Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 3 June 2011

Politics and International Studies Newsletter

thesis can be found at valley city of Nanjing, the far http://tiny.cc/62t62. northeastern village of Huangbaiyu to Introductions the major urban centres of Tianjin and Stephen Chan released his new Beijing, it examines gendered practices book, Southern Africa: Old and experiences in socio-economic, Treacheries and New Deceits (Yale political and administrative University Press, 2011). The photo configurations, family and household below is of the launch on 5 May. l-r organization, education, employment Professor Ysaiah Ross, Renee Horne, and mobility, and generation. Stephen, and Dr Knox Chitiyo. Simona Vittorini and David Harris have a collaborative chapter „African governmental responses to Indian ventures on the continent: a changing arena of African politics?‟ in Dietz T et al (eds.), New Topographies of Power? Africa Negotiating an Emerging Multi-polar World (Brill, 2011).

Salwa Ismail has published Harald Heubaum has been „Everyday Civilities, Neo-Liberalism Christopher Sisserian, BA history appointed Lecturer in Global Energy and Authoritarian Government in (SOAS), and currently studying for and Climate Policy and Convenor of Egypt‟ and „Epilogue: Civilities, Msc International Politics, has written the new MSc Global Energy and Subjectivities and Collective Action: a chapter on „Armenisch-Kurdische Climate Policy in the Centre for Preliminary Reflections in light of the beziehungen in Geschichte und International Studies and Diplomacy Egyptian Revolution‟ in the Third Gegenwart‟ (Armenian-Kurdish (CISD) at SOAS. Harald has been a World Quarterly 32: 5 (June 2011). relations in past and present) in PhD student at UCL, co-supervised by Kurdistan im Wandel: Konflikte, Fiona Adamson (with Triadafilos Fiona Adamson. At CISD, Harald Staatlichkeit, Gesellschaft und Triadafilopoulos and Aristide R. joins Suthaharan Nadarajah, Religion zwischen Nahem Osten und Zolberg) co-edited The Limits of the another Politics Department alumnus Diaspora (Kurdistan in Liberal State: Migration, Identity and whose PhD was supervised by Mark Transformation: Conflict, Statehood, Belonging in Europe, a special issue of Laffey. Society and Religion between the the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Middle East and Diaspora; Peter Lang, Studies (JEMS) (37:6; July 2011). The 2011). special issue includes a co-authored introduction by the editors and Adamson‟s article „Engaging or New Publications Contesting the Liberal State? “Muslim” as a Politicised Identity Category in Europe‟. Doctoral student Lucy Corkin has published „Uneasy Allies: China‟s evolving relations with Angola‟ in the Journal of Contemporary African Studies 29(2) and „Chinese Research Centres, Groups, and Construction Companies in Angola: a Networks, Student Societies local linkages perspective‟ which was published in March by the University of Cape Town at Martin Linden, co-president of http://www.cssr.uct.ac.za/publication SOAS Politics Society s/incidental-paper/2011/750 ([email protected]) has written a Polly Pallister-Wilkins has a new brief comment on the Society: “We article, „The Separation Wall: A have had a good first showing of Julia Strauss has (with her co-editor Symbol of Power and A Site of interest on the part of students with Harriet Evanse) published Gender in Resistance?‟ in Antipode 43(5). now around one hundred members Flux: Agency and its Limits in and are currently planning our first Doctoral student Hagar Taha has Contemporary China (China Quarterly events. We would very much like to be recently published her MA thesis; Special Series, Cambridge University as active as possible, in the remainder awarded by the American University in Press, 2011). The book addresses of this year and the next year(s) to Cairo in 2009 and titled „The Failure to gender as a main axis of social come. Our aim is to be as open and Protect, Again: A Comparative Study organization and cultural practice in inclusive as possible, providing a of International and Regional China. Covering the impoverished creative and hopefully interesting Reactions Towards Humanitarian rural 'sending' villages of western platform for all those interested in Disasters in Rwanda and Darfur‟. The China to the big and wealthy Yangzi politics. We hope that one aspect of

Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 3 June 2011 our work will be to bridge the gap countries in the Middle East that are field, while Amaia researched between students and academics, both currently considering plans for trials, 'Global' Peace-building vs. the established members of the truth commissions, and other Regional and Domestic Politics in department and aspiring PhD accountability mechanisms. Sri Lanka. Dr Ohlendorf is students.” Londontjnetwork.org currently a Teaching Fellow at the Centre of Taiwan Studies. Leslie Vinjamuri participated in a On Friday 10 July Steve Hopgood Working Group of the Social Science ran a crisis exercise as part of the Professor Nirmala Rao, in her role Research Council on Religion, Peace- SOAS Alumni Weekend titled „Be as the SOAS Pro-Director currently on building and Development. This Obama for a Day‟ where 30 former leave from the Department, has been Working Group was convened by Al students re-enacted the decision to awarded an OBE for „services to Stepan, Jonathan VanAntwerpen and assassinate Osama Bin Laden. On scholarship‟. Katherine Marshall to explore the role Saturday 11 July, Leslie Vinjamuri, of religion and religious networks in Laleh Khalili and Corinna Mullin Doctoral student Yusuf Yerkel has achieving and consolidating peace and spoke and answered questions (Steve won an article competition on the development. This Working Group Hopgood chaired) from an audience subject of Turkish foreign policy also evaluated the role of the World of more than 70 former students as organized by the Justice and Bank and the United Nations in part of the Alumni Weekend under the Development Party (AKP), Ankara, in engaging with religion and religious title „The Future of Human Rights in February 2011. His article is titled actors. North Africa and the Middle East after “Akçura‟dan Davutoğlu‟na: Türk Dış the Revolutions‟. Both events were Politikasının stratejik zihniyeti” (From Tat Yan Kong and Dafydd Fell are organized by the Centre for the Akcura to Davutoglu: The strategic coordinating committee members of International Politics of Conflict, mentality of Turkish foreign policy). the recently established Asia-Pacific Rights and Justice. Yusuf has also accepted a position as Centre for Social Sciences special assistant to the Prime Minister http://www.soas.ac.uk/apcss/. This In terms 2 and 3 the Centre of of Turkey. He will continue his Faculty-level centre seeks to promote Taiwan Studies organized the doctoral studies as a part-time high quality inter-disciplinary research following public seminars: February 9: research student while he works on by combining regional expertise with „An Ecosystem of Amis aboriginal song Turkish foreign policy issues. social science concentration. in Taiwan.‟ Dr Shzr Ee Tan (Royal Holloway); February 14: Next academic year we will be joined The Centre for the International „Environmental Politics in Taiwan.‟ by James Eastwood, the first Politics of Conflict, Rights and Professor Tang Ching-Ping (National recipient of the Politics ESRC Justice (CCRJ) is hosting its first Chengchi University); February 23: studentship under the new Doctoral intern, Stephanie Pillion, who joins „Bridging Across or Sandwiched Research Centre scheme. James will us after a year of study in China, and Between the Strait? The In-Between be working with Laleh Khalili on before she returns to Smith College. Identity of Chinese Marriage „Conflict, Confession, and the Stephanie is doing research on the Immigrant Women in Taiwan.‟ Development of Israeli Militarism lessons learned from transitional Isabelle Cheng (SOAS, Politics); since 1982‟. justice in South Korea, the former March 2: „Japanese Taiwan Through Eastern bloc, and Latin America that Bhavna Dave has been awarded a British Eyes.‟ Michael Hoare (Emeritus British Academy small research grant may be relevant for consideration in a Reader University of London); March future transition in North Korea. This of £7500 for project „“Undocumented” 9: „A Modus Vivendi for Taiwan's labour migrants in Kazakhstan‟s research will contribute to a project 'International Space'?„ Professor that Leslie Vinjamuri is booming cities and challenges of Vincent Wang (University of formulating a migration policy‟. She participating in sponsored by the Richmond); March 16: „Bringing the Centre for Strategic and International conducted research on labour Chiang Kai-shek Years Back In: migration in Central Asia in Studies in Washington D.C., the Rethinking Taiwan History between University of Southern California, and Kazakhstan in March 2011 and in 1949 and 1975.‟ Dr Julia Strauss Uzbekistan in May 2011. the Korea Foundation. (SOAS, Politics); March 23: CCRJ partnered with Humanitarian „Competition and Cooperation: the Felix Berenskoetter initiated the Policy Group to convene a meeting of Amoy-dialect films in late-1950s creation of a Theory Section within the NGOs, academics, and students to Taiwan.‟ Dr Jeremy E. Taylor International Studies Association discuss Professor Michael Barnett‟s (Sheffield); April 13: „Framing (ISA), approved by the ISA Governing new book, Empire of Humanity, which Sociology in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Council in March. The basic aim of this provides a history of humanitarianism. Singapore: Geopolitics, State and its new section is to encourage and Steve Hopgood chaired this Practitioners.‟ Albert Tzeng support theoretical debates among discussion. (University of Warwick) scholars of international politics. Felix will serve as section chair for two CCRJ has continued to host the years. For more information, see London Transitional Justice http://www.isanet.org/theory_section Network (LTJN), together with its /. partners at SOAS, the LSE, and the Appointments and Awards Institute for the Study of the Americas. Doctoral student Mehmet Uğur The LTJN has hosted several Ekinci attended the Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method discussion meetings on the role of Congratulations from the department transitional justice in Afghanistan, Research at Syracuse University in and their respective supervisors, Julia New York June 14-25. His attendance lessons learned from the Rwanda Strauss and Steve Hopgood, to Tribunal, transitional justice in the was sponsored by a Politics newly minted doctors Hardina Department scholarship. former Yugoslavia, peace vs. justice, Ohlendorf and Amaia Sanchez and the ICC in Colombia. In June, Cacicedo who both defended their Lawrence Saez has been selected to LTJN partners with the Open Society theses over the last few months. lead one of the working groups from Foundations to host a discussion on Hardina wrote about the global the European Commission FP7- lessons learned and their relevance for development of the Taiwan studies fundedIDEAS project. The IDEAS 2

Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 3 June 2011 project aims to integrate European nation at the University of Juba in of Asian Studies Annual Conference, Asian studies, to develop European southern Sudan, on 2 and 3 June. As Honolulu, Hawaii. priorities for Asian studies research the day of independence approaches over the coming decade, and to for South Sudan, a panel of On 31 May, Rochana Bajpai gave a consider partnerships and funding distinguished writers, researchers and talk 'Debating Difference: Rethinking approaches for pursuing these activists from Sudan and UK Group Rights and Liberal Democracy priorities. Bhavna Davé, Harald addressed this vital subject. De Alessi in India' at the South Asian History Heubaum and doctoral student is at present lecturing at the University Seminar, St. Antony's college, Andrea Valente will be the principal while conducting her fieldwork in the University of Oxford. research collaborators for this working country. The events are part of a Julia Strauss convened and group on civil society, non-state actors, continuing series organised by the Rift presented at a two day China Quarterly and energy security in Asia. Valley Institute in collaboration with conference held at the UCLA Asia South Sudanese institutions to Institute on 15-16 April, „From the Doctoral student Shirin Shafaie has promote public discussion of emerging been selected as the president of the Great Wall to the New World: China political and cultural issues. This year and Latin America in the 21st Century‟. Research Student Society for a event is particularly relevant given the second year. Her own presentation was „Framing historical conjuncture: on 9th July and Claiming: the Role of Rhetoric in South Sudan will declare its China's relations with Latin America‟. independence from Sudan and give This conference will become a special birth to a new nation, the 54th State of issue of The China Quarterly for Presentations and Conferences Africa and the newest world country. March 2012. Julia also keynoted a Unfortunately the University of Juba is graduate student workshop at in a critical situation and this year it Columbia University, entitled „The has not been able to open given the The Politics MPhil students held a one- Transnational 1950s: New lack of funds and infrastructures. day conference at SOAS on 6 June Perspectives on the Early PRC and the SOAS supported the University last 2011 to present and discuss their Outside World‟ on 13-14 May. year through the BOOKSFORSUDAN research projects. The panel sessions project, when over 10,000 books were Felix Berenskoetter presented a were well attended and showcased donated for free by the students and paper at the Annual ISA conference many interesting and challenging professors to the University of Juba (Montreal, 16-19 March) on 'The projects pursued by the Department's library. More support is needed from Political Construction of Horizons in Research Students. The conference SOAS and the University of London, Space and Time'. He also was was organised by doctoral students ideally the opening of some discussant for the panel 'The Verity Susman, Hagar Tahar and scholarships for southern Sudanese Biopolitics of Catastrophe: Imagining Peter Brett and their faculty advisor, students for the next academic year and Managing the Unknown Felix Berenskoetter. and the years to come. Unknowns' and chaired the panel On 7-8 May the London Middle East 'Interdisciplinary Perspectives: Theory Bhavna Dave gave two lectures on Institute (LMEI) ran a PhD student and Methodology'. He also Central Asia at the SOAS-organised conference on „State, Society and participated in a day-long workshop Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art on Economy in the Middle East‟. The on The Evolution of Human Nature in „Uzbek Khanates to the USSR‟ and conference provided a framework for International Relations. „'The Great Game': Imaginations of intensive discussions of both empirical Central Asia and the present reality‟ Felix Berenskoetter presented two material and theoretical approaches. delivered in June 2011. papers at the annual BISA conference Four doctoral candidate of the SOAS (Manchester, 27-29 April) entitled politics department presented at the In March, David Harris delivered 'Hegemony by Invitation: Neoclassical conference on a variety of topics: papers at the Pontifícia Universidade realism, soft power and US-European Sophia Hoffmann on Iraqi refugees Católica in Rio de Janeiro, at relations' and 'Reclaiming the Vision in Syria, Joseph Daher on the Edinburgh University Centre of Thing: Constructivists as Students of rapprochement between the left and African Studies in February, and at a the Future'. Islamists in Palestine and Lebanon, „50 years of Sierra Leone‟ mini- and Jamil Mouawad and Hannes conference at Cambridge University in Manjeet Ramgotra organized a Baumann on the state in Lebanon. May. panel at the PSA conference (April Doctoral student Shirin Shafaie was 2011) on „Ideas in South Asian on the organising committee and the Fiona Adamson presented (with Thought: Articulations of Freedom poster session. Maria Koinova) a paper at the Annual and Constitutional Foundings‟. The ISA conference (Montreal 16-19 panel included a paper by Rochana In March, doctoral student Alexej March) entitled „The Global City as a Bajpai on „Liberalism in India: Some Ulbricht together with colleagues Space for Transnational Identity Reflections‟ and a paper by Manjeet from Goldsmiths and support from the Politics: Nationalist, Religious and on „India‟s republican moment: department organised an event called Liberal Internationalist Mobilizations freedom in Nehru‟s political thought". 'Taking Control' featuring, amongst in London‟. other things, a contribution from In April Laleh Khalili was invited to Stephen Chan and a keynote address Fiona Adamson participated in the present on the Arab intifadas at by Jodi Dean (Professor of Political Roundtable „Field of Dreams: Is Georgetown University in Washington Science, Hobart & William Smith). Immigration Studies a Field, and What DC. The title of her talk was „Too Soon Audio recordings of the entire event is Its Purpose?‟ at the 18th to Tell?‟ In May, she participated in a are available online at Backdoor International Conference of workshop titled „Will the Empire Strike Broadcasting: Europeanists (Barcelona 20-22 June). Back?‟ at University of Massachusetts- http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2011 On 2 April, Rochana Bajpai Amherst, where she presented /03/taking-control/ presented a paper 'Heuristics of „Tensions of Liberal Warfare‟. Her talk was modified and published in SOAS doctoral candidate Benedetta Hegemony: Debating Affirmative Action in Malaysia' (co-authored with Jadaliyya as „What Churchill Said‟ and De Alessi organised a conference on can be found at the role of culture in building a new Dr Graham Brown) at the Association 3

Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 3 June 2011 http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/inde In February, Arshin Adib- Yuka Kobayashi presented her x/1444/what-churchill-said Moghaddam gave a lecture as a part findings on „China‟s compliance with of the 13th Asian Security Conference the WTO‟ at the Annual ISA Corinna Mullin participated on 17 in New Delhi which was convened and convention 2011 (Montreal), April in the „Sunday of Resistance‟ inaugurated by the Defence Minister of University of Arkansas, Warwick panel discussion at SOAS, organised India. In March, he delivered the key University and Durham University. by Ali Fathollah-Nejad, PhD note lecture for a two-day She is also participating in a US candidate in International Relations, international conference on Iran at the government funded project examining SOAS. She also gave a lecture on 16 University of Illinois, Urbana- „China‟s first 10 years in the WTO‟ in March at the University of Tunis on Champaign. In April he returned to collaboration with scholars from the „The Tunisian and Egyptian London, to deliver two invited lectures. US and the PRC. Her current project Revolutions: Implications for US At the end of the month, he took up a examines „China‟s participation in foreign policy in the Middle East and Professorial Fellowship at the Centre Climate Change post- Kyoto‟ which North African Region‟. for Middle East Studies at the will be presented at the Annual Rahul Rao has presented his work on Metropolitan University in Prague Meeting of the Association of Chinese the queer movement in Uganda at where he delivered another key note Political Studies. workshops at SOAS and LSE. address and a public lecture on his new book, A Metahistory of the Clash Since February, the International In May Dafydd Fell was one of the of Civilisations, at the Institute of Relations Speaker Series (chaired by organizers of the Eighth European International Relations. In May, Adib- Leslie Vinjamuri) has hosted several Association of Taiwan Studies Moghaddam was invited to speak at notable visiting speakers including: Conference held at the University of a symposium on civil society, politics Professor Ngaire Woods, of Oxford Ljubljana, Slovenia. This is the largest and the public sphere in Frankfurt University, who spoke about the annual conference focused on Taiwan organised by Medico International. In prospects of another financial crisis in Europe. At the conference Dr Fell June, he delivered a public lecture on (chaired by Steve Hopgood), gave a paper titled, „Marketing Orientalism and Islamophobia at Professor Cynthia Weber (chaired by Internally: How Politicians Campaign Nottingham‟s Contemporary Art Rahul Rao), Professor John in Inner Party Elections in Taiwan‟. museum. Ikenberry of Princeton University (cohosted by LSE/IDEAS and In April Dafydd Fell was invited to Chatham House, and organised by give an intensive weeklong course at Leslie Vinjamuri), Professor Masaryk University, Brno, Czech CCRJ members (Leslie Vinjamuri, Kristian Stokke, University of Oslo Republic titled „Government and Matt Nelson, Rochana Bajpai, and (chaired by Sutha Nadarajah), Ms. Politics in Taiwan‟. This also included Steve Hopgood) have convened a Dorothy Thomas (SOAS), and a fiercely fought football match series of planning discussions on the Professor Hugh Gusterson of George between Dr Fell‟s class and the role of religion, secularism and shared Mason University (chaired by Sutha University‟s Religious Studies spaces. These sessions will result in an Nadarajah). Department. international workshop on „Shared Sovereignty: Religion, Secularism, and Leslie Vinjamuri presented findings In February 2011 Charles Tripp gave from her research on the impact of rd the Problem of Authority‟ to be held at the 3 Annual King Hussein Memorial SOAS on 21 October 2011. Workshop transitional justice on war and peace Lecture on Cultural Dialogue at participants will include scholars from to an audience at Columbia University. Durham University on „Capitalist Columbia University, the SSRC New Aryeh Neier, President of the Open Practice and the Muslim Subject: York offices, SOAS, Oxford, and other Society Foundation, was the discussant Grounds for Dialogue or Terrain of parts of the University of London. on this panel. Resistance?‟ Please contact Leslie Vinjamuri Mark Laffey presented „Four Dead in In March 2011, Charles Tripp ([email protected]) for further Ohio: The Politics of Public Memory at returned to the Royal College for information. Kent State,‟ to the Oxford Transitional Defence Studies to give a keynote Rochana Bajpai, Matt Nelson, Justice Seminar, Oxford University, 8 lecture on „Democracy, and Charles Tripp are organising a March 2011. Democratisation and the Middle East‟. workshop on comparative political The participants comprised staff thought to be held at SOAS on 8 July, officers from a range of NATO On 4 May, Yuka Kobayashi and 2011. This workshop builds on Dafydd Fell gave a presentation to countries, as well as from Middle previous work with the Centre for Eastern and South Asian states. the MSc students focused on East Political Ideologies, Oxford, to advance Asian politics titled „Research case In March 2011, together with his the subfield of political theory by studies from China and Taiwan‟. In colleague Professor Stephen Chan, establishing everyday political this session we discussed some of our Charles Tripp took part in a panel in thinking as an important realm of experiences of designing and the Symposium „Belief in Dialogue‟ scholarship alongside canonical texts conducting research projects in East organized by the British Council and while, at the same time, stressing Asia. the British Academy, speaking on political concepts, (e.g. justice or aspects of the topic „International participation), rather than regions or During the Spring of 2011 Matt Relations in a Secular Age‟. cultures, as an important unit of Nelson was a full-time Fellow at the comparison. The workshop will involve Woodrow Wilson International Center In May 2011, Charles Tripp gave a three sessions, on Justice/Rights, for Scholars in Washington, DC, where talk on „The Public and the Nation‟ as Violence/Consent, and he presented two papers related to his part of a panel on „Revolutions, Protest Dissent/Toleration, with talks by work on religious education, and Recent Unrest: Reflections on colleagues from Oxford and several citizenship, and pluralism in Pakistan. Nationalism in the Contemporary members of the department, including Middle East‟ in the ASEN 2010/11 On 2 April 2011 Matt Nelson Tom Young, Julia Strauss, Rahul convened the South Asia Council panel seminar series „Nation Building for the Rao and Manjeet Ramgotra. 21st Century‟ at the LSE for the annual meeting of the Association for Asian Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii. His panel was 4

Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 3 June 2011 entitled 'Rhetorics of Resistance: University and the Catholic University of the „Arab Spring‟, the question of Maoists in Nepal and India; Taliban in of Angola in Luanda. refugees and the vulnerable in time of Pakistan and Afghanistan.' He was war and in post-conflict situations, the joined by Michael Semple from uses and abuses of sectarian difference Harvard, Mariam Abou-Zahab from in the politics of the region, the CERI (Sciences Po), Jeevan Sharma impasse in Palestinian-Israeli relations from Tufts, and (as a last-minute Current Research and the problems of Iran‟s security replacement for Nandini Sundar from perceptions. The students on the Delhi), Michael Spacek from Carleton course comprised officials from the University in Ottawa. Salwa Ismail spent most of the last ministries of defence, foreign affairs six months doing fieldwork in and other agencies from a range of At the International Studies Damascus, focusing on questions of countries in the Middle East, Africa, Association conference in Montreal, violence, memory and contestation in Europe and Central and East Asia, as Leslie Vinjamuri presented her Syrian politics. During this time, well as representatives of UN agencies research on the role of civil society Salwa interviewed participants in the and of NGOs such as Médecins Sans actors in adapting or obstructing protest movement, particularly youth Frontières. international norms to domestic activists. She is now writing a conflict and post-conflict situations. manuscript on contemporary Syrian On 17 May, Simona Vittorini She also spoke on two roundtables, politics based on research conducted briefed Mr Trouvé, the Swedish one on the International Criminal over the last ten years. It is scheduled Special Envoy to Afghanistan on Court a year after the review to be published by Cambridge India's perceptions on the relations conference, and another evaluating the University Press in 2012. between Pakistan and Afghanistan not role of the International Journal of least with regards to the prospects for Transitional Justice, of which she is a the development a political settlement member of the Editorial Board. and particularly in view of recent Together with Steve Hopgood, she developments (such as the death of presented a paper, „Faith in Markets‟, Outreach OBL). on the role that identity plays in mobilizing financial commitments In June, Phil Clark appeared before the UK House of Commons from donors for humanitarian In May 2011, Charles Tripp had a organizations, and limiting or enabling International Development Committee meeting with Sharon White, Director to give evidence about development greater access in local humanitarian General for the Middle East and North markets. Leslie also spoke on a assistance to fragile states in central Africa at the Department for Africa. panel that honoured Professor David International Development to discuss Baldwin, formerly of Columbia issues of development in the region in In April 2011, Matt Nelson University. the wake of the uprisings of the past conducted a special briefing on Salwa Ismail gave a number of six months. This was followed in Pakistan for the Swedish Foreign presentations on the Egyptian June by a meeting with the Secretary Office. This involved the head of their revolution and on the Arab protest of State for International South Asia desk and the head of their movements, most recently at the Development, The Rt Hon Andrew Asia desk. Transnational Institute Fellows‟ Mitchell, MP, to discuss similar Julia Strauss conducted a briefing Meeting in Amsterdam (June 2011). questions arising from the upheavals on Taiwan for researchers at the Royal in the Middle East. On 28 March, Yuka Kobayashi Geographical Society on 8 June organised an event assessing the On 10 June, Laleh Khalili briefed the Corinna Mullin participated on 31 preliminary impact of on March 11th Near and Middle East Department of March in The Dialogue Society Japan‟s domestic and international the Foreign and Commonwealth Office roundtable discussion with Professor policies together with the Embassy of on the Arab intifadas, and on 20 June, Helen Rose Ebaugh. She also spoke on Japan in London. On 29 March, she she and 6 other experts on Lebanon 28March on a panel discussion at the also organised a conference examining and the Masriq had a working lunch House of Lords organised by Society „Peace in East Asia‟ hosted at the with the new British ambassador to Outreach. The talk was entitled: Department of Politics and Lebanon, Tom Fletcher to brief him on „Tunisia, Egypt and Libya Unrest: A International Studies and the Embassy what awaits him in the region. Democracy Domino in the Middle of Japan in London. The event was On 12 February, doctoral student East? Repercussions on the Regional opened by HE Ambassador Hayashi Lucy Corkin participated in a panel Peace Process‟. Corinna also with Professor Hiroshi Nakanishi discussion with Goldman Sachs‟ South participated on a panel discussion on 8 (Kyoto University) and Professor Steve Africa manager Colin Coleman at the March 2011 organised by the Gulf Tsang (Oxford/Nottingham Saïd Business School conference Cultural Club Seminar on „The Arab University) as keynote speakers and Dr „Enterprise Africa‟ at Oxford Revolt: from Dictators to Democracy.‟ John Swenson-Wright (Cambridge) as University. discussant. Corinna Mullin travelled to Tunisia In early May 2011, Charles Tripp on 12- 19 March as part of a Human Doctoral student Jamil Mouawad gave a lecture on „Iraq after the Rights Delegation investigating the made a presentation on Lebanon and American Withdrawal‟ at the human rights violations of the Ben Ali the Arab Revolt at Chatham House on International Training Course in regime, US/EU complicity, transitional Monday 18 April. International Security, organized by justice, etc. The group was comprised of UK, US and Turkish based lawyers, On 31 January, Lucy Corkin, third- the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. year PhD student, presented And in late May he returned to the NGOs, academics, and human rights „Uncovering Agency: Angola‟s GCSP to convene the week long activists. A report of their findings and Management of Relations with China‟ module on the Middle East for the recommendations for US/EU governments regarding how they can at „China in Africa: challenges and New Issues in International Security opportunities for Angola‟ international Course. The course examined such best support the democratic transition conference organised by Durham issues as the domestic causes and in Tunisia has been released and can regional repercussions of the uprisings be found at 5

Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 3 June 2011 http://nlginternational.org/report/Tu BBC3 programme „Night Waves‟ service on Kazakhstan's presidential nisia-Report-2011.pdf. presented by Philip Dodd, on the elections on 1 April 2011 subject of the recent upheavals in the On 3 March, along with Nadim Arab Middle East Corinna Mullin published an article Shehadi, Khaled Hroub and Hugh http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b on 3 May on „The Hamas-Fatah unity Roberts, Laleh Khalili sat on a panel 00z646h. deal: regional and international power chaired by Adam Shatz, discussing the dynamics‟ on openDemocracy at Arab revolutions. The panel was Leslie Vinjamuri appeared on BBC http://www.opendemocracy.net/corin organised by the London Review of News Hour, BBC‟s World at One, and na-mullin/hamas-fatah-unity-deal- Books and was held at the LRB BBC News (Television) to speak about regional-and-international-power- Bookshop. Zuma‟s trip to Libya, Obama‟s visit to dynamics. She also participated London, and the ICC‟s role in Libya. alongside Baron Richard Dannatt, Tat Yan Kong was a member of the She also debated the relevance of the former head of British Army, in a SOAS delegation that met with a War Powers Act on Russia TV, and was panel discussion on BBC World visiting delegation led by Mr Choe quoted in The China Daily on the G8 Service Sunday morning panel on 3 Thae-Bok, the Speaker of the Supreme Summit. She published a blog post on April 2011, 6-9am. The subject was People's Assembly of the Democratic the role of the ICC in Libya, “ICC „Arab spring‟. People's Republic of Korea and Sheriff too quick on the Draw” (co- member of the Political Bureau of the authored with Jack Snyder) at Laleh Khalili has appeared on Workers' Party of Korea (attached http://duckofminerva.blogspot.com/2 Brazilian Television GloboNews picture). The two sides discussed 011/05/icc-sheriff-too-quick-on- (February), BBC NewsNight educational and cultural exchange draw.html (February), CBC News (February) and between SOAS and HEIs in the DPRK. El Pais (March); been quoted in China The DPRK delegation was visiting the Arshin Adib-Moghaddam has Daily (February) and Sanlian UK on the 10th anniversary of the written opinion pieces for CNN and LifeWeek of China (April). She also establishment of UK-DPRK diplomatic OpenDemocracy. He gave several joined a former RAF wing commander relations. interviews including two extended and a legal advisor to the FCO on a ones on his new book and the Arab live-chat on Libya for The Guardian Leslie Vinjamuri spoke to an revolts: They can be accessed here (March). Finally, she responded to audience of international lawyers, http://www.e-ir.info/?p=8424 and and challenged Niall Ferguson on academics, and foreign office staff, at http://www.thefreshoutlook.com/inde interventionism in the Evening the British Institute of International x.php?action=newspaper&subaction= Standard (February). and Comparative Law‟s Rapid article&toDo=show&postID=4892 Response Seminar on the crisis in Doctoral student Yusuf Yerkel was Libya. She also participated in a high MSc student Lana Asfour has quoted in a New York Times „Week in level Working Group session at written on Tunisian feminism at Review‟ article on Turkey‟s Chatham House on the US-UK http://www.granta.com/Online- relationship with the Arab world on 28 relationship on the occasion of Only/A-Revolution-of-Equals May Obama‟s visit to the U.K. and in (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/2 advance of the G8. She also spoke at a Lawrence Saez made a guest 9/weekinreview/29ottoman.html?pag conference on Colombia and the appearance on Bloomberg TV‟s The ewanted=1&_r=4&ref=world). International Criminal Court. Pulse with Maryam Nemazee to discuss the resignation of former IMF Rahul Rao has written about the Leslie Vinjamuri spoke on a panel managing director Dominique Strauss- global implications of the revolutions convened by the United Nations Kahn in the Middle East for The movement Population Fund, the Interfaith Center (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G of India (the magazine of the National of New York, and the Social Science 5OzGhQwgg8). He also wrote an Alliance of Peoples‟ Movements in Research Council to investigate the editorial for CNN arguing that the next India). He was recently on Cape Talk role that religion plays across the IMF chief should come from a Radio (South Africa) and Lithuanian United Nations. developing country: National Radio to discuss the http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINIO implications of the assassination of David Harris and Tom Young N/05/19/saez.imf.developing.world/in Osama bin Laden. joined colleagues from Oxford and dex.html. In addition, Dr Saez was Cambridge Universities on a trip to quoted on CNN regarding his views on May 2011 was the 50th anniversary of Brazil in March to teach an the emergence of China as a military the founding of Amnesty Introduction to African Politics course. superpower at International; to discuss this Steve The week-long course was organised http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD Hopgood appeared on Radio 3‟s live by Richard Al-Qaq for prospective /asiapcf/06/10/china.military.superpo discussion show Nightwaves, on the diplomats at the Instituto Rio Branco wer/index.html BBC‟s The World Tonight and in a in Brasilia. BBC documentary titled „When they (http://www.soas.ac.uk/news/newsite Lawrence Saez was also interview by are all free‟ shown on May 30th.He m67453.html). Deutsche Welle on the prospects for also appeared on panel discussions military confrontation between India about Amnesty at the Frontline Club and China (http://www.dw- and the Riverside Studios in world.de/dw/article/0,,6509465,00.ht Hammersmith. ml) an by the Christian Science Media Appearances Monitor on Chinese investment in Salwa Ismail was interviewed numerous times on the events in Syria, Europe (http://www.csmonitor.com/World/E including by BBC radio and RTE In February, Charles Tripp took part urope/2011/0311/Europe-makes- Television (Ireland). She was an in the BBC4 programme „Thinking room-for-Chinese-investment-but- invited panelist on the BBC‟s World Today Weekend (June 11). She was Allowed‟ presented by Laurie Taylor, not-without-concern). on the subject of Islam and Capitalism interviewed on the Egyptian revolution http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b Bhavna Dave was interviewed by by radio stations in South Africa, South Korea, and Finland. 00yjcnt. In March, he took part in the Radio France International English 6

Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 3 June 2011

Salwa Ismail published a number of N/04/08/africa.election.violence/?hpt commentary entitled 'Caught between opinion pieces on the Syrian uprising, =C2 and Kosovo and Iraq: Understanding including „Syria and the Sectarian http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode Germany‟s Abstention on Libya'. 'The “Plot”‟, in The Guardian, April 29, and /b0101tj1/The_World_Tonight_04_0 item is available at posted on Comment is Free, April 28. 4_2011/ (13:50 onwards) and http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/ideas/2011/04/ Available at: http://audioboo.fm/boos/322430- germany-libya/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/commenti ouattara-faces-a-divided-country-and- sfree/2011/apr/28/syria-media- its-unclear-how-he-will-control-his- Simona Vittorini and David sectarian-plot. Her background article forces-ivory-coast-expert-phil-clark- Harris have written on India-Africa on the Egyptian Revolution was from-soas-says and relations at published in Index on Censorship, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business- March 2011 and is available at: s/world/ivory-coasts-troubles-far- 13519119 http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2 from-over/story-e6frg6ux- Polly Pallister-Wilkins has written 011/02/egypt-days-of-anger/. She also 1226035554388 and on the impact of the Arab uprisings on wrote on artistic expression by Syrian http://www.abc.net.au/rn/rearvision/ European immigration policies at dissidents in The Guardian at stories/2011/3178511.htm http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/inde http://www.guardian.co.uk/commenti Phil Clark published an op-ed on the x/1710/entry-denied_revolution-in- sfree/2011/jun/21/syria-cultural- north-africa-and-the-co revolution-art-comedy. International Criminal Court in The East African: PhD candidates Hanan Toukan and http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news Hannes Baumann contributed to /-/2558/1141438/-/o3vyj7z/- Jadaliyya, an E-Zine on Middle East /index.html Events politics, culture, and economy. Hanan examined a recent scandal Tom Young has published an article over politically inconvenient artwork on humanitarian intervention, titled During April, Phil Clark launched his at the Sharjah biennal. She used the „On Liberal War‟ on the website of the book on post-genocide justice in affair to illuminate the uneasy Royal African Society. The article can Rwanda at events in Nairobi, Arusha, relationship between autocratic Gulf be found at Butare and Kigali: rulers and the commercialised global http://www.royalafricansociety.org/co http://allafrica.com/stories/20110411 art world. Hannes gave his mponent/content/article/894.html 0964.html and perspective on the controversy of Saif Doctoral student Arash Sedighi has http://allafrica.com/stories/20110421 Gaddafi's relationship with the LSE. commented in The Guardian on 0015.html and Their contributions can be found at FIFA‟s exclusion of Iranian women‟s http://kigaliwire.com/2011/04/22/gac http://www.jadaliyya.com football team at aca-book-launched-in-kigali/ Corinna Mullin was interviewed on http://www.guardian.co.uk/commenti

20 February by the BBC World Service sfree/2011/jun/13/fifa-iran-women- football-strip on the regional implications of the Egyptian Revolution, and on 19 Doctoral student Jamil Mouawad February by Colin Brazier on Sky News has published an article on Lebanon as New Degrees and Courses regarding Arab revolutions/uprisings. “the last conservative regime in the To mark the centenary of International region” at Democracy Now: http://www.opendemocracy.net/jamil Yuka Kobayashi is the convenor of Women's Day, Rochana Bajpai the new MSc Politics of China, participated in a panel discussion on -mouawad/lebanon-last-conservative- regime-in-region which brings together the unrivalled Asian women held at the Nehru strengths of academic staff in Politics Centre, London on 7 March 2011. Doctoral student Lucy Corkin was and International Studies at one of the Rochana Bajpai was interviewed quoted in Inter Press Service on world‟s leading institutions for the about Indira Gandhi for a Angola‟s relations with China. The study and research of Asia, Africa and documentary in a series entitled article can be found here: the Middle East, and the home of the „Extraordinary Women‟ for BBC http://ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?id leading scholarly journal in China Worldwide. news=54326 Studies – The China Quarterly. This Arshin Adib-Moghaddam wrote on course specialises in the politics of the Hannes Baumann contributed an greater China region and covers the analysis to the LSE Ideas Blog. Why Bahrain for CNN (April). His commentary can be found at historical and contemporary as well as did Ben Ali's Tunisia perform so well the domestic and international aspects in various corruption perception http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINIO N/04/25/bahrain.saudi.iran.arshin/ of Chinese Politics. It can be taken as a indices when it was obviously riddled one year full-time postgraduate taught with cronyism? Hannes argues that Salwa Ismail celebrated the victory degree or over two/three years part- corruption in Tunisia requires a of the Egyptian revolution in time. political explanation. Economic http://www.redpepper.org.uk/the- reforms since 1987 fostered a loyal first-lesson-from-the-egyptian- Rahul Rao is offering two new MSc business elite. As long as the Tunisian level courses. Comparative revolution/. Prof Ismail also International Political Thought regime kept the door open to foreign discussed Syria in investors, "corruption" was tolerated. will explore what counts as http://aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion 'international' political thought, why so The contribution can be found at /2011/03/201132811521026278.html http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/ideas/ much of what passes as 'international and political thought' is of European or Phil Clark made the following media http://www.guardian.co.uk/commenti Western provenance, and how we appearances on the situation in Cote sfree/2011/apr/28/syria-media- might identify and compare different d'Ivoire: sectarian-plot traditions of political thought on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world- Felix Berenskoetter contributed to questions of common interest. Queer africa-12985617 and the LSE IDEAS blog with a Politics in Asia, Africa, and the http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINIO Middle East will serve as 7

Politics & International Studies Newsletter, no. 3 June 2011 introduction to queer theory, as well as engaging with its relevance outside the The Department of Politics and International North Atlantic world. It will use Studies was originally established in 1962 as the struggles for sexual self-determination Department of Economic and Political Studies, as a prism through which to consider but became independent in 1990. The department was ranked very highly in the 2008 broader questions about the UK HEFCE Research Assessment Exercise, constitution of modernity, the coming 7th out of 59 departments in the UK. proliferation of identities, rights and There are at present nearly 500 students claims for justice, the consolidation studying for degrees (BA, Certificate, MSc and and deconstruction of postcolonial MPhil/PhD) in the Department. The national identities, the aspirations and Department also hosts visiting students who are here as part of a year's work towards degrees in anxieties of postcolonial elites, etc. other countries (notably the United States, EU, Korea and Japan).

Apart from providing students with a firm grounding in the discipline, the department has particular strengths in the following areas: Notices ■ Regional Politics: Middle East, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa.

From librarian Jo Tate ■ International Relations: IR theory, security, ([email protected]): I would be grateful human rights, transnational justice, if colleagues in the Department could international migration, IPE. send me requests for new items for ■ Comparative Politics: comparative political reading lists by the end of July in order sociology, comparative political economy. to ensure they are in the library for the ■Political Theory: political Islam, non-western start of the academic year. This is political thought, multiculturalism. especially important this year as I am on annual leave for most of September. The current officers of the department are:

Head of Department: Dr Fiona Adamson, [email protected]

Undergraduate Admissions Tutor: Dr Rochana Bajpai, [email protected]

Undergraduate Tutors: Dr Steve Heder, [email protected] (Term 1) Dr Corinna Mullin, [email protected] (Terms 2 and 3)

Postgraduate (MSc) Tutors: Dr Lawrence Saez, [email protected] (MSc Exams Officer & Convenor) Dr Mark Laffey , [email protected] (Admissions Tutor and Programme Convenor, MSc International Politics, Term 1) Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, [email protected] (Admissions Tutor and Programme Convenor, MSc International Politics, Term 2) Prof. Charles Tripp (Admissions Tutor, and Programme Convenor, MSc Middle East Politics) Prof. Stephen Chan (Admissions Tutor and Programme Convenor, MSc State, Society and Development, MSc Asian Politics, MSc African Politics)

Postgraduate (Research) Tutors: Dr Matthew Nelson, [email protected] (Research Tutor, Term 1) Dr Laleh Khalili, [email protected] (Research Tutor, Term 2) Dr Felix Berenskoetter, [email protected] (Convenor of Research Methods Training)

This quarterly newsletter is produced by Laleh Khalili. Send any announcements or notices to [email protected]

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