Open Society University Network Highlights Threatened Scholar Felix Kaputu, Visiting Faculty at Simon’s Rock

Felix Kaputu

Open Society University Network (OSUN) shared a special highlight on Felix Kaputu, Visiting Faculty in Literary Studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Kaputu is part of the Threatened Scholars Integration Initiative fellowship due to political exile in his home country of Congo.

“Originally a professor at Lubumbashi University in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kaputu was illegally imprisoned for political reasons by government security forces and is now unable to return to his country,” shares the piece. “Since then, he has served as a lecturer in the US, Japan, Belgium, and Poland before being awarded his current Threatened Scholars Integration Initiative fellowship.”

>“This has been a very good experience. I’ve had time to teach, read, write, and publish my research,” shares Kaputu with OSUN. “Not only do I feel like I am part of educating and teaching students but I am also truly a part of the college community here. This makes me feel like I’m not away from home and the people and things I’m used to. In many ways, I find the same kind of people and relations around me. I also enjoy teaching the OSUN classes because they address large audiences from around the world. For someone who is far from home, it’s like an opening to the continent and the entire globe. I find I’m not only connected to people on campus but I’m also connected to students and organizers from all over. I am working with students who are ambitious about obtaining knowledge and meeting others from all around the world. Their desire to talk and have discussions virtually is so impressive and attractive. I can’t imagine what would have happened without this opportunity to both survive and to thrive academically.”

For the full article, please follow this link: https://opensocietyuniversitynetwork.org/newsroom/threatened-scholars-political-exile-felix-kaputu-connects-with-communities-on-campus-and-across-the-globe-2023-11-07