Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 2 February 2011
Politics and International Studies Newsletter
unity, and development. Tracing the http://journals.cambridge.org/action/ Introductions shifting meanings of these values over displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid time, this book demonstrates that =440693&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0 liberal and democratic concepts are 260210506007054 more sophisticated and widely shared in the Indian polity than is commonly believed. It also identifies the limits of Western-centric accounts of Research Centres, Groups, and A note of introduction multiculturalism. Bajpai establishes Networks from Caroline Strickson: the significance of political rhetoric for Centre for the International ―Hello every one, my name is Caroline explanations of policy shifts and Politics of Conflict, Rights and Strickson and I work for the political change. Highlighting the role Justice (CCRJ) hosted the second in Department in Academic Support, and of argument and debate, Debating a series of collaborative workshops on here is a little bit about me. Before I Difference elaborates a new approach ―The Rise and Fall of started at SOAS in 2008 I worked as a to a crucial issue for liberal Humanitarianism‖. This is part of a Teaching Assistant in my home town democracies today, how to reconcile collaboration between SOAS/CCRJ, of Bexhill. As a student I studied the demands of group equality and the Munk School at the University of English Literature with Creative civic unity. Toronto, and George Washington Writing at Kent, and this is where my David Taylor has edited a four- University. passion lies. Outside of work (if there volume collection of articles, entitled is such a place!) I love cooking, The CCRJ hosted Professor Elazar watching anything sci-fi, reading Islam in South Asia (Routledge, 2011). Barkan, Director of the Institute for fiction and writing. My main ambition Mark Laffey‘s ―Bey ond Belief: Ideas the Study of Human Rights, Columbia in life is to become a published auth or and Symbolic Technologies in the University to speak on history, and see more of the world.‖ Study of International Relations‖ has violence, and redress. been reprinted in Walter Carlsnaes In January Hardina Ohlendorf CCRJ hosted together with the began work as the Taiwan Studies and Stefano Guzzini (eds.) Foreign European Council on Foreign Policy Analysis, 4 volumes (Sage, Teaching Fellow at the Centre of Relations a small meeting of human 2011). Taiwan Studies. This is a seven month rights funders to discuss differences in maternity post while Monique Chu is the context of human rights funding, away. Ms Ohlendorf is a final year practice, and policy in Europe and doctoral student in the Politics America. Discussion focused on the Department supervised by Julia role that questions of impact play in Strauss. She will be teaching on the human rights funding, and on the Politics Department‘s undergraduate political context of human rights and postgraduate Taiwan Politics funding. This is part of a CCRJ courses and giving administrative research project led by Leslie support to the Centre of Taiwan Vinjamuri that is investigating how Studies. questions of impact are integrated into the practice of transitional justice and human rights. Advanced copies of On 17 -18 December 2010 the Centre New Publications Arshin Adib-Moghaddam‘s latest for Political Ideologies of the book A Metahistory of the Clash of Department of Politics and Civilisations: Us and Them Beyond International Relations at Oxford Orientalism (Hurst, Columbia hosted the second meeting of the University Press, 2011) have now been SOAS-Oxford Comparative distributed. The book will be available Political Thought group. The in all major bookstores and online in workshop was jointly organised by the United Kingdom in February and Professor Michael Freeden (Mansfield in the United States in March/April College, Oxford) and members of the 2011. Department of Politics at SOAS--Dr Laleh Khalili‘s ―Gendered Practices Rochana Bajpai, Dr Matt Nelson of Counterinsurgency‖ is now available and Professor Charles Tripp. Rochana online at Review of International Professor Freeden opened the Bajpai’s book, Debating Difference: Studies and will come out in paper workshop with a set of very Group Rights and Liberal Democracy later this year. stimulating remarks regarding the in India (Oxford University Press, Tarak Barkawi and Mark Laffey‘s parameters of comparative political 2011) is now out. Using landmark piece, 'The postcolonial moment in thought as an evolving subfield within Indian constitutional and legislative security studies‖, appears in the list of the discipline. Dr Carlo Bonura from debates on minority rights and quotas, most-cited articles in Review of the Centre for Political Ideologies at Rochana Bajpai develops a model for International Studies over the past Oxford presented a paper entitled interpreting group rights that hinges two years, now available free as part of ―Against Incommensurability: on the interplay between five principal the journals advertising. It is also the Comparison and Relations of Political normative concepts—secularism, most recently published piece on the Thought‖. Three members of the democracy, social justice, national list. SOAS Politics department gave talks: 1
Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 2 February 2011
Rochana Bajpai on approaches to Scholar‘s Prize to be given on an Dr Sara Kutchesfahani defended comparative political thought and annual basis to the best conference her PhD thesis on epistemic debates on affirmative action in India paper by a scholar not yet in a tenured communities and nuclear non- and Malaysia; Phil Clark on academic post. proliferation policy in November 2010 conceptions and practices of justice in Dafydd Fell is also a Co-Director in and has recently taken up a two-year the African Great Lakes region, and another Chiang Ching-kuo award of post-doctoral fellowship at Los Alamos Matt Nelson on Islam and the €25,000 announced in January. This National Laboratory in the US. Sara ―Ideology of Pakistan‖ in the context of is the European Taiwan Studies was jointly enrolled in the SOAS and debates regarding democracy. Lecture Series, which is a collaborative UCL Politics PhD programs, was The event coincided with the worst project between SOAS, Heidelberg, supervised by Dr Fiona Adamson blizzard in years, so some of the Edinburgh, Tubingen and Bochum and received her degree from UCL. twenty-five people signed up for the Universities. The first three year grant workshop were unable to attend. was from 2007 -2010 and now is being Nevertheless, the workshop was a extended for a further three years. The great success. grant allows outstanding Taiwanese Presentations and Conferences In December Dafydd Fell visited the scholars to visit Europe and lecture at On 4 February, the Department Shungye Museum of Formosan the partner universities and SOAS organised an event on ―The Jasmine Aborigines to complete negotiations Taiwan Studies team gives short Rev olution: Causes and Consequences for a cooperation agreement with the courses in German universities. for Tunisia and the Region‖. The Centre of Taiwan Studies. This Former doctoral student and senior ev ent was moderate by Corinna £39,000 grant will allow the creation teaching fellow Sossie Kasbarian Mullin and covered a broad-range of of a new two year research post at has started her new appointment post- opinions and analyses, including SOAS to study British church archives doctoral fellowship on Middle Eastern international, political, socio- regarding Taiwan‘s Aborigines from minorities at the Centre for the economic, media and human rights the 19th century. Advanced Study of the Arab World at perspectives. Speakers included: Said the University of Edinburgh. Ferjani , (Founding Member of the The London Migration Research Tunisian An-Nahda Party), Dr Group (LMRG) held seminars by Doctoral student Toby Matthiesen Noureddine Miladi (Senior Lecturer in Professor Christian Joppke on January has been awarded the Abdullah Al- Media & Sociology at University of 25th at the LSE and by Professor Mubarak Research Fellowship in Northampton and founder and Nadje al Ali at UCL on February 8th. Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at managing editor of Journal of Arab & Pembroke College, Cambridge. He will Muslim Media Research), Muhamad begin his post-doc in October. Ali Harrath (CEO, Islam Channel) and Doctoral student Thanos Petouris Nadim Mahjoub (Tunisian Political Appointments and Awards was appointed a member of Council of Refugee and International Activist). The Department of Politics and the British-Yemeni Society, with the Stephen Hopgood and Leslie International Studies has been task of coordinating the activities of Vinjamuri presented their paper awarded an ESRC studentship in the the student members of the Society. ―Faith in Markets‖ (part of an edited new Bloomsbury Consortium ESRC Doctoral Student Mehmet Ekinci book project under review with Oxford Doctoral Training Centre. The award was awarded the Department‘s University Press) at a Workshop held recognizes the quality of the research scholarship to attend the Institute for by the Overseas Development Institute environment and PhD training in the Qualitative and Multi-Method on 'The Humanitarian Space'. department. The studentship will be Research training programme in Participants from the ICRC, UNICEF, administered jointly with the Birkbeck Syracuse. The programme will be held Humanitarian Forum, British Red Department of Politics. The over the course of two weeks in June. Cross, Save the Children, MSF and studentship will be awarded from sev eral other NGOs participated. 2011 -12 and will be advertised shortly. Department of Politics and If y ou are interested in learning more, International Studies has awarded Leslie Vinjamuri participated in a please be in touch with the Research Research Cluster Funding in the day long working group ―Sandpit‖ on Tutor Laleh Khalili [email protected]. following areas: post-transitional justice at the 1. International Politics of Social Transitional Justice Institute, Fiona Adamson has been appointed University of Ulster. associate editor of the Journal of Change (Tom Young, Dave Harris, International Relations and Felix Marco Conteh) Bhavna Dave presented Development. 2. Comparative Politics of Genocide ―Kazakhstan‘s Language Programme and Crimes Against Humanity (Steve 2011 -2020: Transforming Symbols In January Dafydd Fell was awarded into Substance?‖ at a workshop on €14,000 from the Chiang Ching-kuo Hopgood, Leslie Vinjamuri, Steve Heder, Phil Clark) Identity Construction in Media and Foundation to hold the second Public in Eastern Europe, University 3. Comparative Political Thought international workshop on Migration of Giessen, Germany (17 -18 (Charles Tripp, Rochana Bajpai, Matt to and From Taiwan. This will be held November) and on 3 November gave a in London in June 2011 and is a Nelson) talk to the SOAS Centre of Migration collaborative project with Chinghsing 4. Contemporary Debates in Religion and Diaspora Studies on ―Legality and and Chungcheng Universities. and Politics (Leslie Vinjamuri, inclusion of foreign labour migrants in In January Dafydd Fell was also Rochana Bajpai, Salwa Ismail, Corinna Kazakhstan‘s urban space.‖ awarded €30,750 by the Chiang Mullin, Steve Hopgood, Arshin Adib- Felix Berenskoetter gave two talks Ching-kuo Foundation to manage the Moghaddam, Matt Nelson) at Oxford University, on 26 November European Association of Taiwan Awards have been made for amounts he spoke to the Rothermere American Studies annual conferences for a of £800-£1200 and will be supporting Institute, on ―International Friendship further three years. This is the third a range of activities that include as Empowerment‖; on 1 February he three year grant the centre has research assistance, writing, travel, spoke to Oxford International received for this project. In addition to funding applications, workshops, Relations Society on ―Conceptualizing funds to run the conferences, extra visiting speakers, new courses, and a Power in a Changing World‖. money was allocated for a new Young research centre. 2
Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 2 February 2011
On 2 November, Rahul Rao Explaining Legislative Violence in post Brussels, examining the politics and presented his research on homophobia Transition Taiwan‖ at the Disruptive anthropology of law in transitional in Uganda at the Oxford Transnational Democracy: Analysing legislative settings. He also launched his recent & Global History Seminar en titled protest in contemporary legislatures book on Rwanda at seminars in ―Closing the Borders? Exploring the workshop, University of Warwick. The Birmingham, Cape Town, Oxford, Limits of Global Connection.‖ On 11 ev ent was part of the Gendered Galway and Amsterdam. and 12 November, he presented a Ceremony and Ritual in Parliament In November, Laleh Khalili paper titled ―Postcolonial Programme, funded by the organised a panel at the annual cosmopolitanism: making place for Lev erhulme Trust. meeting of Middle East Studies nationalism‖ at the Nathanson Centre On December 5 Dafydd Fell gave a Association in San Diego on ―The seminar series on Legal Philosophy presentation on book publishing at the Liberal Way of War: Torture, between State and Transnationalism Taiwanese Political Science Humanized Security, and at Osgoode Hall Law School, York Association annual conference. He Counterinsurgency.‖ Other panel University, Toronto. On 13-15 gave a lecture titled Taiwan Studies in members (Lisa Hajjar and Paul Amar December, Rahul Rao was a keynote Europe on three occasions at National of University of California and Dan speaker at a conference on Chunghsing University, Academia Neep of Exeter) presented on ―The Democratization and Cultural Sinica‘s Institute of Sociology, and Liberal Ideology of Torture‖, ―The Diversity: Contestation and Taiwan‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Crisis of the ‗Human-Security State‘ in Consensus in EU and India, organised He also gave a paper titled ―Critical Egypt‖ and ―Seeing like a Counter- by the Centre for Comparative Elections in Taiwan‖ at a conference Insurgent in French Mandate Syria‖ European Union Studies, IIT Madras, on Prospects for Cross Strait while Laleh Khalili herself presented India; and in December, he also spoke Relations held at the Institute of ―Remaking Civilians in Carceral on a panel at the launch of Law Like Political Science, National Sun Yat Sen Counterinsurgencies: Falluja and Love: a queer perspective of law in University. Gaza.‖ India at the Law & Social Sciences Research Network Conference, Pune. On 19 November Professor Charles On 1 and 2 November, doctoral Tripp gave a St Antony's Middle East student Thanos Petouris Matt Nelson provided the opener Centre talk on ―The Art of Resistance participated at a conference organised (paper) for a PSA-sponsored in the Middle East‖ as part of his by Chatham House on Yemen conference in December at the LSE ongoing work on both the politics of (Political Dynamics and the entitled ―Elites, Mass Publics, and the resistance and performative politics in International Policy Framework), the Political in South Asia‖. the region‖ and on 24 November, he aim of which was to assess Yemen's On 15 November, Simona Vittorini gave a lecture to the Association for economic challenges and its progress delivered a lecture at the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism on governance reforms in the context Indian Study in Africa (CISA) of the at LSE on ―Problems of of the country 's transition to a post-oil University of Witwatersrand. The Multinationalism and Nation-Building economy. Also at Chatham House he lecture was titled ―Slow but Steady like after Regime Change in Iraq‖. On 7 took part at a private workshop on the Elephant: India's Rising December, Professor Tripp gave a ―Accountability and Political Inclusion Engagements in Africa‖ and was lecture to the Political Philosophy in Yemen‖, where a group of Yemeni sponsored by the SOAS Academics Society at Imperial College on ―The political and civil society actors were Visit Africa pilot project managed by Future of Iraq after American brought together with academics, the SOAS Centre of African Studies. Withdrawal‖. NGOs, and policy makers from the EU, Rochana Bajpai presented a paper, Lawrence Saez and Zaad US, and the GCC, to facilitate dialogue ―Secularism and Minority Rights in Mahmood (PhD candidate, Politics) between these groups and encourage India‖ at a conference on made presentations at the India – the generation of new policy ideas. Provincializing Secularism: Global Player international conference On 29 November, Professor Minorities and the Regulation of held in Lisbon on 10 December 2010. Stephen Chan presented ―Beastly, Religion held on 4 February at Dr Saez spoke on quantitative Bestial, Bandido or Brigand: Mugabe Vanderbilt University, Nashville, measures of India‘s national power of Zimbabwe, his Antiquarian and Tennessee. The conference is and Mr Mahmood presented a paper Latest Manoeuvres‖ at Trinity College sponsored by Vanderbilt University‘s on the determinants of India‘s labour Historical Society, Cambridge. On 20 Asian Studies Program, Jewish Studies reforms. The event was hosted by the January, Professor Chan spoke on Program and Department of History Institute of Oriental Studies, Lisbon ―Elections and Democracy in Africa‖ at and explores the nature of religion and Technical University (Universidade The Africa Centre, London. On 25 secularism in the post-modern era. Técnica de Lisboa) January, Professor Chan was a In December, Arshin Adib- Dafydd Fell visited Taiwan from panellist at the IDEAS Centre, London Moghaddam delivered a lecture at December 3, 2010 to January 6, 2011, School of Economics, on ―Experiencing the University of Jordan in Amman where he was a Visiting Fellow at the War‖. upon invitation of the Centre for Research Center for Humanities and Doctoral student Priya Kumar Strategic Studies and the Danish- Social Sciences, National Chunghsing presented ―Transnational Diaspora Jordanian University Cooperation. In University, Taichung. On December Linkages: A Comparative Analysis of early January 2011, he was invited to 11 -12 he co-organized an International Diaspora Networks‖, at the participate in the first preparatory Workshop on Migration to and From Questioning Transnationalism: symposium for a ―Conference for Taiwan with Chunghsing and Culture, Politics & Media conference, Security and Co-operation in the Chungcheng Universities. The event held at Royal Holloway College, Middle East‖ in Bad Boll, Germany. gathered together experts on University of London, on 17 December The symposium brought together migration issues from the field of 17 2010. representatives, scholars and NGOs political science, literature, social Doctoral Student Toby Matthiesen from core countries in the region, work, social welfare, anthropology, delivered the paper ―Centre-Periphery including Israel, Palestine, Iran, gender studies, education and Relations in Saudi Arabia: The Case of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Kuwait.. sociology. the Eastern Province‖ at a pre- On November 18, 2010 Dafydd Fell Phil Clark gave two keynote lectures Conference workshop at the Gulf gave a paper titled ―Tracking and at conferences in The Hague and Research Unit of the University of 3
Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 2 February 2011
Oslo, 7 October 2010 and at the Panel the latter‘s book, Rules of the Game, regarding Pakistan with the Foreign on ―Centre-Periphery Relations in the on rendition in the War on Terror. and Commonwealth Office in Gulf‖ organised by Reidar Visser at the December (―Fu ture Challenges Facing Middle East Studies Association Pakistan‖).
Annual Meeting in San Diego, USA, in Fiona Adamson participated in the November 2010. Upcoming Politics Department Research Councils UK‘s Global Professor Stephen Chan presented Seminars are scheduled on Uncertainties Strategic Plan ―Black Majoritarianism, democratic 16 February (4-6, Room 4418) by Dr Consultation on 31 January. protocols, and interested public Patrick Jackson (Associate On 1 February, Professor Stephen administration in South Africa and Professor of International Relations, Chan briefed Xa Min, Political Zimbabwe‖ at the African History and American University) on ―The Conduct Counsellor, Chinese Embassy in Politics Seminar, at Oxford University of Inquiry in International Relations‖; London on ―The Egyptian Uprising on 15 November. 9 March (4-6, Room 4418) by Dr and the US Response‖. Lawrence Saez led an REF François Tanguay-Renaud As an elected member of the World workshop for the Department on (Assistant Professor in Law, Osgoode Economic Forum (WEF)‘s India December 6 th, in which he presented Hall Law School, York University) on regional council, Lawrence Saez had extended analysis of the last round of ―Basic Challenges to Governance in the opportunity to attend the World RAE submissions, and the Department Emergencies‖; and Economic Forum‘s India Economic as a whole discussed strategies of 16 march (3-5, room 4418) by Dr summit in New Delhi from 14-16 submission for 2013. Philip Roessler (Research Fellow in November 2010. A few weeks later, at Politics, St. Peter's College, University the invitation of the government of The International Relations of Oxford) and Harry Verhoeven Dubai, he also attended the Forum‘s Speaker Series hosted a lecture, (DPhil Candidate in Politics, Global Agenda Summit in Dubai from 'Assessing the Nuclear Threat' by Dr University of Oxford) on ―Point of No 29 November-2 December. As part of Robert Gallucci, President of the Return: Kabila, Rwanda and the his work on behalf of the Forum, Dr MacArthur Foundation. Internal Dynamics of Africa's Great Saez will be helping draft a WEF War‖. report on challenges to India‘s Rahul Rao hosted a talk and video inclusive growth strategy. The focus of screening by Professor Cynthia Dr Saez‘s contribution to this report Weber entitled ―I am an American‖ will be on the relationship between on February 7th as part of the same governance and food, water, and series. energy security. Dr Saez will be Current Research In the last session of the Politics spearheading a WEF partnership with Department seminar in Autumn term Doctoral student Sami Everett is the Indian state governments of Assam we heard from Dr Carlo Bonura. Dr currently being hosted by the Langues and Maharashtra. et Cultures du Nord de l’Afrique Bonura is based in the Centre for Corinna Mullin presented the (―LaCNAD‖) research team at Political Ideologies in Oxford. The title Opening Ceremony lecture for INALCO, Langues 'O, in Paris. of his talk was ―Reconsidering the Europe's first Model Arab League at Conducting fieldwork on the Problem-Space of Islam and the University of Birmingham symbolism of specific urban sites of Democracy: Liberalism, Geopolitics (EuroMAL) on 28 January 2011. The North African Jewish and Muslim and the Liberal Islam debates in title of her talk was ―Regional Threats, Southeast Asia‖. In the current term, inter-relations he will further develop his ―parallel lives‖ project by following Real and Perceived: An Examination of he Department seminar series has so Power and Resistance in the Middle pilgrims to their North African far featured three presentations. Dr East Today.‖ Kristin Bakke (Lecturer in Politics birthplace later this year. Sami‘s and International Relations, UCL) research is being undertaken with the Tresor Chovu , a 3rd year student in spoke on the impact of transnational assistance of a grant awarded by The politics and development studies, has insurgents on the objectives and Lev erhulme Trust. launched a business to facilitate joint ventures in Africa. His company also tactics used by Chechen separatists. Professor David Chandler supplies engineering equipments to oil (Professor of International Relations, and gas, mining and construction University of Westminster) explored Outreach industry in Africa. The countries he shifting conceptions of international The Department has been awarded a mainly deals with are DRC, Angola and state-building over the last twenty Knowledge Transfer grant by the looking to expand in Zambia, Congo years and issues of self-critique within Research and Enterprise Office. Poul- Brazaville, Ghana, Nigeria. Currently liberal democratic societies. Erik Christiansen joined the he is negotiating contract in Angola Professor Brandon Simms Department as a Knowledge Transfer and Nigeria. (Professor in the History of Consultant on February 1, 2011. He On 9th November 2010 doctoral International Relations, University of will be conducting a study of the how student Hannes Baumann held an Cambridge) presented ―The academics and students in the outreach event at City and Islington Geopolitics of Anti-Slavery.‖ Department interact with NGOs, College. The students are currently On Thursday 27 January 2011 government offices, think tanks and enrolled in ―Access‖ courses which are journalist Nir Rosen gave a the private sector. Welcome, Poul- especially designed to get people aged presentation to an overspill audience, Erik! over 19, and without A-levels, ready for titled ―From Beirut to Baghdad & Matt Nelson was invited to write the university. Several want to study Kabul‖. Professor Charles Tripp 2006-2010 assessment of political politics at SOAS. Although they found chaired the session. freedom in Pakistan for Freedom the entry requirements daunting, every House (Series: Countries at the applicant from City and Islington On 13 December, Laleh Khalili College is guaranteed an interview. chaired a book launch where former Crossroads); this will be out in a couple of months. He, together with The top students in the group showed Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam all the qualities/ the department would Begg spoke to Asim Qureshi about David Taylor, was invited to participate in a small-group discussion expect from SOAS students: a passion 4
Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 2 February 2011 for the subject and a desire to tackle On 23 December, Dafydd Fell was on Park. He argued ―That the the big social and political questions in the Voice of America talking about Commonwealth is no longer relevant Asia and Africa. Felix Taiwan's academic diplomacy. to the citizens of its member states‖. Berenskoetter also held a similar Felix Berenskoetter contributed to On 11 January, Professor Chan ev ent on 15 December. the LSE IDEAS blog with a appeared (along with Zeinab Badawi, commentary entitled ―Emperor David Milliband, David Kennedy and Without Clothes: Wikileaks and the Gita Sahgal) on ―SOAS International Limits of American Power‖. The item Question Time‖. Media Appearances is available at http://lse- Students and staff enjoyed holiday In early February, Professor ideas.blogspot.com/2011/01/emperor- festivities on 8 December with music Charles Tripp has appeared on BBC without-clothes-wikileaks-and.html provided by doctoral student Mehmet World Service‘s Newshour on several Lawrence Saez was interviewed on Ekinci and friends. occasions to speak about the Al Jazeera to discuss vice-premier Li revolutions in North Africa. Keqiang's visit to Europe and the Professor Salwa Ismail wrote a implications of Chinese rescue commentary for The Guardian titled packages to vulnerable European ―A Private Estate Called Egypt‖ on 6 economies. He was also interviewed in February. the Christian Science Monitor to http://www.guardian.co.uk/commenti comment on Chinese outward sfree/2011/feb/06/private-estate- investment in Europe. egypt-mubarak-cronies Steve Hopgood appeared on a BBC Professor Ismail also has published Radio 4 program about Amnesty another commentary on dignity in International's 50th Anniversary over revolution (reproduced below) at the New Year (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ http://www.tni.org/article/egypt%E2 b00wr8px). %80%99s-dignity-revolution Rahul Rao was on BBC News on 27 International Collaborations and Bhavna Dave was interviewed on Al July 2010 to discuss David Cameron‘s Exchanges Jazeera in October on parliamentary visit to India. elections in Kyrgy zstan; BBC World A Spanish doctoral student, Daniel Rivera, from the Universidad Service in November on wikiLeaks Arshin Adib-Moghaddam revelations in Kazakhstan; on interviewed with Danske Blad (daily Autonoma de Madrid, has joined the Deutsche Welle and Radio Free newspaper in Denmark), Pravda department this term to work under Professor Tripp‘s Europe/Radio Liberty in December on (daily newspaper in Slovakia), the proposed referendum to extend Economics and Politics (monthly supervision/guidance on aspects of president‘s term in Kazakhstan. academic journal in Iran), El Nacional constitutionalism in Iraqi politics. (Venezuela), appeared on Radio Corinna Mullin has published ‗Post- Farda/ Radio Free Europe, Islam Wikileaks lessons from the Tunisian Channel, BBC World Service and intifada‘ in openDemocracy. She was wrote opinion pieces for the Guardian, Notices also interviewed on 18 January on the openDemocracy.net, antiwar.com, The Faculty of Law and Social Islam Channel‘s Unplugged on the and Gulf News. Sciences at SOAS has funding to host recent Wikileaks revelations regarding two Leverhulme Early Career Turkey‘s alleged complicity in the U.S. In early February Laleh Khalili appeared on SOAS Open Air Radio, Al Fellowships beginning next year. ‗extraordinary rendition‘ program. Please spread the word about this She also published ―Obama and the Jazeera English, BBC World Service (The World Today) and on Sky News opportunity and/or consider applying Despots of the Middle East: Why the yourself if you are eligible (those who US Must End Its Support for to talk about the uprising in Egypt. Her Al Jazeera commentary can be have a PhD in hand and do not hold a Undemocratic Regimes‖ in permanent post). CounterPunch. Dr Mullin was also seen at interviewed on Islam Channel live http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ More information can be found on the discussion on the ―Turning Point – QfsSKnraU and Lev erhulme website: Egypt in Upheaval‖ on 1 February. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/funding QfsSKnraU. /ECF/ECF.cfm and the Research In early January, Phil Clark was Office (Contact: Vivienne Connors quoted in New York Times coverage of Professor Stephen Chan’s [email protected]) can help in providing the South Sudan referendum: numerous media appearances included Al Jazeera English on David advice and assistance with the http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09 Cameron‘s visit to China (in application process. The internal /weekinreview/09gettleman.html November), the English Language deadline is 17 February to Vivienne Some of Dr Clark‘s comments on the programme of Deutsche Welle Radio, Connors. ICC and domestic justice in the DRC on South Sudan and China (24 were picked up in this IRIN News/UN January), and on ―The Jasmine OCHA article: Rev olutions of North Africa‖, for http://irinnews.org/PrintReport.aspx? Radio Free Asia, Washington DC (30 Political Commentary ReportID=91672 January). Egypt’s Dignity Revolution Phil Clark was also quoted in Foreign Salwa Ismail Policy magazine on the UN mapping report alleging Rwanda's crimes in eastern DRC. He was interviewed by Events In commenting on the unfolding Radio Netherlands and the South On 12 November, Professor Egyptian rev olution, media and analysts have emphasised the role of African Broadcasting Corporation Stephen Chan was debate leader at about his book on community-based Commonwealth Conference 2010, social media in building up networks genocide trials in Rwanda. Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great of dissidents and facilitating the 5
Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 2 February 2011 organisation of protests. Some have public utilities such as electricity, credited the ‗Facebook generation‘ and the implementation of The Department of Politics and Internati onal with lighting the spark of collective municipal building codes. With Studies was ori ginally established in 1962 as the action. Undoubtedly, social media regular outdoor market raids and Department of Economic and Political Studies, activists, in calling for ‗ the day of campaigns to monitor citizens‘ use but became independent in 1990. The department was ranked very hi ghly in the 2008 anger‘, put the tools of virtual of these utilities, the police U K HEFCE Research Assessment Exercise, communication to remarkable use. intruded into the daily life of coming 7 th out of 59 departments in the U K. However these 'days of anger‘ can only ordinary citizens. Endowed with There are at present nearly 500 students be understood if we look at what the the arbitrary powers of emergency studying for degrees (BA, Certificate, MSc and vast majority of Egyptians have laws, the police engaged in MPhil /PhD) in the Department. The experienced over the last three decades practices of extortion, and used Department al so hosts visiti ng students who are here as part of a year 's work towar ds degrees in under Mubarak‘s rule . violence to intimidate and silence other countries (notably the United States, EU , Successive waves of protests by wide any questioning of their powers. Kor ea and Japan). segments of the population, Security checks and roadblocks on Apart fr om pr ovi ding students with a fir m particularly over the last decade, have the streets of Cairo and many gr ounding in the discipline, the department has also given a clear indication of growing other cities were part of Egyptian particul ar strengths in the following areas: opposition to the regime‘s economic citizens‘ daily reality. Drivers and ■ Regi onal Politics: Mi ddle East, East Asia, and social policies and its instruments pedestrians were randomly South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and of government and control. Prior to stopped, arrested and subjected to Africa. the recent protests, there were arbitrary investigation. Young ■ Internati onal Relations: IR theory , security , numerous massive strikes by textile men, feared by the regime for human ri ghts, tr ansnati onal justice, workers demanding better pay, week- their potential for activism and internati onal migration, IPE. long street occupation by tax collectors resistance, were the main target of ■ Compar ative Politics: compar ative political protesting their low wages, and various these practices. The everyday soci ology , compar ative political economy . sit-ins by university professors, experience of humiliation at the ■Political Theory : political Islam, non-w ester n doctors and lawyers calling for policy hands of the police fuelled the political thought, multiculturali sm. change. youth‘s opposition and rejection of the regime and its coercive arm, Under Mubarak, the Egyptian state The current officer s of the department are: abandoned its welfare responsibilities the police. and left citizens to fend for themselves. It was befitting that the rev olution Head of Department: Dr Fiona Adamson, [email protected] The so called free market became had its spectacular beginning on dominated by monopolies and Police Day and that the youth U nder gr aduate Admi ssions Tutor : oligopolies, with party elites and would take the lead in breaking Dr Ro chana Bajpai, [email protected] regime cronies controlling entire down the barrier of fear that the U nder gr aduate Tutors: markets in basic and strategic police have erected over a long Dr Steve Heder, [email protected] (Ter m 1) commodities such as iron and steel, period of time. Egypt‘s y outh have Dr Co rinna Mullin, [email protected] cement, and wood. The ruling clique bravely put themselves forward (Ter ms 2 and 3) and its business partners appropriated along with vast segments of Postgraduate (MSc) Tutors: the country‘s lands converting society to reassert their right to Dr Law rence Saez, [email protected] (MSc publicly -owned property into gated dignity and freedom. They have Ex ams Officer & Convenor) communities and turning entire taken the first steps towards Dr Mark Laffey , ml [email protected] (Admi ssions Tutor and Pr ogr amme Convenor, coastal areas into exclusive resorts for reclaiming their rights and MSc Inter national Politics, Ter m 1) the super rich. Built on vast areas of towards exercising fully the Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, lv @soas.ac.uk privatised state land, enclaves like responsibilities of citizenship. It is (Admi ssions Tutor and Pr ogr amme Convenor, Qatamiyya Heights and Mirage City in reference to these objectives MSc Inter national Politics, Ter m 2) Pro f. Charles Tripp (Admissions Tutor, and catered to multi-million dollar palaces that the protesters‘ main and most Pr ogr amme Convenor, MSc Mi ddl e East for the very privileged few. The scale powerful slogan ―the people want Politics) of the land grab has threatened to to bring down the system‖ should Pro f. Stephen Chan (Admissions Tutor and Pr ogr amme Convenor, MSc State, Soci ety and deprive future generations of any be understood. The desired Dev elopment, MSc Asian Politics, MSc African chance of descent housing and a share change is nothing short of an Politics) of the country‘s resources and wealth. overhaul of the institutions and Postgraduate (Research) Tutors: At the same time, masked and not-so- structures of government. Dr Matthew Nelson, [email protected] masked privatisation of education and (Research Tutor, Ter m 1) health robbed citizens of the few Dr Laleh Khalili, lk [email protected] (Research This item was originally Tutor, Ter m 2) citizenship rights gained in the published by the TransNational Dr Felix Berenskoetter, [email protected] country‘s post-independence period. Institute. (Convenor of Resear ch Methods Tr aini ng) Social disparities have grown at extraordinary rates as state offices turned into personal fiefdoms in order to maintain the regime and its clients and to implement the neo-liberal agenda of economic reform. To try and prevent growing resistance to these economic and social policies, Egypt and the Egyptians became subject to a police government. The Egyptian police departments govern Thi s quarterly new sletter is pr oduced by Lal eh vast areas of social life. They have Khalili . Send any announcements or notices to responsibilities over security and lk [email protected] public order, but also have jurisdiction over the regulation of, among other things, outdoor markets, the use of 6