The 9th Annual BYU Interfaith Harmony Week Lecture will be given by Kevin Hyland on February 4, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Hinckley Alumni Building Assembly Hall.
Sponsored by the Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding, the BYU Interfaith Harmony Week Lecture Series brings leading religious, political, and thought leaders together to consider how interfaith efforts can bless the world, our communities, and the university.
This year’s speaker, Kevin Hyland, is the CEO of Praeveni Global and an advisor to the Santa Marta Group. He has had a distinguished 30-year career in policing, including leading London’s Human Trafficking Unit. In 2014, he became the United Kingdom’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, a position he held until 2018. Throughout his career, Hyland led numerous human trafficking investigations, achieving high conviction rates.
Hyland is also the author of Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, which aims to eradicate human trafficking globally and has received support from the Holy Father. In 2018, he was elected as Ireland’s Council of Europe representative to an Independent Group of Experts on Trafficking. He played a key role in forming the Santa Marta Group, which unites law enforcement and civil society in the fight against human trafficking, and helped establish London’s Bakhita House, a refuge for survivors of trafficking.
In addition to his professional work, Hyland serves on the boards of three charities that support vulnerable populations. His contributions have been recognized with multiple honors, including the Holy See’s United Nations “Path to Peace Award” in 2018 and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.