilience to climate change - lessons from Lake Chilwa Basin (Malawi) – will take place at the University’s Dalhousie Building on Wednesday 16 November, from 6-7pm.
Professor Iain Gillespie, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, said, “It is a great honour to welcome Professor Chiotha to Dundee to host the first event in our first Africa Lecture Series.
“His decades of experience and knowledge on climate change places him at the forefront of the discussion on this crucial subject.
“Lake Chilwa is a delicate ecosystem that sustains not only wildlife, but humans who depend on it for food and for their livelihoods. Through the prism of this fascinating location, Professor Chiotha will remind us that the climate crisis is a global problem and that our behaviour here in Dundee has a direct impact on people elsewhere.”
As well as the Regional Director of the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Southern and Eastern Africa, Professor Chiotha is one of Malawi’s first Vision 2063 Champions and a board member for the African Institute for Development.
He has been involved in the drafting of the Malawi National Environmental Action Plan and more recently in the drafting of the Malawi Climate Change Policy and Malawi Meteorological Policy.
Professor Chiotha is a graduate of the University of Malawi, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University of Maryland, USA, He lectures on medical parasitology at Chancellor College, University of Malawi.
Last month, the University published its Founders Project Final Report, which concluded that the wealth of the University’s founder, Mary Ann Baxter, and her family, had been derived indirectly from slavery.
As part of its response to the report’s recommendations, the University has launched the Africa Lecture Series, bringing some of the continent’s leading experts to Dundee to share in conversation and promote understanding.
Building community and ecosystem resilience to climate change - lessons from Lake Chilwa Basin (Malawi) takes place at the University’s Dalhousie Building on Wednesday 16 November, from 6-7pm. Free tickets are available to book online.