@ Our Best
Meet Marcel Kitissou: Union faculty member
Marcel Kitissou
Marcel Kitissou understands the value of a second chance. The Togo native was living in neighboring Ghana when forced to flee his homeland when the government began to violently repress movement for democratic reforms and brutally suppress opposition members. While in political asylum in Ghana, he was invited by the State University of New York at Oswego to teach in the United States.
The chance to teach in the United States could have served as a much-needed stroke of luck for the exiled Kitissou - except that he didn’t have the money to buy a plane ticket. When he told SUNY-Oswego he could not afford to relocate so far away, the university reached out – and paid his expenses.
Now, he wants to help other adults realize their potential. “Working for Union is a chance for me to give back to the community that helped me. I’m helping to give adults a second chance to fulfill their dreams. It is an opportunity to help those who deserve to be helped.” In his role as doctoral faculty in public policy and social issues, Kitissou draws from both his personal experiences as well as his extensive academic work in history and political science.
He holds two doctoral degrees – one in political science from Syracuse University, and the other in contemporary history from the Université de Bordeaux in France- in addition to several other graduate and professional degrees. He has also served as the executive director for the Africa Faith and Justice Network – a Catholic, Africa-focused research and advocacy NGO in Washington, D.C.
A country specialist for Amnesty International-USA and member of its West Africa Coordination Group, Kitissou shares UI&U’s mission to use creativity to further social justice initiatives and advocacy for human rights.
“UI&U’s values reflect my own. There is a level of respect for social justice and, most importantly, a respect for creativity,” says Kitissou. “Some define creativity mostly in terms of artistic production – but I see it as an effort to create new solutions so that we leave the community a better place for the next generation.”
Recently, he and two of his UI&U doctoral students, John McGarrah and Pierre Gnoan, co-presented a paper on Ethics in Foreign Policy Making: A Comparative Study of U.S. and China’s Approaches to the Crisis in Darfur at a Cornell University symposium he helped to organize.
“I enjoy watching my learners reach their highest potential,” says Kitissou, about working with McGarrah and Gnoan. “I enjoy working with learners who bring to their work their own experiences. We work together to find new solutions to the many challenges confronting our society.”