Nobel Prize Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei Will Speak at Yale

The Yale Center for the Study of Globalization will host Mohamed ElBaradei, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Peace, in a public conversation on October 31 about stemming the threat of nuclear proliferation.

The talk, “Current Challenges in Nuclear Non-proliferation and Arms Control: A Conversation with Mohamed ElBaradei,” will take place at 4 p.m. in the auditorium of Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Ave. It is free and open to the public. ElBaradei will be introduced by Ernesto Zedillo, Director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization.

ElBaradei has served since 1997 as Director General of the IAEA, an intergovernmental organization which serves as the world’s center of cooperation in the nuclear field.  Dr. ElBaradei and the IAEA were jointly awarded the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts “to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way.”

ElBaradei is one of the world’s leading authorities on arms control, nuclear proliferation, and multinational cooperation to address security “threats without borders.”  Earlier this month, ElBaradei called the nuclear explosive test in North Korea “a clear setback to international commitments to move towards nuclear disarmament,” and he reiterated the urgent need to establish a legally binding universal ban on nuclear testing.

A native of Cairo, Egypt, ElBaradei was born in 1942, received a bachelor´s degree in law in 1962 at the University of Cairo, and a doctorate in international law at New York University (NYU) School of Law in 1974.  He began his career in the Egyptian Diplomatic Service and was a special assistant to the Foreign Minister of Egypt.

In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize, he has received multiple other awards for his work. These include the International Four Freedoms award from the Roosevelt Institute, the James Park Morton Interfaith Award, and the Golden Plate Award from the Academy of Achievement. Dr. ElBaradei is also the recipient of a number of honorary degrees and decorations, including a Doctorate of Laws from New York University and the Nile Collar - the highest Egyptian decoration.