Journalist Gwynne Dyer, whose newspaper columns are syndicated throughout 45 nations, holds a public lecture at the University of Waikato early next month.
Dyer's free public lecture is on Tuesday September 2 at 7.30pm, where he will speak about the geopolitical implications of climate change.
Dyer is an independent journalist based in London who writes on world affairs for more than 175 newspapers, including the Waikato Times. Originally a military historian, Dyer now writes columns, books, makes documentaries and lectures on international affairs. His columns cover a wide range of world affairs, from Middle East politics to the recent Georgian-Russian skirmishes.
Dyer has degrees from Canadian, American and British universities, and began writing about the Arab-Israeli conflict for newspapers in the early 1970s and has spent the past 20 years in full-time journalism. He has written books such as Ignorant Armies, about going to war in Iraq, and has produced several series for radio, including one called The Gorbachev Revolution.
The university and the Waikato Times, a Fairfax daily newspaper, have collaborated to bring Dyer to Hamilton. He is visiting friends in the country and is taking the chance to meet with some of the thousands who read him regularly.
University Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford said the university was honoured to host such a highly regarded writer such as Dyer. "Increasingly we are aware that the university operates not just within New Zealand but on a global scale, and by hosting top communicators such as Gwynne Dyer, we are helping people tap into the international consciousness."
Waikato Times Editor Bryce Johns expected readers to flock to Dyer's session. "This is a rare opportunity to hear a man whose opinions on world affairs are keenly digested. The world section of the paper is one of the most widely read, and there are few commentators able to get to the point of a conflict or issue like Gwynne does."
Dyer speaks at the university's Wel Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts on Tuesday September 2 at 7.30pm.
