Environmental disasters in Central Asia are the topic for a public lecture by Struan Stevenson MEP during a visit to the University of Aberdeen on Thursday February 10.
The public talk entitled ‘Stalin’s Legacy: Environmental Disasters in Central Asia’ takes place at 5.30pm in Lecture Theatre 051 in the MacRobert Building, adjacent to the roundabout linking King Street and St Machar Drive.
All are invited, there is no need to book, and the lecture will be followed by a short reception.
The lecture is part of a series being presented by Mr Stevenson at universities across Scotland to bring the environmental plight of central Asia to the attention of the Scottish public.
Since 1999, Struan Stevenson has campaigned widely to attract aid for the victims of the Soviet nuclear testing programme in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate, an Honorary Professorship and the Freedom of the City of Semipalatinsk for his work. In 2004, he won a prize for his entry in an International Essay Competition (sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation) for a feature about the suffering of the people of Semipalatinsk. He subsequently gifted the $50,000 prize to Mercy Corps Scotland to assist with their work in Semipalatinsk. In 2006, he published a book on the Soviet nuclear tests entitled ‘Crying Forever’, the proceeds of which he donated to the oncology and children's hospitals in Semipalatinsk.
Struan Stevenson was elected to the European Parliament in 1999 and is one of Scotland’s six MEPs. He is a well known for his interests in environmental issues and international and humanitarian affairs.