Speaker: Shahidul Alam, Photographer, writer, human rights activist, and Time magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year
Moderator: Geeta Anand, Acting Professor of Reporting, UC Berkeley School of Journalism

The Subir & Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies at UC Berkeley is honored to welcome Time magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year, photographer, writer, and human rights activist Shahidul Alam to deliver the Chowdhury Center Distinguished Lecture for 2019.

PLEASE NOTE THAT PARKING WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT ON THIS DAY DUE TO A CAL FOOTBALL GAME. YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OR USE A RIDE SHARE APP (LIKE UBER OR LYFT) AS PARKING WILL BE MOSTLY RESERVED FOR THOSE COMING TO THE GAME.

Time magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year, photographer, writer, and human rights activist Shahidul Alam, obtained a PhD in chemistry from London University before taking up photography. Returning to his native Bangladesh in 1984, he campaigned to bring down autocratic general Hussain Muhammad Ershad. In his pursuit of social justice, he set up the award-winning Drik Picture Library, Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, and Chobi Mela international photography festival. His book My journey as a Witness has been described by John Morris, the legendary picture editor of Life magazine, as the “most important book ever written by a photographer.” A recognized public speaker, Alam has lectured at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Stanford, and Yale universities. He has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Modern, and Centre Georges Pompidou. His awards include a Lucie Award, as well as the Shilpakala Award, the highest cultural award given to Bangladeshi artists. Alam is the only person of color to have chaired the prestigious international jury of World Press Photo. He is a visiting professor of Sunderland University and an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. In 2018, he was jailed and tortured for speaking out against his government’s repressive practices.

Read more about Dr. Alam HERE.

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Established in 2013 the Subir & Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies at UC Berkeley champions the study of Bangladesh’s cultures, peoples and history. The first of its kind in the US, the Center’s mission is to create an innovative model combining research, scholarships, the promotion of art and culture, and the building of ties between institutions in Bangladesh and the University of California.

For DIRECTIONS to the Center please enter “Institute for South Asia Studies” in your google maps or click this GOOGLE MAPS LINK.

PARKING INFORMATION
Please note that parking will be very difficult on this day due to a Cal football game. You are strongly encouraged to take public transportation or use a ride share app (like Uber or Lyft) as parking will be mostly reserved for those coming to the game.

EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Event Contact: isas@berkeley.edu, 510-642-3608