Humanitarian Centre Annual Lecture

Dr Mahabub Hossain, internationally renowned development economist and Executive Director of the international poverty reduction organisation BRAC, will deliver this year’s lecture today, Tuesday 2 March.

With particular focus on Bangladesh, an area that suffers increasingly from heavy flooding as a result of the changing climate, Dr Hossain will talk on the relief – development continuum and the role of BRAC in supporting the resilience of people against natural disasters in the Bangladesh.

Dr Hossain studied economics at the University of Calcutta in 1966 and went on to pursue a Masters in the same subject at the University of Dhaka in 1969. He arrived in Cambridge in 1973 where he took up a Diploma in Development Economics and later gained his PhD.

Prior to joining BRAC, he was the Head of the Social Sciences Division and Programme Leader, Rainfed Ecosystems Programme of the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. He was also Director General of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies from 1989 until 1992.

‘We are delighted to welcome Dr Hossain to speak in Cambridge. Many people will be coming from Cambridge, and from around the UK, utilising this fantastic opportunity to hear a prominent development economist speak on such an important topic’ said Ian Steed, Manager of the Humanitarian Centre.

The Humanitarian Centre is an innovative hub, which aims to maximise the impact Cambridge has on alleviating global poverty and inequality. It works to support local community members, students, academics, non governmental organisations and companies engaged in international relief and development work. The Centre provides networking opportunities, learning events, training courses, and practical support.

The annual lecture is the Centre’s largest event and brings key figures from the international humanitarian community to Cambridge to inform and inspire.

BRAC, previously Bangladeshi Rural Advance Commission, is the largest non-governmental organisation in the world in terms of staff numbers. It runs a large cross section of poverty reduction projects, providing assistance in areas such as agriculture, health and education and works in economically developing countries across the world.

The lecture will take place at 7pm in the Queen’s Building, Emmanuel College. A reception will follow in the Old Library, where international relief and development work from the University and local organisations will be on show.

There will be a podcast and a news report of the annual lecture made available via the Humanitarian Centre website: centreforglobalequality.org

Image: credit Steve Jones