Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ambassador Samantha Power , the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, are scheduled to speak at UCLA in the next few weeks.
UCLA invited the political figures to speak in separate campus lecture series because they are world-renowned human rights activists and prominent international figures who would bring attention to UCLA’s lectures, university officials said.
Hillary Clinton’s Luskin Lecture
Clinton will deliver the third annual Luskin Lecture for Thought Leadership on March 5 at Royce Hall. Former President Bill Clinton and former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan have delivered the Luskin Lecture in past years.
A limited number of tickets will be available to students for free beginning at 8 a.m. on Feb. 19 on a first-come, first-served basis at the UCLA Central Ticket Office .
Students have the opportunity to ask questions online which may be addressed during a Q-and-A session after her talk .
Alessandro Duranti , the dean of social sciences and one of the organizers of the lecture, said UCLA chose Clinton as a speaker because he thinks she is able to answer difficult questions and, regardless of her politics, she has been a very important political figure.
Clinton served as the first lady from 1993 to 2001 and was the first female senator from New York, a presidential candidate in the 2008 election and the 67th secretary of state . Clinton promoted affordable health care and represented the U.S. abroad in more than 80 countries . She is also active in philanthropy and focuses on improving global health and protecting the environment .
Samantha Power’s Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture
Power , a member of President Obama’s administration , will deliver the Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture on Feb. 23 , sponsored by the Burkle Center for International Relations and the Yitzhak Rabin Hillel Center for Jewish Life at UCLA .
The lectures, designed to discuss the intersection of journalism and international relations, have included prominent speakers such as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and CNN’s Anderson Cooper . Members of the Burkle Center invited Power because she has been an outspoken human rights activist and has come to UCLA before to talk about the Darfur genocide .
“The Daniel Pearl Lecture has always been an important way for UCLA students to gain a better understanding of how diplomacy and international affairs work,” said Kal Raustiala , director of the Burkle Center . “Samantha Power is a passionate and powerful role model for students who want to make a difference in the world.”
Power , a Pulitzer Prize-winning author , began her career as a journalist reporting the Yugoslav Wars , among other topics. Before serving as the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations , Power served on President Obama’s cabinet as special assistant to the president in a role focusing on U.N. reform, individual rights and human rights.
She was named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people in 2004 .
Alexandra Lieben , the deputy director of the Burkle Center , said the center chose to host Power because students associate her with human rights and view her as a role model.
Student tickets can be purchased at the UCLA Central Ticket Office for $5 .
Compiled by Benjamin Genta, Bruin contributor.