“This means a lot to me. First, it is a great honor to be invited, and to have my work given this recognition. Second, it will be wonderful to have the time and opportunity to immerse myself in research and writing. I am hoping to write a new book on the psychology of fascism, so the timing is perfect. Third, as I'm sure you are aware, the political situation in the United States is increasingly ominous. The universities here are under a lot of pressure from the Trump regime. Some have been eliminating academic programs that the regime does not approve of, for fear of being punished. Often, when I give public lectures on dehumanization, I am asked to censor my slides — to omit any reference to Trump. So, it means a lot to me to be an academic refugee, if only for a year.”
Andrew Lund Photography
It felt incredible!
Shortly afterwards, that excitement was tempered by some concern about the practical preparations ahead.
“My spouse, the philosopher Subrena Smith, who will be joining me on this adventure, calmed me down. She has always wanted to spend time in Sweden, so she was excited too!”
For the past two decades, Prof. Smith’s work has focused on dehumanization, particularly in relation to race and genocide. He speaks widely in both academic and non-academic settings, and his work has been extensively featured in national and international media.
”I'm looking forward to getting to getting a taste of Swedish culture, getting to know new colleagues, working with graduate students, being part of a distinguished university, and much, much more!”
