 Media Credit: PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN LEVINSON
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A group of Fordham students received an insider's perspective on the current state of South Africa this past Monday, as Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., hosted a lunch with Eric Bost, the United States Ambassador to South Africa. The South African consul general, Fikile Magunbane, and vice consul, Ivan Vosloo, were also in attendance. The event took place in the President's Dining Room at the Lincoln Center campus. Among the attendees were John Tognino, chairman of Fordham's Board of Trustees; Dr. Stephen Freedman, senior vice president and chief academic officer; Rev. Patrick Ryan, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry; and Dr. Donna Rapaccioli, dean of the College of Business Administration.
The Office of the President invited three groups of Fordham students to the lunch: members of this year's GO! South Africa team, undergraduate business students who will be participating in a South Africa study tour next March, and graduates students in the International Political Economy and Development program. Approximately 15 Fordham students participated, and the total attendance was just above 30.
McShane said that he met Bost at a recent event in London and invited him to speak at Fordham, adding that the ambassador accepted the offer immediately.
"I thought it would be really refreshing for our students to interact with the United States ambassador to one of the most important diplomatic posts in the world," McShane said in an interview after the event.
Bost spent the first part of the lunch sharing his own experiences and insights before opening the floor to questions. A political appointee of President George W. Bush, Bost is currently in the second year of his ambassadorship. He has worked with the president for 15 years, dating back to Bush's days in Texas and including a more recent stint as an undersecretary in the Department of Agriculture.
Bost opened his talk by discussing his three major initiatives for South Africa: combating HIV/AIDS, promoting counterterrorism efforts, and encouraging U.S. investment both in South Africa and throughout the continent.
Since he took over as ambassador, Bost has seen progress in the U.S. effort to help combat HIV/AIDS. Bost said that he personally spoke to Bush and requested that the funding to help combat the disease in South Africa be increased to $600 million. Bush granted the request.
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