Just a week into the Fall 2009 Semester and the University of Lethbridge is offering two prominent and engaging speakers on consecutive evenings.

Ian Hacking and Stephen Lewis will be on campus making presentations the nights of Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 respectively.

Hacking comes to the U of L as part of the Owen G. Holmes Lecture Series. A professor in the department of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, Hacking will present, The Abolition of Man.

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“A Canadian philosopher of international stature, Hacking delves into the philosophy of physical and social science,” Academic Initiatives Manager, Paul Sparrow-Clarke, says. “His book, The Taming of Chance, has been called one of the best non-fiction books of the 20th century. We are privileged to welcome him to our campus for a public lecture.”

Hacking presents Wednesday, Sept. 16, 7 p.m. in L1060. Admission is free.

The next night, Stephen Lewis will make his appearance as part of the Discovery Lecture Series. A professor in Global Health at McMaster University and former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Lewis appeals to a broader audience and is expected to draw a large following from the general public.

“Lewis’s work has inspired many in our region to get involved in helping communities in Africa that have been devastated by the AIDS epidemic,” Sparrow-Clarke says. “This lecture will be video-conferenced to dozens of public libraries across southern Alberta, so it is a great opportunity for a wide audience to hear a great Canadian speak.”

Lewis will address the growing disparity in the standard of health between the developed and developing countries. He will take a hard look at the emergence and re-emergence of communicable diseases, the struggle for pharmaceuticals at low cost, the absence of health professionals, the question of resources, and the overall efforts of impoverished societies to reach the admirable levels of health which characterize Canada and the United States.

The Lewis lecture, Global Health: Hope or Deterioration?, is Thursday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m. in the University Theatre. A book signing will follow.