By Aidan Gouley
In this interview, Aidan Gouley (JS Scholar 2022) sits down with Dr. George Rupp, former CEO of the International Rescue Committee, to discuss the role of religion in both conflict and peacebuilding, with a particular focus on Myanmar and the Rohingya Muslim minority. Additionally, the interview explores Professor Rupp’s extensive work in comparative religion and pluralism, lending critical insight into the delicate interplay between politics and religion globally.
After Professor Rupp completed his PhD in Religion at Harvard, focusing his research on religious pluralism, he began an extensive career in academia, most notably teaching at Harvard Divinity School, where he later became its Dean. He also served as President Emeritus of Rice and Columbia Universities. Following his retirement from academia, from 2003 to 2013 Prof. Rupp was CEO of the International Rescue Committee, which is perhaps the most influential NGO in the field of humanitarianism and refugee rights. Dr. Rupp is currently a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Institute of International Affairs and an adjunct professor of religion, public health, and international affairs at Columbia University.