Other News

Dr Ted Svensson, who finished his PAIS Phd last year, has won the Lord Bryce Prize for Best Dissertation in International Relations/Comparative Studies for 2010.

The judges said :

This dissertation provides a theoretically rich and empirically informed examination of the complex processes that shaped the production of national independence and citizenship in India and Pakistan. By judiciously deploying critical social theory and skilfully interpreting extensive archival material, it is able to map the mythologies of state formation in political theory and the formation of state mythologies during the independence and partition processes on the sub-continent. The analysis of dynamics such as communal violence, diaspora networks, internal migration, class antagonisms, religious affiliation, and caste marginalisation reveal the ways that dominant mythologies shape the very limits of political possibility and representation within any nation-state. In doing so, this dissertation engages with vital questions about power, identity, authority, and authenticity in the mutually constitutive development of political structures and political identities. Moreover, at a time when the potential for dramatic constitutional change and socio-political transformation is once again emerging globally, one of the key implications of this study is to remind us of how any period of political transition produces opportunities and foreclosures, certainties and uncertainties, traditions and novelties, and practices of memorialisation and wilful forgetting. All are deployed in order to discipline the ambiguities of ‘foundational’ moments in politics, lest the radical contingency of constitutions, national identities, and the forms of authority they enable be revealed.

Congratulations, Ted!

Dear All,

I am delighted to be able to inform you that the Academy of Social Sciences has recently conferred the title of Academician upon Wyn Grant.

This is, of course, recognition of Wyn's highly distinguished scholarship and contribution to the Politics discipline, and especially through the PSA.

I am sure you will join me in congratulating Wyn on this very prestigious achievement.

Chris

Christopher W. Hughes
Professor of International Politics and Japanese Studies
Head of Department, Politics and International Studies

Stuart Croft has been appointed to the ESRC Council as the representative for the Politics and International Studies discipline.

ESRC Council members play a key role in deciding strategy, objectives and resource utilisation.

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/about-esrc/governance/esrc-council/

This is yet another mark of Stuart’s important standing as a scholar and in the profession, and will provide essential leadership for the discipline in a time of transition.

Ed Jones, a current 3rd year student on the BA in Politics programme, writes:

Over the Christmas break of 2010 myself and a fellow Warwick student went to Gaborone, Botswana to compete in the World University Debating Championships. PAIS kindly assisted me in funding my trip. The competition, held annually at different venues, in considered to be the most prestigious British Parliamentary tournament on the planet. In attendance were over 300 teams from across the globe including the most renowned debating societies including Oxford, Cambridge, Sydney, and Monash, famous institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and LSE, and representation from every continent with Africa having more teams than ever before with debaters from Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and elsewhere. In preparation for the competition we competed at the SOAS, Oxford, University College Dublin and Bristol competitions as well as the British Championships (Mace) in London.

The competition was eight days long. The opening ceremony was attended by an array of Botswanan public figures and had entertainment from local musicians and dancers. Social events and cultural exhibitions, including a Safari trip at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, were organised for every day and accommodation and food was provided by the University of Botswana at Gaborone.

There were 9 preliminary rounds before the best 32 teams qualified for the knock-out stages. Whilst Warwick put in a very strong performance, and were in serious contention for qualification on the final day, we ultimately missed out on progressing to the later rounds but nevertheless had a fantastic time watching some of the greatest debaters in the world. Monash A won the final at the Sir Seretse Khama Military Barracks in Gaborone from first proposition with the motion that ‘This House Would Invade Zimbabwe’. Other motions from the competition included, ‘This House Would Buy Countries Votes in International Organizations’, ‘This House Supports a One State Solution to the Israel-Palestine Conflict’, and ‘This House Believes that the Southern African Development Community Should Pursue Political Union’. Teams find out the motions fifteen minutes before they debate with each member speaking for seven minutes.

The competition was a fantastic opportunity and a very enjoyable two weeks. Warwick and its range of societies offer students many opportunities to travel around the world and the debating society is no exception. The Warwick Debating Society is one of the largest societies on campus and last year won the SU’s ‘Best Society’ award. We welcome those who have done debating before and those who are complete novices. We meet in the Social Studies Building from 4-6pm every Wednesday and Friday for training and send teams to competitions every weekend. This summer we are sending three teams to compete at the European Debating Championships in Galway. Additionally we hold fortnightly public debates in the Atrium of the SU and have a regular presence in the Warwick Boar and a weekly radio show on RaW.

Each year PAIS sends 5-10 delegates to the annual International Studies Association Annual Convention; this year, we are sending no fewer than 16 to the convention in Montreal over 16-19 March.  This year's convention is entitled 'Global Governance: Political Authority in transition'. 

More information about ISA and the convention is available on the ISA website.