January 16, 2007
Speech will focus on ethics of immigration restrictions Political scientist to kick off lecture series
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Stephen C. Shulman, associate professor of political science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, will deliver the first speech in the Frank L. Klingberg Endowed Professorship in International Relations Public Lecture series.
Shulman will discuss "Open versus Closed Borders: The Ethics of Immigration Restrictions," on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the SIUC Student Center Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
"I will analyze the moral foundations of arguments for and against restricting immigration, not just to the United States but to any country," Shulman said. "I think it is an important topic because too often the contentious debate we've seen in the U.S. recently on immigration has focused on relatively narrow issues such as the effect of immigrants on wages, ways to fight illegal immigration, whether amnesty should be given to existing illegal immigrants, etc. In this lecture I hope to broaden the discussion on immigration by identifying the basic ethical considerations involved in placing restrictions on the movement of people across national borders, especially those relating to values such as freedom, equality, justice, order, community and identity."
Shulman, who studies the effects of nationalism and nationhood, is the first recipient of the professorship honoring Klingberg, a professor emeritus of SIUC's Department of Political Science.
Klingberg's career at SIUC spanned three decades beginning in 1946. His work focused on international studies and included founding the Model United Nations student organization. Anonymous donors, including some of Klingberg's former students, gave the University $250,000 to establish the professorship in international relations.
Shulman, who joined the SIUC faculty in 1996, teaches international relations, comparative politics and ethnic politics. His research interests focus on the sources and consequences of nationalism and nationhood. He has an area specialization in the former Soviet Union, particularly Ukraine. In recent years Shulman has been coordinating with officials at the National University of Kiev-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine to establish a political science curriculum there.
Shulman holds a bachelor's degree in history from Carleton College, a master's degree in international relations from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in political science from the University of Michigan.