A leading international expert and published author in the field of linguistics and world politics will make a rare trip to Scotland next week in a visit that will feature a video-link up with the University of Aberdeen.
Noam Chomsky, Professor of Linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, will deliver a talk entitled The Fateful Triangle: The US, Israel & the Palestinians, on Tuesday, March 22, at the McEwan Hall, Edinburgh, at 12.00 noon. The live link-up at the University of Aberdeen will be held at King’s College Centre from 11.45am until 1pm, followed by a question and answer session until 1.30pm.
Professor Chomsky has a major international reputation, and has written and lectured widely on linguistics, philosophy, intellectual history, contemporary issues, international affairs and U.S. foreign policy.
He gives just 12 international talks per year and due to the demand for tickets for next week’s Edinburgh talk, organisers have arranged for video link-ups with academic institutions across Scotland, Italy, Palestine and Croatia.
Dr Peter McCaffery, Lecturer in History at the University of Aberdeen, has helped to arrange the link-up and is delighted that the Aberdeen audience will be able to experience the event.
He said: “We’re lucky that modern technology enables people outside Edinburgh to get the benefit of Chomsky’s visit to Scotland. Audiences in Glasgow and other places as far afield as Inverness and Ullapool are going to have the opportunity of hearing a challenging analysis of what is currently happening in the Middle East.”
Professor Chomsky (76), made his name in 1957 with a book called Syntactic Structures, followed by many books on linguistics over the succeeding years. His political writings have included The Political Economy of Human Rights (1979) and Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies (1989).
Dr Barbara Fennell, Head of the School of Language and Literature at the University of Aberdeen said: “Noam Chomsky has been a major figure in linguistic research throughout my lifetime and we are honoured to hear him speak in Aberdeen via this link-up. He is always stimulating in his discussions of Middle East and US politics and this lecture is very welcome, given current events in Palestine and Syria.”
Anyone needing additional information about the live video-link up of The Fateful Triangle: The US, Israel & the Palestinians, on Tuesday, March 22, at the University of Aberdeen, can contact Peter McCaffery on (01224) 272769, or by email at p.mccaffery@abdn.ac.uk. The Aberdeen audience will be able to see and hear the talk, but as it is a passive link, they will not be able to take an active part in the question session afterwards.
Professor Chomsky’s visit to Scotland has been organised by Edinburgh University Palestine Solidarity Society, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Edinburgh University People & Planet, Student Action on Refugees, and Scottish Jews for a Just Peace.