Florida State University’s Institute for Governance and Civics to host guest speakers Feb. 19, 24

The Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC) at Florida State University will host a North Korean defector and the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center for a pair of lectures in February.  

The talks are part of robust lineup of guest speakers that the newly created IGC will host this spring. Established in 2023 by the Florida Legislature, the IGC aims to advance civic literacy and engagement through rigorous research, education and public discourse on America’s founding principles. 

Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector, will deliver her lecture at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, at Club Downunder in the Student Union. Born in North Korea, Park grew up in a punitive society devoted to the worship of Kim Jong-Il. At the age of 13, she and her family made a daring escape to China in search of freedom. Park and her mother endured severe hardships, including human trafficking. In 2009, they crossed the Gobi Desert to Mongolia, ultimately finding freedom in South Korea. Park recounts her story in her memoir In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom. 

Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, will give his talk at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 at Club Downunder in the Student Union. Rosen is the host of “We the People,” a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a professor of law at George Washington University and a contributing editor of The Atlantic. Rosen’s new book, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” explores how classical writers on virtue inspired the lives of the Founders and defined America. 

Both events are free and open to the public; however guests are asked to RSVP at igc.fsu.edu/upcoming-events. 

This spring’s speaker series also includes Charles C.W. Cook, senior writer at the National Review, and FSU Professor of Constitutional Law Alexander Tsesis, who will discuss the tension between free speech and efforts to stop “misinformation;” and Beth Akers from the American Enterprise Institute, who will discuss “The Economics of Higher Education.” For a full schedule, visit igc.fsu.edu/upcoming-events.

For more information, contact Lila Seagle at igc@fsu.edu. 

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