Dr Jennifer Lander is Lecturer in Law at De Montfort University of Leicester, where she teaches public law and researches the constitutional dimensions of economic globalisation. Her new book Transnational Law and State Transformation: The Case of Extractive Development in Mongolia has been recently published with Routledge (2020).

Book blurb: Dr Lander’s talk will focus on the key conceptual contributions of her new monograph to the socio-legal literature on transnational law, constitutionalism and development. The monograph offers an empirical study of the powerful, co-constitutive relations between state, market and law in the global political economy, through an in-depth case study of natural resource-based development in Mongolia. The key conceptual argument of the book is that distinct processes of legal, political and economic transformation together promote practical re-constitutionalisation within the national state. Empirically, the monograph shows how the pursuit of extractive development in Mongolia has introduced transnational legal norms as well as forms of market-based constituent power within the apparatus of the state which reconfigure central state institutions, the relationship between central and sub-national institutions, as well as state-citizen relations. The realignment of state power along these three critical axes evidences a process of state transformation and de facto constitutional change. The monograph contributes to the wider transnational law and development literatures by emphasising – empirically and conceptually – the pressing need to refocus attention on the national state as the key node through which “global” transformations occur in order to fully comprehend the realities of contemporary constitutionalism.

Speaker: Anil Gomes (Oxford)

Title: Lichtenberg's Puzzle

"Sometime in 1793 or 1794, the German philosopher, physicist, and aphorist George Christoph Lichtenberg writes in his notebook: ‘One should say it is thinking, just as one says, it is lightning. To say cogito is already too much as soon as one translates it as I am thinking. To assume the I, to postulate it, is a practical requirement’ (my translation). Lichtenberg’s claim was influential on a range of philosophers, including Ernst Mach, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and Wittgenstein. But – I’ll suggest – the problem which he is pressing has been misunderstood. I’ll try and set out the nature of the puzzle and explain why it has force. It will raise a set of questions about the kind of agency involved in conscious thought."

Following our annual Warwick Question Time event in October 2019, we invite you to join us for a debate on current affairs with our student panel from the Departments of Economics and PAIS at this year's Students' Question Time 2020.

Date: Thursday 27 February 2020
Time: 6.30 - 7.30pm
Room: Ramphal, R0.21

This year's chair

Lucy Ferriby-Stocks, Year 2, Politics and International Studies (PAIS)

My name is Lucy and I am a second year PAIS student. Through my A-levels and my degree I have had a strong interest in politics, both at home and abroad, with my recent focus surrounding the USA and the UK. This has also led to me developing a strong interest in international security, both the more traditional concepts like terrorism and war, as well as more critical aspects such as health and environmental security. Being the Academic Officer for the Politics Society has enabled me to develop this interest even further, along with my role as Head of News at the student radio station (RAW1251AM) where I have also seen the relationship between politics and the media and how significant political events are reported

This year's panellists

Arif Erdogan, Year 3, Politics and International Studies (PAIS)

My name is Arif and I am a finalist on the PAIS degree. Having represented Britain overseas at the Bali Democracy Forum, I am interested in how to bring about effective intercultural dialogue and exchange between British and international cultures. I am joining the panel in order to hear a plurality of opinions whilst also offering a perspective on the key issues of our times. My hobbies include long-distance running and cooking.

Izzy Buratta, Year 2, Economics

My name is Izzy and I’m second year economics student who enjoys finding opportunities to enhance my knowledge and understanding of how economics is applied in different contexts and exploring ways in which it can complement other disciplines in addressing topical issues. Outside of lectures, I’ve been involved in helping coordinate a Women in Economics workshop, undertaking a URSS research project on human rights and macroeconomics, working for the CORE economics project including judging a video competition and representing Warwick at The Economics Debate 2020, hosted by UCL. I’m honoured to have been selected and am excited to hear a wide variety of opinions from other panellists and the audience alike.

Will McMahon, Year 2, Economics

My name is Will McMahon and I am a second-year Economics undergraduate student with an interest in a range of topics within the discipline. Economics first attracted me because of its focus on finding answers to some of the world’s most important questions. Being a part of the 2020 Students’ Question Time panel is, therefore, a very exciting prospect. On campus, I am a Junior Editor for Assumptions, the Warwick Economics Society Magazine and Blog, and I am involved in the Rowing Club. I also enjoy cycling, reading and running.

Shreya Thummar, Year 3, Economics, Politics & International Studies

My name is Shreya Thummar, and I'm a third year EPAIS student. My primary interests in this field are Development Economics and Political Economy, especially reading about the intriguing impact of macroeconomic matters on various stakeholders. On campus I am involved with Warwick in Africa, the Finance Society, and write for The Boar. Apart from that I spend my time sipping coffee, checking out different restaurants and binging on Netflix. I look forward to joining the panel!

Alex Giurgea, Year 3, Politics and Sociology

I’m a Politics and Sociology finalist who strongly believes that interdisciplinarity and epistemological pluralism are the only ways to ensure knowledge remains a humanitarian, public project. My research interests lie in EU governance and the sociology of science. I’ve completed a URSS project on the emergence of the Three Seas Initiative, worked for the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and attended a summer school at Cornell University on international human rights. I’m currently a research assistant for PAIS and plan to pursue a career in Brussels after my studies.

Please note that photography and video recording will be taking place during the event.

If you require any reasonable adjustments under the Equalities Act 2010, please contact economics.access@warwick.ac.uk. All reasonable efforts will be made to make the adjustments required to enable you to attend.

Register

Registration for this event is mandatory. If you wish to be in audience for Students' Question Time, then please reserve your seat by registering your details below.

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*For first year economics students, attendance at this event will give you 10 credits towards your Personal Development Module. Please note that you must stay for the full event in order to receive these credits.