Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia will host a public talk and other events with the Hon. Maria de Fatima Lima da Veiga, Cape Verde ambassador to the U.S., from April 4-5.
Veiga, the first female foreign minister in the African nation’s history, will speak on “International Relations and African Diaspora: The Case of Cape Verde,” April 4 at 5 p.m. in room 480 of the Tate Student Center. The lecture is open free to the public.
Hosted by UGA’s African Studies Institute, Veiga’s visit comes as a result of UGA’s participation in National Model African Union simulations in Washington, D.C., where teams of UGA students have represented Cape Verde for the last two years.
In addition to the public lecture, Veiga will be interviewed on WUGA-FM April 4 at 3:30 p.m., deliver the keynote address at the Global Education Forum on April 5, and meet with faculty, staff and students across campus.
Her visit marks a step toward building close relationships with African countries for the university, said African Studies Institute Director Akinloye Ojo, associate professor of comparative literature in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
“For the African Studies Institute, we hope the visit will assist us in our mission to bring students and faculty from Cape Verde to the University of Georgia,” he said.
Veiga has served as Cape Verde’s ambassador to the U.S. since 2007. Previously, she has worked as Cape Verde’s permanent representative to the United Nations, minister for foreign affairs, cooperation and communities of Cape Verde, secretary of state for foreign affairs and ambassador to Cuba. She speaks Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.
UGA’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute and Office of International Education also are involved in bringing Veiga to campus.
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