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. Colin holds M.Litt in War Studies (Distinction), MA (Hons) History and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen and a PhD in International Relations from Royal Holloway, University of London (2009). At Royal Holloway Colin worked first with Professor Steven Haines and completed his dissertation under the supervision of Dr Michael Williams.

Colin's principal research interests lie in the field of international relations, particularly the role and impact of war in the modern world. His PhD dissertation which he is turning into a book manuscript while in Florence examines the modern utility of the Clausewitzian 'Trinity' in the analysis of the nature and conduct of war. Using the Balkan wars of 1991-1994 as a case study, he is assessing the contemporary relevance of Clausewitzian ideas against the challenges of the increasingly popular 'new war' thesis. His publications include "'New or Old Wars": Debating a Clausewitzian Future' in Journal of Strategic Studies, Volume 32, Number 2, April 2009 , pp. 213-241

Colin and Dr Williams are currently preparing a grant proposal to study war in the risk society, which will explore a variety of topics such as society-military interaction, conceptions of victory and defeat and war as risk management.