Politics at Reading | News, events and thoughts from Politics and International Relations at Reading

The 56th United Nations Graduate Study Programme, at UN Headquarters in Geneva. From more than 1000 applications from several universities in 193 countries, 52 participants from 45 countries were selected to attend the Programme in July 2018. One of these was University of Reading MA International Security Studies student Mustafa Aryan.

For two weeks, Mustafa studied with amazing people from organisations around the world and he has shared his report with us. Continue reading →

How research can support and strengthen the United Nations

Please join us for a one-day conference, and launch of the UN and Global
Order Programme at the University of Reading

KEYNOTE SPEECHES
IAN MARTIN
Former Special Representative of the
Secretary General in Libya, Nepal, and Timor-Leste
DOMINIK ZAUM
Research Dean for Prosperity and Resilience

THURSDAY 26 APRIL
9:15 – 4:30

REGISTRATION BEGINS AT 8:45AM

UNIVERSITY OF READING, LONDON ROAD CAMPUS
LO22 G01

ADMISSION FREE, BOOKING ESSENTIAL

EMAIL TO BOOK – [email protected]

https://research.reading.ac.uk/ungop/

Christina Hellmich has been awarded a Leverhulme Research Fellowship grant to work on the project, ‘Silenced suffering: the experience of miscarriage in high-achieving women in the UK’.

Catriona McKinnon has been awarded a Leverhulme Visiting Professorship to work with Stephen Gardiner at the University of Washington on project exploring how to govern solar radiation management (a form of geoengineering) in the interests of future people.

Mrs Mary Robinson has agreed to be the Senior Advisor for the Centre for Climate and Justice.

https://research.reading.ac.uk/centre-for-climate-and-justice/

Dr Daphne Halikiopoulou gave a talk on populism at the Delphi Economic Forum earlier this month. More information on the event can be found here.

Dr Sarah von Billerbeck was elected a member of the Research Working Groups of the Folke Bernadotte Academy, the Swedish government agency for peace, security, and development. The five groups are composed of around 120 scholars from around the world, who are experts in peace operations; conflict prevention; women, peace, and security; rule of law; and security sector reform. More details can be found here: https://fba.se/en/how-we-work/research-policy-analysis-and-development/research-working-groups/

On Wednesday 14th March students on the Parliamentary Studies module visited the Houses of Parliament for our annual outing to Westminster. We are only one of 20 universities in the UK that offer this module, and this is one of the highlights of the year. It turned out to be an historic day! Several students were present for debate following the Prime Minister’s Statement on the response to the attempted murder of the Skirpals in Salisbury, with others witnessing first-hand the media’s coverage.

Students were also present for the parallel debate in the House of Lords on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, as well as Sajid Javid’s House of Commons statement on integrated communities. In addition, two extremely open talks were given by Lord Cashman (former MEP and co-founder of Stonewall), and Lucy Powell (MP for Manchester, and Ed Miliband’s chief of staff for his leadership campaign). Here the opportunity was provided for a wide range of questions to be put forward.

The day concluded in the Select Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Harriet Harman – the theme was ‘attitudes to enforcement’ with evidence provided from the legal profession, and questions from Lord Woolf and Baroness Lawrence, amongst others. 

Dr Daphne Halikiopoulou will be travelling to Delphi in early March to give a talk at the Delphi Economic Forum on Populism and values.

On 13 December 2017 the Ways of War Centre hosted the first of a series of seminars designed to challenge contemporary conventional wisdom on key defence and security issues.  Recognising the role of critical thinking to the generation of ‘intellectual advantage’, each seminar will match a leading practitioner with an academic partner to explore the ‘ambiguity paradox’ caused by an increasingly complex operating environment and the corresponding need for insightful thinking and decision making.

The December seminar focused on Command and Control, asking the question ‘is it fit for purpose in the 21st Century’?  Contrarian-in-Chief Lieutenant General Sir David Capewell and Capt Dr David Reindorp RN explored five related focus questions with an audience from the MOD, armed services, academia and industry.  Consensus suggested that it (C2) was not fit for purpose and required rethinking in a variety of areas including the UK’s national security decision making apparatus, and the relationship between politicians, commanders, those under command and the society they all serve.

The seminar concluded that while MOD has got better at closing the gap between tomorrow’s wars and yesterday’s equipment, it now needs to do likewise with concepts.  Many of which remain rooted in the past and show little sign of attracting the rapid, agile development pathways now seen in Defence acquisition.

The next seminar takes place on April 25^th and will challenge the UK’s defence acquisition model and strategy.   Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burridge (ex-Vice President Finmeccanica) will act as Contrarian-in-Chief.  For further details or to register interest please contact Dr David Reindorp [email protected]

What do Andrea Leadsom, Matt Rodda and now, John Redwood have in common? All three MPs have taken part in Parliamentary Studies seminars this term. Reading is one of only 20 UK universities working with Parliament to run a Parliamentary Studies module, and ours is built around direct engagement with Parliamentarians and Parliamentary staff. Next up for this group? A day in Westminster including a seminar on LGBT+ issues with Lord Michael Cashman.

Please click here to read Daphne Halikiopoulou’s latest blog published in the Political Quarterly.