Alemayehu (Alex) Weldemariam is ACC's first visiting scholar.

Austin Community College is hosting Ethiopian scholar Alemayehu (Alex) Weldemariam this spring as part of the college’s new International Visiting Scholar Program.

Weldemariam will co-teach with ACC faculty members, incorporating peace studies into subjects such as psychology and sociology. He also is a visiting scholar at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Weldemariam has a master’s degree in peace and conflict studies from the European University Center for Peace Studies in Austria, as well as an LLB (bachelor of law) from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. He has researched and published extensively on Ethiopian law, politics, national security, foreign policy, and peace and security issues.

“I’m grateful to be at ACC and to have the opportunity to work closely with the college’s students and faculty,” Weldemariam says. “Teaching has always been my calling.”

This program represents a new partnership between ACC and the Scholar Rescue Fund to provide a haven for scholars at risk for persecution in their home countries. More information is available on the International Programs webpage.

The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund provides fellowships for established scholars whose lives and work are threatened in their home counties. These fellowships permit academics to find temporary refuge at universities, colleges, and research institutes throughout the world.

To schedule an event with Weldemariam, contact William Hayden of International Programs at 223.7689 or [email protected].

Weldermariam will be speaking at these upcoming events:

February 27

Inaugural International Visiting Scholar Speaker Series, Riverside Campus Main Auditorium, Building 8000-Room 8100 (8:00 p.m.) co-sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Sciences. The topic will be “The Transnational Solidarity of Scholars-at-Risk and Human Rights Campaigns in Ethiopia.”

March 1

ACC Student Life Diversity Symposium, Highland Business Center. Morning workshop “E Pluribus Unum: Celebrating Diversity” in Room 217 at 9:30 a.m.

April 19

Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies Conference, Freedom from Fear and Want: Conceptualizing Peace and Security, Eastview Campus, Room 8500Â (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.).