Distinguished scholars, respected colleagues, members of the STAR Global Scholar Network, friends
across continents
Today, on the eve of the 97 th birth anniversary of one of the most extraordinary public intellectuals
of our time: Professor Noam Chomsky, I invite all colleagues to join us for a celebration. Few individuals have shaped the moral, political, and intellectual contours and imagination of the modern world as profoundly as Professor Chomsky has. In
honoring Noam Chomsky, we affirm the profound truth he has revealed across decades that the exposure
of power’s illusions, the warning against militarism’s dangerous arc, the recognition of the climate crisis
as a civilizational reckoning, and the defense of social justice as humanity’s moral anchor are inseparable
threads in the tapestry of our endeavor and struggle for a just and sustainable world. His work stands as a
lighthouse unwavering, uncompromising, guiding us through the storms of political deception, ecological
crisis, militarism, and deepening global inequality.
For more than seven decades, Prof. Chomsky, you have challenged and confronted the powerful and
comforted the common people. You taught us that the work of an intellectual is not to celebrate power but
to speak truth to it. In an age where truth itself is under assault, your voice remains an anchor of moral
clarity. I cannot help quoting you when you say: “The general population does not know what is
happening, and it does not even know that it does not know. It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak
the truth and expose lies.”
Prof. Chomsky inspired countless numbers of scholars and educators in the world working at the
intersection of education, environmental sustainability, social justice, and global policy. I find in my own
works a profound resonance of Chomsky. His articulation of justice is aligned with what many of us today
stand for: a world where ecological responsibility informs economic choices, where compassion guides
policy, and where democracy is reclaimed from the grip of powerful elites. Your lifelong commitment
reminds us that scholarships are not passive. Scholarships are a form of activism. It is the duty of
educators and scholars to illuminate, critique, and inspire. As you rightly say, the measure of intellectuals
is not the applause they receive in academia but the truths they dare to speak. Not the honors they
accumulate but the consciences they awaken. Not the distance they maintain from politics but the
courage with which they engage in it.
A Tribute to a Conscience of Humanity
Today, as we honor Noam Chomsky at 97, we are not merely celebrating a birthday. We are celebrating a
lifetime dedicated to the service of humanity. A lifetime spent amplifying the voices of the silenced,
decoding structures of power, defending the planet, and urging us to imagine a more humane future. In a
world marked by crises, ecological, moral, political, you continue to offer something rare: a compass
that points toward justice, reason, and hope. Let us honor him not only with our words but with our
continued commitment to the values he embodies rigorous inquiry and fearless critique of power, moral
clarity, a voice for social justice, defense of the planet, and an unshakeable faith in human possibility. On
this 97 th . anniversary, may we carry forward the flame he has kept alive for generations,
a flame of conscience, courage, and compassion.
Prof. Gopi Upreti
Environmental and Climate Policy Laureate,
STAR Scholars Network
Noam Chomsky Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient (2024)