Other News
Vincenzo Bove paper on crude oil's link to war receives considerable press coverage
Vincenzo Bove, an Assistant Professor and a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow here in PAIS, has recently co-authored a paper, titled ‘“Oil above Water", Economic Interdependence and Third-Party Intervention,’ for the Journal of Conflict Resolution.
Alongside researchers from the Universities Portsmouth and Essex, they have for the first time provided strong evidence for what conspiracy theorists have long thought – oil is often the reason for interfering in another country’s war.
Throughout recent history, countries which need oil have found reasons to interfere in countries with a good supply of it and, the researchers argue, this could help explain the US interest in ISIS in northern Iraq.
The researchers have modelled the decision-making process of third-party countries in interfering in civil wars and examined their economic motives.
They found that the decision to interfere was dominated by the interveners’ need for oil over and above historical, geographical or ethnic ties.
The full paper is available, '"Oil above Water", Economic Interdependence and Third-Party Intervention', Journal of Conflict Resolution.
Please see the University of Warwick press release for the paper
The paper has received considerable press coverage, the articles can be viewed below:
PAIS Student Wins Guardian Student Columnist of the Year Award
PAIS second-year student, Lucy Webster has won the Student Columnist of the Year Award at the 2014 Guardian Student Media Awards.
For the last 35 years the Guardian Student Media Awards have sought out the best student writers, designers, broadcasters, editors, and photographers. It's a highly rewarding scheme, well known within student arenas due to its well-established history.
The focus of the awards is to discover and promote these talented individuals as well as reward and celebrate their excellent work.
Here is what Lucy had to say on the award:
The Guardian Student Media awards is an annual competition for student journalists. As one of five nominated for the Student Columnist of the Year award, I was invited to the awards ceremony at the Guardian's London office, where it was announced that I had won. This means I will be spending a few weeks doing work experience at the paper this summer, and I have been able to contribute to the website. One of the highlights of the evening was being addressed by Alan Rusbridger, the editor, who left us all even more eager for careers in journalism.
For more information on the Guardian Student Media Awards, please see: http://www.theguardian.com/student-media-awards-2014
Lucy’s first article for the Guardian, published on the Comment is free website, can be viewed here: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/01/2015-general-election-russell-brand-revolution-young-people-vote
Dr Trevor McCrisken introduces Dr Patricia Lewis at the Winter Graduation
Dr Trevor McCrisken was the Orator for the Honorary Doctorate awarded to Dr Patricia Lewis, of Chatham House, at the Winter Graduation on Wednesday 21st January, 2015.
Dr Patricia Lewis is the Research Director, International Security, at Chatham House. Her former posts include Deputy Director and Scientist-in-Residence at the Center for Non-proliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies; Director of UNIDIR; and Director of VERTIC in London.
Dr Lewis served on the 2004-6 WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) Commission chaired by Dr Hans Blix; the 2010-2011 Advisory Panel on Future Priorities of the OPCW chaired by Ambassador Rolf Ekeus; and was an adviser to the 2008-10 International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) chaired by Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi.
She holds a BSc (Hons) in physics from Manchester University and a PhD in nuclear physics from the University of Birmingham. She is a dual national of the UK and Ireland. Dr Lewis is the recipient of the American Physical Society’s 2009 Joseph A Burton Forum Award recognizing 'outstanding contributions to the public understanding or resolution of issues involving the interface of physics and society'.
PAIS PhD student publishes review article, with responses and rejoinder
Matthias Kranke, a PhD student in PAIS, published a review article of two edited volumes in Millennium: Journal of International Studies in 2014. The volumes which Matthias reviewed are:
- Best, Jacqueline and Paterson, Matthew (eds) (2010) Cultural Political Economy, London: Routledge.
- Shields, Stuart, Bruff, Ian and Macartney, Huw (eds) (2011) Critical International Political Economy: Dialogue, Debate and Dissensus, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
The editors in turn decided to respond to the review. Now, their responses, as well as Matt's rejoinder, have very recently been published in Millennium. They can be viewed on the links below.
Review article: <http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0305829814529472>
Response by Shields, Bruff & Macartney: <http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0305829814557062>
Response by Best & Paterson: <http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0305829814557063>
Rejoinder: <http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0305829814561037>
Chris Hughes quoted in Defense News and IntellAsia
Prof Chris Hughes, Head of Department, was quoted in articles appearing on 19 and 21 January 2015 in Defense News and IntellAsia entitled 'Experts: Japan Budget Boost Won't Hit Goals'. Below is an excerpt from the piece:
"Japan is adding more MSDF capacity to try to prevent China asserting sea control in the East China Sea, and Japan is demonstrating that it is serious to defend the southern islands, even if it still has a long way to build the necessary capacity," said Christopher Hughes, an expert on Japan's military, and professor of international politics and Japanese studies at the UK's University of Warwick.