Adil Najam

Adil Najam is an academic and writer of Pakistani origin based in Boston. He is currently the Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future and Professor of International Relations and of Geography & Environment, both at Boston University. He is also the founding editor of the blog "".

Prof. Najam holds two Masters Degrees and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His teaching and research focusses on international relations, environment and development policy, negotiation and conflict resolution, and on South Asian issues. Adil Najam was an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University (1997-2002), an Associate Professor of International Negotiation and Diplomacy at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (2002-2007), and returned to Boston University as a Professor of Global Public Policy, of International Relations and of Geography and Environment in 2007. In November 2007, Adil Najam was named director of Boston University's "Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future", where he replaces eminent historian David Fromkin.

Publications

He has published widely in scholarly journals and his books include "Envisioning a Sustainable Development Agenda for Trade and Environment" (co-editor, 2007), "Portrait of a Giving Community" (2007)," "Environment, Development and Human Security" (editor, 2003), "Civic Entrepreneurship" (co-author, 2002), amongst others. He also writes occasionally in the international press and in 2007 launched his blog "All Things Pakistan ("Pakistaniat")."

Awards

Prof. Najam was one of over 450 Lead Authors of the Third and Fourth Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), works for which the IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. cite web | url = http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/551/ | title = IPCC Chair and senior members, incl Prof. Najam, discussing importance of Nobel recognition for IPCC | publisher = Massachusetts Institute of Technology | accessdate = 2008-07-10 ] Prof. Adil Najam won the Fletcher School Paddock Teaching Award (2004), MIT's Goodwin Medal for Effective Teaching (1997), the International Political Science Association's Stien Rokan Award (1997), and the Pakistan Television Outstanding Achievement Medal (1990).cite web | url = http://www.bu.edu/pardee/experts/staff/adil-najam/ | title = Faculty Profile for Prof. Adil Najam | publisher = Boston University | accessdate = 2008-06-02 ] cite web | url = http://fletcher.tufts.edu/faculty/najam/profile.asp | title = Faculty Profile for Prof. Adil Najam | publisher = The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy | accessdate = 2008-06-02 ] He has been a famous Pakistani TV Talk Show host and jounalist who has emerged as a rising star in the international environmental movement according to The Boston Globe.cite web | url = http://www.boston.com/ae/media/articles/2008/02/18/the_moderator/ | title = Adil Najam puts things on global perspective | publisher = The Boston Globe | author = Omar Sacirbey | date = 2008-02-18 | accessdate = 2008-05-21 ]

Controversy

Najam's views have been criticized on several issues. One claim is that he is appearing on various American talk shows as an expert on Pakistan, while his main knowledge is in the technical field of ecology. cite web | url = http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/012255.php | title = What is NPR's excuse? | publisher = jihadwatch.org | author = Hugh Fitzgerald | date = 2006-07-15 | accessdate = 2008-05-28 ] > His liberal views towards pro-peace, anti-violence, advocating American culture such as openly dating of young men and women, depicted in his books as the Pakistani Sufi Muslim way, has been rejected by various Muslim groups throughout the world, and in Pakistan in particularFact|date=June 2008. His stance against nuclear bombs worldwide [ [http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2004/02/18_najam_get-rid.htm Get rid of all nuclear arms] (February 18, 2004)] where he calls for banning atomic weapons in the United States as well as worldwide, has received criticism Fact|date=June 2008.

References

External links

* [http://www.bu.edu/pardee/experts/staff/adil-najam/ Pardee Center Profile of Prof. Najam]
* [http://www.bu.edu/pardee/ Frederick S. Pardee Professor of Global Public Policy]
* [http://www.iisd.org/about/staffbio.aspx?id=569 International Institute for Sustainable Development staff page]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjWPNFe3As0 YouTube of Adil Najam talk on Democracy and the Muslim world]
* [http://www.bu.edu/phpbin/news-cms/news/?dept=1804&id=48749 Boston Globe calls Najam Global Citizen]
* [http://pakistaniat.com "Pakistaniat: All Things Pakistan" blog]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17680938 Voice of Adil on National Public Radio (NPR)]