During this period, President Santos will conduct independent work on poverty reduction and peace building with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) as well as via interaction with the vibrant academic community of the department and University at large. In his capacity as Visiting Professor, President Santos will participate and share his experience as well as enjoying space for his own reflection and writing. 

President Santos is a distinguished public figure and an influential leader, well known for his role in the recent Colombian peace process. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for 'his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end'. During his term in office, which has just closed, President Santos took leadership in global efforts to reduce multidimensional poverty, including co-founding the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN), a South-South initiative of policy-makers working to fight poverty in all its forms and dimensions, launched in Oxford in 2013 by its Secretariat, OPHI.

To mark the onset of President Santos’ Visiting Professorship at the University of Oxford, the department and OPHI are pleased to announce a distinguished public event on 12 November. President Santos will speak on 'Reducing Poverty and Building Peace in Colombia: Inextricably Linked Processes', focusing on the role of robust leadership in dealing with these two highly complex and interlinked issues.

This event will be free and open to the public. 

Register for the event here