Jehan Sadat, Former First Lady of Egypt, to Speak at Walden University's Academic Residency

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Jehan al-Sadat, a world-renowned activist for women's rights who has devoted her life to public service and international peace, will be the speaker at Walden University's academic residency on Wednesday, Jan. 19, at Miami's James L. Knight Center.

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Jehan Sadat, widow of the late Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat, is an author, educator, lecturer and social activist both in her country and around the world. Sadat, first lady of Egypt from 1970 to 1981, was the first wife of a Muslim leader to have her picture in the newspaper, to travel outside her country and to take up public causes, which have included education, women's rights, children's welfare and peace. Among her many accomplishments, she is known for organizing the Talla Society for the personal, social and economic empowerment of illiterate and impoverished Egyptian village women; founding the Arab-African Women's League; and organizing the movement to reform Egypt's civil rights laws.

A mother of four, Sadat earned a doctorate in 1986 from Cairo University and currently is a senior fellow with the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is the recipient of numerous international honors and awards and is the author of My Hope for Peace and A Woman of Egypt, her bestselling autobiography.

An online university, Walden offers academic residencies to support students' academic and professional goals by connecting them with individual faculty mentors, student support staff and hundreds of peers. During academic residencies, doctoral students and some master's students have the opportunity to conceptualize and develop research that contributes to positive social change.

An integral part of the residencies, Walden's plenary sessions are led by speakers from all around the world who bring an array of experiences and viewpoints, with the hope of inspiring debate and lively conversation. These sessions are intended to provide Walden students, faculty and staff the opportunity to hear perspectives on a host of topics meaningful and relevant to scholars and practitioners. 

Visit www.WaldenU.edu/perspectives for an archive of past Walden speakers.

About Walden University

For more than 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 42,500 students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries are pursuing their bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world.

Walden offers more than 50 degree programs with more than 225 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration, and information technology. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.

SOURCE Walden University