We are delighted to announce that Sameer Bajaj has been appointed as Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy, and will take up his post in September 2019. Sameer received his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Arizona and his JD in Law from Columbia University Law School. He was previously Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, USA. Sameer's main research interests lie in political and moral philosophy. He is currently undertaking research into why and how citizens of large, pluralistic democracies ought to participate in politics. He is also working on a project that examines how the demands of achieving collective ends distribute among individuals. Sameer's work has been published widely, including in Philosophical Studies and in Politics, and Philosophy and Economics. This autumn, Sameer will be teaching a new module on Democracy and Political Authority.

Dr David Woods, Teaching Fellow in the Philosophy Department, has received a commendation in the Warwick Awards for Teaching Excellence 2019 (WATE).

Chris Noonan, a postgraduate student in the Department, is a winner in the Warwick Awards for Teaching Excellence for Postgraduates Who Teach category (WATE PGR).

Many congratulations to both David and Chris from all our students and colleagues for their well-deserved accolades, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to teaching in the Philosophy Department over the past year.

The winners of this year's undergraduate Philosophy in the Wild' essay competition are Maya Kokerov (winner), Euan McGinty (runner up) and Neville Birdi (runner up). The judges were impressed by the quality of all the essays submitted, and the choice was a difficult one. However, the essays produced by Maya, Euan and Neville were selected for the way they imaginatively interpreted the brief, and how all three pieces of work demonstrated the importance and value of philosophy in the world today. The winners were awarded vouchers worth £100 (first prize) and £50 (runners up) respectively.

Maya (first prize), applied metaphysical ideas on personhood to the contemporary issue of social media: "I was interested in tackling the common idea that the internet is solely used to express superficial aspects of our lives - but it is possible to use social media smartly if we think about it in philosophical terms".

Euan channelled his interest in the Philosophy of Language to explore the way certain words and terms can influence our perception of the world, relating particularly to environmentalism. He focused on John Baird Callicott's discussion about the historical baggage associated with the term 'wilderness'. Says Euan: "my aim was to apply some of the knowledge I've gained from studying philosophy and put it in the context of issues that concern me".

Neville's inspiration came directly from Professor Kimberley Brownlee's lectures on Ideas of Freedom, and particularly 'freedom of thought' and 'freedom of expression'. Writing the essay allowed Neville to draw links between the philosophical theory and the real world: "everyone now knows we live in a 'post-truth' and 'fake news' age, so when better to discuss the value of thought, expression, and the press?" he says.

Congratulations to all three winners on their achievement from everyone in the Department!

Professor Keith Ansell-Pearson will feature in a forthcoming edition of In Our Time, to be broadcast on BBC Radio Four on Thursday 9 May 2019 at 0900. Professor Ansell-Pearson, who specialises in modern European philosophy and is the author of monographs on Bergson and Nietzsche, will discuss Bergson and the Question of Time with Melvyn Bragg and his fellow expert guests.

In Our Time is BBC Radio Four's flagship discussion programme exploring the History of Ideas, and has been presented by Melvyn Bragg since its inception in 1998. The programme's reputation and cultural impact is such that it is claimed to have "transformed the landscape for serious ideas at peak listening time".

The Department of Philosophy is excited to announce its participation in the Warwick Pre-University Summer School (Tuesday 2 July - Friday 12 July 2019). The Pre-University Summer School offers students an enriching opportunity to study at the University of Warwick for an exciting ten-night, fully inclusive, residential Summer School.

Philosophy is teaming up with the Departments of Law, Psychology, and Liberal Arts to offer A Taste of Social Sciences. This is a course aimed at motivated 16-18 year olds who are thinking about studying for a degree in Philosophy or other social sciences and wishing to enjoy a truly memorable summer experience:

Students will enjoy:

• A choice of two courses taught by top Warwick faculty: 'A Taste of Social Sciences' or 'Introduction to Economics and Finance'
• Engaging with like-minded peers from around the world
• Outstanding guest speakers
• Personal effectiveness training, including leadership and communications skills
• Preparing for University in the UK
• Living on the beautiful and self-contained Warwick campus for eight nights
• Spending two nights in London, and a visit to the London School of Economics
• An informative industry visit
• Visiting the City of Oxford and an Oxford College

Click to learn more about the Warwick Pre-University Summer School and our A Taste of Social Sciences programme.