Welcome to Global Thinking, the newsletter of the College of Arts and Sciences at Webster University.

The Sanskrit word sat means “truth,” “authenticity,” or “reality.” Satish is the adjective, describing something that has truth, authenticity, or reality. Satish Kumar, Webster’s Des Lee Visiting Professor for 2008, could not be more aptly named. As you will learn when you read about him in this issue, Satish is the genuine article. At his official lunch with E. Desmond Lee, who donated this rotating professorship to Webster, Des began by telling Satish that he was eager to learn from someone with Satish’s credentials, to which Satish replied, “My only credential is love.”

Des, uncharacteristically, was taken aback, but before long Satish was passionately discussing his Gandhi-inspired ideas about environmentalism, spirituality, and social justice. As the lunch ended, Des said: “Satish, don’t take this the wrong way, but when this lunch began I thought you were nuts. But now that I’ve heard you out, I can see that you’re the real thing. Your way of thinking sounds to me like the only real hope we have for our future.”

Much of the hope that is inspired by Satish’s way of thinking has to do with his deep commitment to the rights of all humans. These rights were powerfully formulated 60 years ago in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To recognize this important anniversary, the College of Arts & Sciences is designating 2008-09 as the “Year of International Human Rights” at Webster. Many of the thought-provoking and, we hope, action-provoking activities planned for that year are detailed in another Global Thinking story. A companion piece to that story is a set of remarkable excerpts from the journal of a graduate of Webster’s Philosophy and Human Rights programs, Ashley Taylor, in which she provides a vivid account of her experiences as a young Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan.

Another professor who has sometimes been called nuts, but who is every bit as satish as Satish, is English professor emerita Reta Madsen, whose profile highlights how she transformed the lives of many students during her decades of teaching in St. Louis. I’m sure that Des Lee would agree that Reta and Ashley likewise inspire real hope for our future.

David Carl Wilson, Dean