{"id":172555,"date":"2023-02-13T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T19:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=172555"},"modified":"2023-02-13T11:34:49","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T21:34:49","slug":"ruth-ben-ghiat-to-serve-as-inouye-chair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/02\/13\/ruth-ben-ghiat-to-serve-as-inouye-chair\/","title":{"rendered":"Notable historian of authoritarianism and MSNBC<\/abbr> columnist to serve as Inouye chair"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Ruth
Ruth Ben-Ghiat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Acclaimed political and cultural historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat will be in residency at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa<\/a> this spring semester as the Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Drawing upon decades of scholarship, Ben-Ghiat is a history and Italian studies professor at New York University, a Guggenheim fellow and advisor to Protect Democracy. She is also an MSNBC<\/abbr> columnist and regular contributor to CNN<\/abbr> and The Washington Post<\/em>. Her latest book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present<\/em>, looks at how illiberal leaders use propaganda, corruption, violence and machismo—and how they can be overcome.<\/p>\n

“Having Dr. Ben-Ghiat here as our Spring 2023 Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals provides an opportunity to consider the surge in illiberal and authoritarian political currents across the globe from our unique vantage point of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and the broader Pacific,” said Peter Arnade<\/strong>, dean of the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa College of Arts, Languages and Letters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

During her residency at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, Ben-Ghiat will meet with students, faculty and the broader community in a series of free public events.<\/p>\n