Dr. Brian Adams, an internationally recognized expert in intercultural dialogue and former Rotary Peace Fellow, will present “Building Bridges for a Resilient World: University Leadership and Interfaith Engagement” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, in the Dr. William P. Alexander Recital Hall on the PennWest Edinboro Campus.

Part of the Dr. James Drane Speaker Series on Religion and Culture, the presentation will explore the vital role of public universities in fostering essential leadership and community engagement.

Dr. Adams’ lecture will delve into the mandate public universities hold to cultivate leadership that bridges divides and strengthens communities in today’s increasingly polarized world. He will emphasize the transformative power of community engagement, illustrating how it can benefit both universities and the communities they serve.

With a Ph.D. in Political Science and master’s degrees in Community Development and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Adams brings a wealth of expertise in promoting interreligious, intercultural and inter-organizational respect and understanding. His extensive experience spans over 20 years, encompassing work in Africa, Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region.

With 20+ years of experience working in Africa, Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific, Adams will share examples from his own work leading community engagement initiatives around the world.

Currently, Dr. Adams serves as the chair of the governing board for A Common Word Among the Youth (ACWAY), an international NGO dedicated to supporting youth leadership in interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

During his presentation, Dr. Adams will draw upon his own experiences leading a center focused on community engagement, providing concrete examples of the benefits public universities gain from actively building bridges of dialogue and goodwill across religious and secular groups.

For those at California and Clarion campuses, the lecture is offered via Zoom.

About the Dr. James Drane Speaker Series on Religion and Culture:

Funded by the generosity of the late Dr. James F. Drane, a long-tenured Edinboro faculty member and founder of Edinboro’s Bioethics institute, the thought-provoking lecture series addresses the topic of religion and spirituality. Lectures are free and open to the public.