UB celebrates career of Claude Welch

He’s been called “a pioneer” and “one of the founders” of the field of human rights in Africa. He’s also been dubbed “the consummate university citizen.”

Claude Welch, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science and a UB faculty member for 52 years — his entire academic career — is retiring at the end of the spring semester. And to honor Welch for his numerous contributions in the classroom, to the department, to UB and to those worldwide working for human rights for all individuals, his colleagues are hosting a special event on April 29 that will bring together experts in the field of human rights for an afternoon of academic discourse and a celebratory reception.

The Professor Claude Welch Retirement Celebration will feature three academic panels, each one focused on a key aspect of Welch’s distinguished career: human rights in Africa, NGOs and human rights, and human rights education.

Leading the session on human rights in Africa is Rhoda Howard-Hassmann, professor of political science at Wilfrid Laurier University and a member of the Royal Society of Canada. Julia Hall, a counter-terrorism specialist for Amnesty International, is leading the panel on NGOs and human rights. Debra DeLaet, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at Drake University and author of a widely used textbook on human rights, will lead the session on education and human rights.

In addition to the Department of Political Science, the event is co-sponsored by the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, the UB Honors College, the UB Humanities Institute, the Office of International Education and the College of Arts and Sciences.