Politics and International Relations Podcasts

The launch of the tenth edition of St Antony’s International Review includes panels and presentations on the theme of the resurgence of identity politics. St Antony's International Review (STAIR) is Oxford's journal of global affairs, a peer-reviewed, academic journal established in 2005 by graduate members of St Antony's College at the University of Oxford. Featured Panels and Presentations: Session 1: Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and New Political Identities Dr. Jonathan Leader Maynard, Dr. Aurelien Mondon, and Professor Alexander Betts. Introduced by Katharine Brooks. Session 2: The Devoted Actor: Pancultural Foundations of Intractable Conflict (in co-operation with the Centre for International Studies) Dr. Scott Atran (Director of Research, ARTIS and CIS Research Associate). Introduced by Kalypso Nicolaïdis. Session 3: The Role of Identity in International and Regional Relations Dr. Bettina Schorr, Professor Erika Harris, Professor Kalypso Nicolaïdis, and Professor Gwendolyn Sasse. Introduced by Emily Tamkin. Session 4: Keynote presentation by Craig Calhoun, Director, LSE. Introduced by Katharine Brooks.

Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz discusses the growing levels of inequality in societies like the United States and Britain, why inequality is a problem, and how the levels of inequality can be reduced. This event, the Fourth Annual Oxford Fulbright Distinguished Lecture on International Relations at the University of Oxford, was giving on 23 May 2014. It was hosted by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, in association with the US-UK Fulbright Commission, the Embassy of the United States of America, Pembroke College and the Lois Roth Endowment.

Professor Loukas Tsoukalis, Professor of European Integration at the University of Athens, gives the 2014 Cyril Foster Lecture. Professor Loukas Tsoukalis, is also the President of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), and Visiting Professor at King’s College, London and the College of Europe, Bruges. The transformation of Western Europe during the second half of the twentieth century was a remarkable success story, and regional integration was part and parcel of it. After the collapse of the Soviet empire, Pax Europaea gradually spread to the eastern part of the continent. The European project became much bigger, more intrusive and less inclusive, while external competition intensified in a rapidly globalising world. And then, a big international financial crisis transformed itself into an existential crisis of the European currency union. Was the euro a terrible mistake? And what lessons can be drawn from the way Europe has so far (mis)managed the crisis? Centrifugal forces have been growing between and within countries. Trust is low. Economic factors often push for more integration, but politics resists. Meanwhile, Europe’s ‘soft power’ is too weak to deal with an increasingly unstable neighbourhood, not to mention global challenges. Or, does collective weakness have more to do with internal divisions? More differentiation and flexibility will be necessary to deal with heterogeneity and growing divergence within the EU, although this may not stop the UK from exiting. Has European integration reached the end of the road, and if so, what would be the implications for peace and prosperity in Europe and beyond? And what are the pre-conditions for a new European grand bargain?

Prof. John Curtice discusses the implications of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. Is it merely a technical detail of little consequence - or does it represent a quiet constitutional revolution? The Fixed-term Parliaments Act is one of the very few constitutional changes included in the coalition's Programme for Government that has managed to see the light of day. Yet it is little discussed and its potential effects seemingly inadequately understood. This lecture discusses its apparent effects on UK politics to date and its potential effects in future, focusing in particular on its implications for Prime Ministerial power, government formation, and the parliamentary and devolved electoral cycles. This was the keynote lecture of a one day workshop on “The Fixed-term Parliaments Act”, co-sponsored by the Department of Politics and International Relations and the Constitutional Studies Programme.

Dr Katherine Morton (Australian National University) discusses China and the future of global governance, with particular emphasis on the areas of food security and the maritime commons. The event was held at St Antony's College on 21 Oct 2014 as part of the East Asia Seminar Series.

Speakers from this day event join in discussion with Mark Philp himself about some of the issues raised throughout the day. This discussion is taken from 'A celebration and critical evaluation of the work of Mark Philp'. Mark Philp was our founding Head of Department (2000-2005) and Tutorial Fellow at Oriel College (1983-2013). He is now, since 2013, Professor of History at the University of Warwick. His work in the fields of political thought and political theory are notable for their interdisciplinarity as well as the excellence of their scholarship and depth of philosophical analysis. The event took place at the Department of Politics and International Relations on 22 April 2014.

Presenter Tom Cutterham (Oxford) and discussant Joanna Innes (Oxford) look at Mark Philp's work focusing on comparative paths in democratisation. This talk, introduced by current Head of Department Elizabeth Frazer, is taken from 'A celebration and critical evaluation of the work of Mark Philp'. Mark Philp was our founding Head of Department (2000-2005) and Tutorial Fellow at Oriel College (1983-2013). He is now, since 2013, Professor of History at the University of Warwick. His work in the fields of political thought and political theory are notable for their interdisciplinarity as well as the excellence of their scholarship and depth of philosophical analysis. The event took place at the Department of Politics and International Relations on 22 April 2014.

Presenter Ed Hall (LSE) and discussant David Hine (Oxford) look at Mark Philp's work focusing on political conduct and political corruption. This talk, introduced by current Head of Department Elizabeth Frazer, is taken from 'A celebration and critical evaluation of the work of Mark Philp'. Mark Philp was our founding Head of Department (2000-2005) and Tutorial Fellow at Oriel College (1983-2013). He is now, since 2013, Professor of History at the University of Warwick. His work in the fields of political thought and political theory are notable for their interdisciplinarity as well as the excellence of their scholarship and depth of philosophical analysis. The event took place at the Department of Politics and International Relations on 22 April 2014.

Presenter Oscar Cox Jensen (KCL) and discussant Jon Mee (York) look at Mark Philp's work focusing on the 1790s and after This talk, introduced by current Head of Department Elizabeth Frazer, is taken from 'A celebration and critical evaluation of the work of Mark Philp'. Mark Philp was our founding Head of Department (2000-2005) and Tutorial Fellow at Oriel College (1983-2013). He is now, since 2013, Professor of History at the University of Warwick. His work in the fields of political thought and political theory are notable for their interdisciplinarity as well as the excellence of their scholarship and depth of philosophical analysis. The event took place at the Department of Politics and International Relations on 22 April 2014.

John Dunn (Cambridge) gives a broad overview of the work and legacy of Mark Philp. This talk, introduced by current Head of Department Elizabeth Frazer, is taken from 'A celebration and critical evaluation of the work of Mark Philp'. Mark Philp was our founding Head of Department (2000-2005) and Tutorial Fellow at Oriel College (1983-2013). He is now, since 2013, Professor of History at the University of Warwick. His work in the fields of political thought and political theory are notable for their interdisciplinarity as well as the excellence of their scholarship and depth of philosophical analysis. The event took place at the Department of Politics and International Relations on 22 April 2014.

Scot Peterson and Iain McLean discuss their new book, which explores the facts and opinions behind the legislating of same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom and the United States On 21st November 2013 Scot Peterson and Iain McLean launched their book, 'Legally Married: Love and Law in the UK and the US', which aims to give the facts needed to develop an informed judgment regarding same-sex marriage in the UK and the US, and to look at the claims made on both sides of the debate, and to place them in their historical context and contribute in a reasoned, unbiased way. This podcast is a recording of the lecture given at the launch of this book.

Marking the launch of Oxford's Constitutional Studies Programme, which seeks to increase the amount of interdisciplinary cooperation between law and political science in the field of constitutional studies.

Marking the launch of Oxford's Constitutional Studies Programme, which seeks to increase the amount of interdisciplinary cooperation between law and political science in the field of constitutional studies.

Sir Martin Davidson KCMG, CEO of the British Council, examines the UK’s soft power capacity.

On 24 January 2014, the Centre for International Studies hosted a workshop on 'The Global Liberal Order and its Future' that explored the current shift of power and influence between nations that is taking place globally.

Against the background of the broader history of the idea of human rights, this lecture investigates when and why the contemporary field of "global justice" in philosophy and political theory was invented. Returning to the engagement of American liberals with the decolonisation process in the 1970s, in the aftermath of the Vietnam war and even as more powerful tendencies were about to bring the welfarist ideal of the postwar era low, this lecture presents contemporary "cosmopolitanism" as a response to a forgotten revolt of the global south against the prevailing economic order of our age.

Amitav Acharya (UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance, American University) discusses 'Constructivism and the Study of Global IR' in the 'Future of Constructivist Research in International Relations' conference (30 April 2013). This half-day workshop discussed the contributions of constructivism and what the future constructivist research agenda might look like. It was organised by the Centre for International Studies.

Martha Finnemore (The George Washington University) discusses 'Are legal norms distinctive and what do they add to the analysis of political change?' in the 'Future of Constructivist Research in International Relations' conference (30 April 2013). This half-day workshop discussed the contributions of constructivism and what the future constructivist research agenda might look like. It was organised by the Centre for International Studies.

Iver Neumann (Montague Burton Professor of International Relations, LSE) discusses 'Constructivism and the Turn to Practice' in the 'Future of Constructivist Research in International Relations' conference (30 April 2013). This half-day workshop discussed the contributions of constructivism and what the future constructivist research agenda might look like. It was organised by the Centre for International Studies.

Kathryn Sikkink (Blavatnik School of Government) discusses 'The Role of Agency in Constructivism' in the 'Future of Constructivist Research in International Relations' conference (30 April 2013). This half-day workshop discussed the contributions of constructivism and what the future constructivist research agenda might look like. It was organised by the Centre for International Studies.