The Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Fay, will be joining the American University of Nigeria as a faculty member at the end of his diplomatic service in August, 2014.
An official statement from the University’s President’s office, said Ambassador Fay will use Fall 2014 to prepare for classes and will be in residence starting from the Spring of 2015.
In her announcement of this important appointment, AUN’s President Margee Ensign said, “All of us at AUN are very excited that Ambassador Fay will be joining us during the next academic year. His experience as a diplomat, peacemaker, and scholar complements our mission and activities at AUN. We are honored that, like former EU Ambassador David Macrae, who joined AUN last year, Ambassador.
Fay will help to contribute to the education and development mission of AUN, and the further development of Nigeria.”
As a member of the AUN faculty, Ambassador Fay will be teaching political science, philosophy, public administration in the undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as courses in law which are currently being developed by AUN.
On his new appointment, a delighted Ambassador Fay commented: “I am very happy to be joining AUN to teach and to assist with its mission as a development university.”
Ambassador Fay has a rich educational background that includes a BA/B.Ph. from St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth in ethics and political philosophy (1970), an MA in EU Law from the University of Leicester (2001), MSc in economics and /policy studies the University of Dublin (1996), Master of Public Administration from the University College, Dublin (1981), and a PhD in governance from Queen’s University, Belfast (2008). He is completing a graduate diploma in diplomatic studies (Leicester University) and intends to undertake an LLM in human rights law (London University).
He is currently working on a post-doctoral degree in critical thinking, an essential component of education at AUN.
Dr. Ensign described Ambassador Fay as an intellectually astute diplomat, meticulous scholar, and lifelong learner. Before coming to Nigeria, he served in many posts in Dublin in the Home Office before being posted to the European Union in Brussels, and was an active participant in the historic Good Friday Peace Agreement, which brought an end to the long and violent sectarian conflict which plagued Northern Ireland.
Mr. Fay will be the second Ambassador from Europe to join the American University of Nigeria after a successful tour of diplomatic mission duty in Abuja. Dr. Macrae, former European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, joined in August last year as Executive Vice President for University Relations and Development.
Drawing on his first-hand experience of the negotiations leading to the peace settlement in Northern Ireland, Ambassador Fay made one of the lead presentations at the AUN-Adamawa Peace Initiative International Peace and Development Conference held in Yola, from 10th to 13th June, 2014.
Addressing the delegates, the diplomat drew pertinent models from that 30-year religious and political conflict and eventual peace settlement in Northern Ireland, to illustrate lessons that Nigeria might learn from the Irish experience.
The Ambassador stressed the importance of both political leadership and civil society in conflict
resolution. He argued that the military solution might not decisively and comprehensively conclude a conflict like the insurgency which Nigeria faces, and strongly recommended multiple approaches, including development, institutional reform, and improved security.
The ambassador urged political leaders to always speak up for peace in times of conflict.