Pictured with hardhats in hand as they tour Betts House are (from left) Fradique de Menezes, president of São Tomé and Principe; Daniel Esty and Brooke Shearer, director and executive director, respectively, of the Yale World Fellows Program; Henrique Pinto da Costa, de Menezes' adviser and a member of the inaugural World Fellows class; and Kel Ginsberg and Sarah Baldys, fellowship coordinators.

São Toméan president and new World Fellow visit campus

Yale's World Fellows Program recently hosted its first visit by a head of state: President Fradique de Menezes of São Tomé and Principe. Accompanying de Menezes on the May 8 visit to campus was Henrique Pinto da Costa, the president's adviser and a member of the inaugural class of Yale World Fellows. São Tomé and Principe is a small island-nation off the western coast of central Africa. An independent country since 1975 with a seat at the United Nations, the islands remained for many years in virtually total isolation, without a single university or college, no libaries and only one high school. Today, the country stands at the crossroads of development, as the cocoa-producing islands are the new-found site of large deepwater petroleum reserves. The director of a nongovernmental organization devoted to sustainable development, da Costa applied to the World Fellows Program because he was "deeply concerned about his country's future facing this moment of opportunity," says Brooke Shearer, executive director of the Yale program. "Henrique saw the opportunity to go to Yale as a way to obtain sage, neutral advice that could help his country manage their potential wealth in a transparent, ethical way that would benefit all the people of São Tomé and Principe, and not just a small corrupt elite." During their visit to the University, de Menezes and da Costa also met with President Richard C. Levin and joined Shearer and Yale professor Daniel Esty, director of the World Fellows Program, for a tour of Betts House (the former Davies Mansion), where both the program and the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization will be housed. At a dinner in his honor at Mory's, de Menezes thanked the University for offering his country this unique opportunity and told faculty members and students that he is counting on da Costa, as a Yale World Fellow, to offer "invaluable" input into São Toméan policy-making from the minute he arrives on the Yale campus. "Thus, Yale will now be directly linked to the president of this tiny nation as it faces a challenge that far larger and far wealthier countries have not successfully managed," says Shearer. "The Yale faculty and students who will come into contact with the São Toméan Fellow will also have an opportunity to play a direct part in the future well-being of São Tomé and Principe's people. "Promoting these kinds of connections is at the heart of the World Fellows Program," she adds. "This visit by President Fradique de Menezes and Henrique Pinto da Costa is just the first step." T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S Yale strengthens ties with Mexico during Levin's visit Mexican doctoral students at Yale to receive added financial support Yale research on Maya murals presented to Mexican anthropologists Yale scientist Jerry Woodall wins National Medal of Technology Carm Cozza named to College Football Hall of Fame Yale physicist Devoret helps create 'artificial atom' ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS Hazel Carby is named the Dilley Professor Robert Gordon appointed the Kent Professor Brigitte Peucker is new Leavenworth Professor Stuart Schwartz to be new master of Ezra Stiles College IN FOCUS: Yale University Health Services Center Research offers new proof that babies can count São Toméan president and new World Fellow visit campus Joan Steitz honored for her work with 'snurps' Alumni reunions feature talks, tours, music and more Works by '1952's Authors and Artists' to be displayed Graduate School will honor three faculty members for their mentoring Library exhibit marks milestone for monarchy Paintings by award-winning artist on view at Slifka Center Graduate students get practical advice on interview etiquette Longtime city resident named head of University Properties Dwight Hall Management Fellows to oversee center's fundraising Art gallery to showcase 'outsider art' at special fundraising event . . . Tennis coach Alex Dorato is honored as 2001 New England Coach of the Year City gallery features national exhibition juried by Yale sculptor Commencement Information Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News|Bulletin Board Yale Scoreboard|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs Home|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page