In an email message sent to Columbia Economics faculty, world-renowned economist, Jagdish Bhagwati, vehemently denounces the ill-advised tribute earlier accorded to Ethiopia’s dictator, Meles Zenawi.
Characterizing the Columbia faculty who were behind the invitation of Zenawi as “entrepreneurs,” Professor Bhagwati writes:
… as soon as you dilute these objectives [i.e., teaching and high-quality research, the twin pillars of universities’ functioning] by giving unaccountable power and funds to “entrepreneurs” whose objective is to use the University to advance their own agendas, you get into situations like the one you object to. It seems probable that the President’s office was merely reproducing uncritically the rubbish that was supplied by one of these Columbia entrepreneurs whose objective is to ingratiate himself with influential African leaders regardless of their democratic and human-rights record, to get PR and “goodies” for themselves at African summits, at the UN where these leaders have a vote, etc.”
He went on to affirm:
In short, the rot begins with these people, NOT with President Bollinger who is merely a victim of these “unacademic” Professors on campus who have gotten close to him, I am afraid.”
Jagdish Bhagwati is a University Professor at Columbia University and a Senior Fellow in International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. He has been Economic Policy Adviser to Arthur Dunkel, Director General of GATT (1991-93), Special Adviser to the UN on Globalization, and External Adviser to the WTO. He has served on the Expert Group appointed by the Director General of the WTO on the Future of the WTO and the Advisory Committee to Secretary General Kofi Annan on the NEPAD process in Africa, and was also a member of the Eminent Persons Group under the chairmanship of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso on the future of UNCTAD. Five volumes of his scientific writings and two of his public policy essays have been published by MIT press. The recipient of six festschrifts in his honor, he has also received several prizes and honorary degrees, including awards from the governments of India (Padma Vibhushan) and Japan (Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star). Professor Bhagwati’s latest book, In Defense of Globalization, was published by Oxford University Press in 2004 to worldwide acclaim.
The full text of Professor Bhagwati’s message is cut and pasted below.
Sent: Sat 9/18/2010 6:11 AM
From: Professor Jagdish Bhagwati
University Professor, Economics and Law
Columbia University
I understand the anguish of Professor Nagash over the Columbia University invitation to PM Zenawi of Ethiopia who is allegedly a man deserving of condemnation, especially as regards academic freedom and independence in his country (especially since Columbia is a university).
I understand also that the objection is not to the invitation per se but particularly regarding the encomiums extended to this PM on the Presidential website (without President Bollinger even knowing about its contents, I am sure).
Columbia has correctly decided to be a global university, like some others, like Yale. But this must mean bringing foreign universities and faculties and students, and our own, into mutually rewarding contact: i.e. through teaching and high-quality research, the twin pillars of universities’ functioning through centuries.
But as soon as you dilute these objectives by giving unaccountable power and funds to “entrepreneurs” whose objective is to use the University to advance their own agendas, you get into situations like the one you object to. It seems probable that the President’s office was merely reproducing uncritically the rubbish that was supplied by one of these Columbia entrepreneurs whose objective is to ingratiate himself with influential African leaders regardless of their democratic and human-rights record, to get PR and “goodies” for themselves at African summits, at the UN where these leaders have a vote, etc.
In short, the rot begins with these people, NOT with President Bollinger who is merely a victim of these “unacademic” Professors on campus who have gotten close to him, I am afraid.
In short, the real issues are different from what you worry about. We need a dialogue on how Universities are being “captured” by such entrepreneurs who should NOT be in universities, or at least in prominent positions at Universities. And we need full transparency on their activities and University funding (which is often diverted in effect to them at the expense of scholarly research and teaching.
Warm good wishes,
Professor Bhagwati
www.columbia.edu/~jb38
9 thoughts on “Columbia economist decries accolade given to Meles Zenawi”
Woyane and illiterate tegadalite rulers of Ethiopia read the comment given by real educated person. By destroying Ethiopia do you think tigray will advance? If this is what you think soon or later you need to start digging your own graves.
Great job invictus Elias!They are picking the wrong guy,this uncircumsized hooligans.Every son and daughter of Ethiopia should be at the gate and inside the hall and strip necked the notorious kapo infront of his servants and masters.
Thanks Elias for keeping us informed. I am very grateful to you. Good to know that there are still some people in this world who have moral courage to speak up against someone’s immoral behavior.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Fri, Sep 17, 2010 5:23 pm
Subject: [OSA] Your invitation of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
Dear President Bollinger,
As a columbia alumnus (class of ’99, PhD in Economics) and a regular contributor to Columbia’s annual fundraising drives, I am deeply dismayed by your decision to invite Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the autocratic ruler of Ethiopia, as this year’s guest speaker at the “World Leaders Forum”.
At a time when many African countries–and their peoples–are suffering from bad governance and looking for accountable leadership, your inviation of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, a person labeled by the New York Times as an example of “autocratic repression”, sends the wrong message to Africans and to world as a whole. It says that Africans are judged by a different leadership and governance standard, where those who engage in pleasing their external audience by talking nice, and otherwise use brutal tactics to suppress dissent and the free will of their own people at home, can pass up as “good global leaders”. A little bit of background research and independent analysis would have revealed that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, by his own actions over the last eighteen years, has disqualified himself from the bill of a good leader. Below, I attach some samples of recent human rights reports on Ethiopia for your reference:
http://www.hrw.org/africa/ethiopia
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/af/135953.htm
Worse still, your invitation now of Prime Minister Zenawi barely three years after inviting the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the same Forum gives the impression that Columbia University, through its Global Leaders Forum, now actively promotes dictators who suppress the voices of their own people. While this may not have been your intention, it is unfortunately a conclusion that I–and many of my other Columbia Alumni friends–have come to draw from these recent actions. This is truely unfortunate as I and many of my friends also know–through the many wonderful and memorable years we spent at Columbia –that its ideals of learning and teaching are founded on the basic principles of free, open and tolerant society, where differences are valued, and where global excellence and accountability in leadership are not only encouraged but expected. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, however, is no symbol of openness or tolerance: according to a recent report of Human Rights Watch: “Ethiopia’s citizens are unable to speak freely, organize political activities, and challenge their government’s policies–through peaceful protest, voting, or publishing their views–without fear of reprisal.” As a result, the Prime Minister’s party won last May’s election by 99.6 per cent while opposition parties secured only one seat in the 547-seat parliament.
I strongly urge you to withdraw your invitation to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi as your guest speaker at this year’s World Leaders Forum. There are many other qualified African Leaders who, if given the opportunity, could use that stage to spread the message of freedom, openness, and good and accountable leadership–and by so doing could cast Columbia in good light.
Sincerely Yours,
Abebe Adugna (PhD, Columbia Alumni)
Thank you sir!!! I hope they don’t start labeling you and Brother Elias
Anti-Semitics. That is what very few despicable thieves cry when they are caught scheming or stealing these days. I discussed the situation these two potential looters have created at this respected institution with my Jewish friends this afternoon. They know the situation back home and they were flabbergasted the same as all of us. But they brought up this issue of labeling used by few individuals like them to shut up those criticizing. They may call themselves neo-conservatives or whatever. To me they look like neo-kapos (capos).
When this big,this wide,this far,and this deep lands that are full of natural resources in Ethiopia,and besides,everything and anything that is available below and above the lands in Ethiopia are owned,controlled,and run by Zinawians, it is obvious that they are extremely rich;they have money,they have guns and bullets,and they can hire and buy any foreigners and home-grown hoddams for cash to partner with them and do the injustice and the robbery on Ethiopians on domestic and international scale and level.
Ethiopians have people with them, but Zinawians don’t have. When Zinawians robbers came into Ethiopia,they were barefoot and had deep hatred for Ethiopians.As cruel and as beast they were,they did not waste time; they quickly dispatched themselves across and allover Ethiopia,they moved into villages,towns,cities,and neighborhoods and broke into homes and vandalized the lives of families.Crime and punishment that is what we are talking about.
Ethiopians,remember-Zinawians turned our homeland into their business empire;in their wicked mind,Ethiopia is not existed;it is just they absorbed our culture, tradition, habit,and customs and they are simply faking being Ethiopians. Zinawians invaded Ethiopia and created their own world,for themselves.In their world,there is tribal rule,but there is no the rules of law. Ethiopians, Zinaiwans’ world is not our world;our world is Ethiopia and the future the generation that we humbly want to protect and die for Ethiopia.
Zinawians have a lot of money in their bank account;they use it for pleasure and destructive activities against Ethiopia.
There is no justice in Ethiopia; the world knows it. When this is the fact and the reality, do Zinawi’s foreign partners care about it?
That is why the few professors and the president of Colombia University president invited their criminal gang on their campus.He should have been taken into prison.Well,Ethiopians shall win through intensified struggle against the enemy.
If the last few days were any indication, one was close to conclude that perhaps all the Columbia University faculty in Economics have either an affinity to dictators, or are afraid of, if not, intimidated by the two “elephants in the mist” to speak up.
Thank you Professor Bhagwati for speaking out the truth and for identifying the true nature of their activities which go beyond the search for knowledge or academic excellence.
In addition, nothing short of an invesigation of their past activities and full accounts of their funding sources will restore the trust built upon the credibility of the Economics faculty or the tarnished image of the Columbia University.
To conclude, thank you again Professor Bhagwati for being the voice for the voiceless citizens of Ethiopia who are longing for liberty, freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and wishing for the ever departure of the smooth talking tyrant coming to a Town Near You.
God Bless Ethiopia & protect her citizens
Yibel, Jegna,Elias Kifle! You are doing great for our people.
This is just to express appreciation to the courage that the respected economist, Professor Bhagwati, shown in revealing the truth behind the Columbia policy “entrepreneurs” whose reward is clear to see to any individual who happens to listen to them in various forums. Mr. Stiglitz and Mr. Sachs both are trying in their little ways to be celebrity figures. If you happen to meet them in Addis Ababa you really wonder how much they were given the red carpet reception that they could not imagine in the corridors of academic research and teaching.
They are indeed not academic or teaching economists. They have indeed become spin doctors. Just ask Mr. Stiglitz or Mr. Sachs to name just one academic economist in Ethiopia. They will not name one let alone to hold discussion on economic issues. You would imagine that such individuals would have interest to visit the local university or academic institution and mix with their professional colleagues more than rubbing shoulder with politicians. I can tell you, both Stiglitz and Sachs have never bothered to visit or even talk to local economists in Ethiopia, and my sense is anywhere else in developing countries. They are the guests of the politicians and their academic cap is left behind.