This is the In Focus Archive. In Focus items roll off the home page to here. For current items, see the PIR Home Page.

Shaping the Future of International Affairs

Professor Ben O'Loughlin and Dr Alister Miskimmon will give the keynote address at the ISA-South Conference on 15 October 2011. More...

 

Autumn Term Research Seminar

The Department's Autumn term Research Seminar is now underway, with its first external speaker, Prof. Chris Brown (LSE) speaking on Tuesday, 11 October. More...

 

New Lecturer in International Relations

The Department is pleased to announce the appointment of Doerthe Rosenow to a two-year Lectureship in International Relations. More...

 

Podcast of Recent Conference

A complete podcast of the CPTRG's recent conference on William Connolly's A World of Becoming, co-sponsored by Exeter University's Politics Department, is available from Backdoorbroadcasting. More...

 

Graduation 2011

The Department congratulates the highly successful undergraduate, MSc and PhD cohorts who graduated on 14 July 2011. More...

 

Distinguished Delegation Award for PIR Society's National Model UN Team

This year's 22 member team continues a history of success with its highest award to date. More...

 

New Books

The Department is pleased to announce new books by Julia Gallagher, Mike Williams, and Ben O'Loughlin. More...

 

Conference on William E. Connolly's A World of Becoming

The Contemporary Political Theory Research Group, with the Exeter University Politicsl Department, is holding a one day conference, 'Time, Politics and Becoming' on 26 May 2011. The event is free but registration is required. More...

 

Conference on Civic Education for Higher Education - 15 April 2011

PIR's James Sloam is convening an international conference on the role of teaching and learning in Higher Education in strengthening civic engagement. More...

 

New MSc programme in Transnational Security Studies

The Department is pleased to announce the establishment of a new MSc degree (subject to validation) in Transnational Security Studies. The programme will be recruiting for September 2011. More...

 

PIR Inaugural Lecture

PIR Professor Chris Rumford will be giving his inaugural lecture in the Windor Auditorium on 8 February 2010. The event begins at 6:15pm. More...

 

Spring and Summer PIRSoc Events

PIR Society events for the Spring and early Summer have now been scheduled. More...

 

Spring Term Staff-Student Seminar Series

The Spring term schedule for PIR Staff-Students seminars is now available. Seminars are held on Wednesdays, with internal speakers scheduled for lunchtime and external guest speakers scheduled for 5pm. More...

 

New Undergraduate Brochure

An electronic version of our new undergraduate brochure is now available here

 

New Book: Britain at the Polls 2010

The Department is pleased to announce the publication of Britain at the Polls 2010, edited by Nick Allen (PIR) and John Bartle (Essex), with contributions by Nick Allen and Oliver Heath. More...

 

Contemporary Political Theory Research Group Events

Autumn term events include a guest reading and evening seminar presentation by Dr. Charlotte Epstein (University of Sydney), an evening reading group/roundtable discussion on Ghandi and the later Foucault, and a one-day conference on 'The Margins of Citizenship'. More...

 

The political theory reading group is also in the process of setting up its Autumn term schedule in central London. More...

 

PIRSoc Politics Week

The first series of PIR Society events, including those for Politics Week 2010 (4-9 October) have now been scheduled. More...

 

2010 NSS results

PIR's 90% score in overall satisfaction ranks in the top quartile of all politics and international relations departments in the UK. More...

 

PIR Graduation Ceremonies

The Department congratulates the highly successful undergraduate, MSc and PhD cohorts who graduated on 16 July 2010. More...

 

PIR Students Host Model UN for pupils in local schools

Royal Holloway, University of London, hosted its first Model UN Summit and invited pupils from surrounding schools to take part in the lively debate to explore 'the rights of the child' and 'alleviating poverty.' More...

 

New Working Papers

The 14th and 15th contributions to our working paper series are now available. More...

 

New Books

The Department is pleased to announce the publication of Stephanie Carvin's Prisoners of America's Wars. More...

The Department is also pleased to announce the publication of Ben O'Loughlin's War and Mediia: The Emergence of Diffused War, co-authored with Andrew Hoskins (Nottingham University). More...

 

New Appointments

The Department is pleased to announce that Dr. Julia Gallagher has been appointed to a permanent lectureship in international relations and Antara Datta has been appointed to a teaching fellowship in internatinoal relations. More...

Success for PIRSoc Model UN Team in New York

The 18-student delegation from Royal Holloway represented Republic of Mauritius in the conference and received the Honorable Mention award. More...

 

Vince Cable hosted by the Centre for European Politics

The Rt. Hon. Dr. Vince Cable, MP discussed the world economic crisis in an event hosted by PIR's Centre for European Politics. More...

(Addendum: audio of lecture now available here)

 

Introducing the Contemporary Political Theory Research Group

The Department is pleased to announce the recent establishment of a fourth research unit, the Contemporary Political Theory Research Group. Forthcoming events include seminars by Prof. Jane Bennett and Prof. William E. Connolly of Johns Hopkins University. More...

 

Working Paper No. 13

We are delighted to announce the publication of the 13th working paper in the Department of Politics and IR series, The Cyprus Conflict: A World Society Perspective, by Didem Buhari Gulmez. More...

 

PhD Programme Recruiting for 2010/11

The Department welcomes applications and enquiries from potential PhD candidates interested in research topics covered by our faculty. We also have a number of funding opportunities for Home/EU students. The deadline for applications is 15 March 2010. More...

 

Spring Term Staff-Student Seminar Schedule

The Spring term schedule for PIR Staff-Student seminars is now available. More...

 

New EU Foreign Minister is Department Alumna

EU Commissioner for Trade Catherine Ashton, who has just been nominated to the EU's new foreign affairs post, is a graduate of PIR's predecessor department at Bedford College, University of London. More...

 

Max Weber Fellowship for Recent PhD Graduate

The Department is extremely pleased to announce that recent PhD graduate Colin Flemming was awarded a Max Weber Fellowship to pursue post-doctoral research at the European University Institute in Florence (EUI) for 2009-2010. More...

 

Working Paper No. 12

We are delighted to announce the publication of the 12th working paper in the Department of Politics and IR series, Fixing Subjectivities: the politics of belonging and achieving the nation, by Chris Perkins. More...

 

Introducing the PIR Virtual Library

Read selected publications and working papers from members of staff of the Department of Politics and International Relations. More...

 

Even radical Muslims rely on bearded stereotypes and BBC to understand Jihadists

Findings from a two-year research project finds neither the general public nor even radical leaning Muslims have any real personal knowledge or understanding of real jihadists and both rely on stereotypes and what they can glean from the mainstream media to inform their understanding of what makes for a radicalised jihadist. For more information click here. More...

 

Research Grant Success for Dr Ben O'Loughlin

The Department of Politics and International Relations can announce a new £130,784 research grant award to Dr Ben O’Loughlin in collaboration with Linguamatics Ltd. More...

 

Leverhulme Research Grant Success for Prof Sandra Halperin and Dr Yasmin Khan

The Department is pleased to announce that Prof Sandra Halperin and Dr Yasmin Khan have been awarded £228,277 from the Leverhulme Trust for research on 'Global development: the role of trans-local elites in Afro-Eurasia'. More...

 

2009 Graduation Class Prizes

Congratulations to Robert Wilson, winner of the PIR Prize for best degree result, and to Danielle Barton, winner of the Driver Prize for best piece of work. More...

 

National Model United Nations Welcomes UN Leaders to Podium in Keynote Address at 2009 NMUN New York Conference

NEW YORK, NY -- A group of students from Royal Holloway recently attended the National Model United Nations Conference.  The conference is the culmination of yearlong preparation with meetings, research, writing and fund-raising. More...

 

New member of staff for 2009: Dr Nicholas Allen

The Department of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Lecturer in Political Science: Dr Nicholas Allen.

Dr Allen (BA, Warwick; MA, Essex; PhD, Essex) received his Doctorate in 2008. He has research interests in British politics, with a particular focus on political integrity and ethics regulation, mass and elite political behaviour, the British constitution and the British prime ministership. More...

 

New degree for 2009: BSc Economics, Politics and International Relations

The Department is delighted to announce the launch of a new undergraduate degree programme - the BSc Economics, Politics and International Relations. The programme, a joint honours collaboration between the Department of Economics and the Department of Politics and International Relations, will commence in September 2009. For the UCAS course code and entry requirements click here.

The Admissions process for this programme is operated by the Department of Economics. For further information please contact the Economics Admissions Tutor. For information on Open days and how to apply visit College Admissions information.

More...

 

We've Moved!

In the summer of 2008, the Department moved to a suite of offices in the College's famous Founders Building. More...

 

New Members of Academic Staff

The Department is delighted to announce the appointment of new academic staff. More...

 

Recent Books by Members of the Department

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David Willetts MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, to speak on 'The Social Role of Higher Education'

October 8th, 2008: Windsor Auditorium. All welcome. To coincide with the ‘Teaching Democracy’ project recently launched in the Department's Centre for European Politics. More...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obama's Foreign Policy Plan

PIR Lecturer and Obama adviser Dr Michael Williams talks to CNN.com's Reggie Acqui about the strength of Sen. Barack Obama's foreign policy. More...

 

New Undergraduate Programme in Geography, Politics and International Relations

Are you interested in the extraordinary changes that are taking place in today’s world? Do you want to know more about global geopolitics and the changing geographies of international conflict? Are you concerned about questions of global development and the changing patterns of economic, social, political and environmental inequality? Or the ways in which the internet and new information technologies are transforming our ways of communicating – and of doing politics? » More...

 

 

Graduation 2007

The Department wishes all of our graduates the very best for the future.

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Dr Michael Bacon

Michael joins the Department in September 2007 as Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow. He gained his PhD from the London School of Economics, for a thesis focusing on the work of Richard Rorty. Michael's first book, Richard Rorty: Pragmatism and Political Liberalism will be published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2008.
27.06.07
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The New Political Communication Unit

The New Political Communication Unit at Royal Holloway was launched in April 2007. Research and postgraduate teaching in the Unit focuses on three main themes:

1) Comparative and international political communication: the Internet's impact on political mobilization, campaigning and identity; the relationship between media, war, new security challenges and conflict; audience reception studies in the context of the proliferation of media; the dynamic between citizens’ changing uses of media and a transforming news environment; citizen journalism; technology and mobilities.

2) Communication and comparative governance: e-government, e-democracy and the changing interface between representative institutions, public bureaucracies and citizens; changing organizational practices shaped by new patterns of communication.

3) Comparative and international communication policy: Internet and new media governance and regulation; privacy, surveillance and security, the political economy of new media; cultural diversity policy; digital divide and development issues.
21.05.07
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The Centre for European Politics

The Centre for European Politics at Royal Holloway was launched in January 2007. Research in the centre focuses on two main themes: The study of democracy in Europe, and Europe as an actor in world politics.

The centre is committed to an analysis of European politics that extends beyond the narrow confines of EU-level governance to European comparative politics and international relations. These themes are united by the concept of Europeanisation: political and economic adaptation within the continent; and the influence of Europe beyond its traditional geographical boundaries.

The centre draws of expertise in European issues both within the department and across the college with the aim of developing interdisciplinary research on the issues shaping Europe today.
05.05.07
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Death By Blog?

Mary Francoli examines the relevance of mainstream media in the era of citizen journalism
09.02.07
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MSc graduate elected to Surrey County Council

Marisa Heath, who completed an MSc in International Relations in the Department in 2004, has been elected as the new Surrey county councillor for Englefield Green.
09.02.07
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Working Paper No. 3

Chris Rumford examines the relationship between Turkey and the EU, arguing for a 'postwestern' approach.
08.11.06
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New Working Paper

Sandra Halperin compares Religious Revivalism in Nineteenth Century Europe with the Contemporary Middle East.
21.09.06
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Six New Members of Academic Staff

Dr Giacomo Benedetto
Dr Stephanie Carvin
Dr Mary Francoli
Professor Sandra Halperin
Dr Ben O'Loughlin
Dr Nathan WidderThe Department would like to give a warm welcome to the six new members of staff who join us for the new academic year. These appointments are part of a strategic expansion of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway and bring the Department to sixteen academic staff. We hope that you find it an exciting time to join us.
16.08.06

 

Graduation 2006

The Department would like to say thank you to the family and friends of our 2006 graduates. The Politics & International Relations ceremony took place on Monday 10th July in the afternoon. Photos will appear here soon. Meanwhile, don't forget to order your DVD!
06.07.06
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Dr James Sloam

James Sloam joined the Politics and International Relations Department at Royal Holloway in September 2005. He was previously a lecturer in European Studies at King's College, London and an honorary research fellow at the European Research Institute, University of Birmingham, where he co-ordinated projects on policy transfer in East Central Europe and Youth Participation in democracy. 
23.06.06
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New Working Paper Series

Our Working Paper Series provides a forum for the publication of works in progress that reflect the research interests of staff and doctoral students in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London. The first in the series, Jonathan Seglow on 'Immigration and Global Justice' has just been published.
20.05.06
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Dr Mary Francoli

Dr Francoli joins the Department as a Leverhulme Visiting Fellow in September 2006. She researches the impact of new media on governance, the state and society.  Currently, her research is focused on the idea of the ‘digital commons’ and how new forms of ‘e-participation’ impact the relationship between citizens and their elected representatives. 
19.05.06
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Dr Yasmin Khan

Yasmin joined the department in September 2005 as a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow. Her interests are in the postcolonial history of India and Pakistan, in particular the Partition of 1947 and its aftermath, secularism, ethnic violence, democratisation and decolonisation. Her current research is about nation-building in the earliest years of Indian independence.
08.05.06
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