Larry Diamond in Southern Africa

Professor Larry Diamond, ’74, MA ’78, PHD ’80, is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). At FSI, he is a core faculty member and former director of the Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. A professor by courtesy of political science and sociology, Diamond teaches courses on global democratic development. His latest book, Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Democracy, builds upon four decades of democracy research, including numerous visits to Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

“I fell in love with Africa during my first trip to Nigeria in 1974,” Diamond reminisces. “I love the richness and dynamism of the cultures, the peoples’ warmth and openness to visitors, and the resolute spirit and hope they have even after having suffered so much. And I’m a big believer in ecotourism, which offers an important opportunity for sustainable development.”

During this program, he will discuss such topics as Africa’s quest for development and good governance; political development in South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe specifically; and the saving of African wildlife, such as the African elephant.

• At Stanford: professor, by courtesy, of political science and sociology, since 1990; senior fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, since 2002; former director, Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, 6+ years; senior fellow since 2001 and fellow since 1985, Hoover Institution

• Fulbright Teaching Fellowship, visiting lecturer in sociology, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, 1982–83

• Recipient: Kenneth M. Cuthbertson Award for Exceptional Service to Stanford University, 2016; Richard W. Lyman Award, Stanford Alumni Association, 2014; and Teacher of the Year Award, Associated Students of Stanford University, 2007

• BS, political organization and behavior, 1974; MA, Food Research Institute, 1978; PhD, sociology, 1980—all Stanford University