U N I V E R S I T Y O F K E N T A T M O D E L U N Colette Debever, a student on our Bidiplôme programme with Sciences Po Lille tells us about Model United

Nations at Kent:

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

M E S S A G E F R O M

T H E H E A D O F

S C H O O L

2

U K I P D E B A T E

O P E N F O R U M

3

S K I L L S F O R L I F E

S P O T L I G H T O N

N E W A C A D E M I C

4

5

R E S E A R C H N E W S 6

M E S S A G E F R O M

T H E S T U D E N T

S U P P O R T O F F I C E R

8

UN

IV

ER

SI

TY

O

F

KE

NT

M A R C H 2 0 1 4

S P R I N G T E R M N E W S L E T T E R

S C H O O L O F P O L I T I C S A N D

I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E L A T I O N S

Model United Nations (MUN) conferences

aim to reproduce the UN’s legislative pro-

cess, from agenda-setting to voting on a

final resolution. Students are asked to

represent the interests of a country in a

UN committee on a given topic and negoti-

ate their way through the writing of a con-

sensual resolution that does not contra-

dict their country’s foreign policy. It is an

academic activity requiring a number of

different skills: public speaking, negotiat-

ing, networking and searching for solu-

tions. There are a number of important

conferences every year and the biggest

and most prestigious is undoubtedly

WorldMUN hosted by Harvard students.

The particularity of WorldMUN is that con-

ferences are held in a different location

every year (Melbourne in 2013, Vancou-

ver in 2012) in order to encourage the

participation of students from all around

the world. This year, the conference is

located in Brussels, only a short train-ride

away from us here at Kent.

Given this incredible opportunity, Rosanne

Fienga, Chloé Gilot, and I decided to gath-

er a team of fifteen students from diverse

origins to represent the University of Kent

in Brussels. In the spirit of equity, we de-

cided to do everything possible to get our

trip sponsored thus enabling students to

attend the conference without the worry

of financial barriers.

Since October 2013 we have been

searching for potential sponsors and pub-

licising our project to private companies

through our own website (http://

chloegilot.wix.com/theworldmunproject).

Through our efforts we have received

some small donations and we were also

delighted to receive a grant from the

School of Politics and International Rela-

tions to cover half of the conference regis-

tration fee cost.

Our team has been designated to repre-

sent the Kingdom of Norway and with the

conference

commencing

on 17th March

we have now

entered a

phase of in-

tense prepara-

tion. We will

do everything

possible to

make this an

incredible ex-

perience for

our delegates and to make a name for the

KentMUN Society beyond the shores of

Great Britain!

This is a notable year for anniversaries. Not only is it a

hundred years since the start of the Great War, this

was followed only 25 years later by the start of the

Second World War. For all students of Politics and In-

ternational Relations, these events still remain the

subject of debate and contestation. Closer to home,

the University is coming up to its fiftieth anniversary.

Politics was one of the four founding departments

when the first students struggled up the hill in the au-

tumn of 1964. Pictures show just how different the

campus looked then, with still much of the rustic

charm of the ancient farm settlement remaining.

No less different is the environment in which Higher

Education takes place. In those days there was still a

sense of heady optimism that education was the key

to progress, emancipation and social mobility. It was

funded then as a public good, with fees paid by the

state and soon after generous maintenance grants

were introduced. Now, not only are enormous fees

and maintenance funds ultimately paid for by stu-

dents, but the liberating sense of higher education as

an adventure has also gone.

This does not mean that the excitement of studying

has disappeared, but the social matrix in which learn-

ing is conducted has certainly changed. This is now a

world of league tables, research assessment, and

endless student ‘experience’ surveys. The student ex-

perience is at the heart of all that we do, although

there is a fundamental ambiguity in the term – since

experience is by definition a combination of personal

choices and engagements and institutional provision,

including facilities, skills provision and above all

‘teaching’.

In many ways things have become much better. The

range of facilities and support for students has grown

immeasurably; and alt-

hough the style of

teaching has changed,

in part because of tech-

nological developments,

the fundamental link

between student and

lecturer is if anything

stronger than ever be-

fore.

So, in anticipation of the

fiftieth anniversary, this

is a moment of reflec-

tion in the life of the

School. As part of our celebrations we have commis-

sioned an intellectual history of the department, which

is now being prepared by one of our most illustrious

alumni, Professor Maurice Vile. We also have a num-

ber of other activities lined up, which will be an-

nounced in due course. Above all, the Open Forum

and other venues will be used for the continuing de-

bate over the meaning and purpose of Higher Educa-

tion today. This is a debate in which we are all in-

volved, and as students of the School of Politics and

International Relations at Kent it is one that we em-

brace, to be reflexive about learning and its place in

the modern world. One of the meanings of the Greek

word krisis is ‘a moment of reflection in the life of the

community’. Let us use the opportunity of our fiftieth

anniversary to enjoy this krisis!

Professor Richard Sakwa

Head of School

M E S S A G E F R O M H E A D O F S C H O O L

Page 2 S C H O O L O F P O L I T I C S A N D I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E L A T I O N S

How do I improve my essays? Guidance for stage 1 students

This session will consider how stage 1 students performed in their autumn term modules, and how they can

improve their spring term essays.

Wednesday 12th March, 11-12, room COLT3

(Attendance limited to stage 1 students)

Preparing for summer exams

This session will provide help for students in preparing for, and writing, good exam papers.

Wednesday 9th April, 11-12, room DLT3

All students welcome.

S T U D Y S K I L L S S E S S I O N S

Page 3 S P R I N G T E R M N E W S L E T T E R

C U R R E N T A F F A I R S A N D P O L I T I C S S O C I E T Y H O S T S U K I P D E B A T E

As president of the Current Affairs and Politics Society (CAPS), the

committee and I hosted a debate on the European Union between

the University of Kent students and representatives of the United

Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in December 2013. By inviting

prominent Eurosceptics, UKIP’s Head of Policy, Tim Aker, and South

East MEP Candidate, Janice Atkinson (ahead of the European Parlia-

mentary Elections in May 2014) students were able to understand

and debate UKIP’s current stance towards European issues. With a

multi-cultural audience, this student-led event proved to be extremely informative as members (and non-

members) of our society had the opportunity to engage with and challenge UKIP’s current political agenda.

Confiding with us on internal politics, explaining their political experience and clarifying their engagement,

both speakers provided a unique discourse that helped us understand how and why they have gained popu-

lar support within the region, and the whole country, in the last

few years.

As an unaffiliated political society, CAPS is a successful student-

led political forum for discussion, as both undergraduates and

postgraduates are able to interact with prominent actors that

shape and influence the current political stage. The strong level

of participation in this event proved how politically committed,

engaged and involved the student body truly is in this university.

Jules Landrieu – 2nd Year Student BA in Politics and International Relations

The Open Forum started with a bang this term when the school came together to debate the question ‘Should

We Talk to Terrorists?’ The debate was opened by Professor Feargal Cochrane who argued that talking to terror-

ists was often an essential part of any peace process; though he urged caution over some of the terminology

and the binary distinctions that often flow from them. In other words that the question posed is highly sensitive

to context, not least the boundaries of who 'we' are and who the 'terrorists' are that should be engaged in dia-

logue. He suggested that this frequently absolves the State from responsibility for the methodologies associated

with terrorism, facilitates an ideological reductionism between us and them, and bestows a false legitimacy over

questions concerning what terrorism is and who is using it. Dr Harmonie Toros then turned the debate on its

head by asking the question ‘Should Terrorists talk to us?’ She spoke of how negotiations can moderate terror-

ists positions and leave them open to criticism from their constituents. As always the comments from our stu-

dents were insightful and controversial, highlighting the problems with defining 'terrorists' and the ethical dilem-

mas associated with rewarding violence.

The Open Forum takes place every Monday from 12.00-13.00 in Rutherford Lecture Theatre 1, please see our

events page for the full Spring term programme.

O P E N F O R U M S P R I N G T E R M

Page 4 S C H O O L O F P O L I T I C S A N D I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E L A T I O N S

Last term the re-launched Public Speaker Programme (PSP) marked its new

mission as the School’s main public policy event platform. We secured a num-

ber of high profile speakers from around the world: Rupak Chattopadhyay

President of the Forum of Federations in Canada, Professor Michael Burgess

of the University of Kent, Lord Teverson, House of Commons, Jonathan Parish

Senior Policy Planning Officer and Speechwriter to the NATO Secretary General

and Oliver Richmond, currently Research Professor at the University of Man-

chester. Our next two events are scheduled for March and April 2014. On

March 19th at 5pm a roundtable will take place on Nelson Mandela and his legacy with leading South African expert Profes-

sor Adrian Guelke and other speakers. On April 2 at 5pm Professor Feargal Cochrane will give his professorial inaugural lec-

ture titled ‘The Squat Pen Rests: Reflections on the Dynamics of Ethno-Nationalist Conflict’. A PSP student committee is cur-

rently organizing more events. If you have any ideas to discuss with fellow students please email your representatives, Pembe

pm278@kent.ac.uk or Lilian lg274@kent.ac.uk. The events are open to students, staff and the broader community. Please

do join us for PSP’s new beginnings!

P U B L I C S P E A K E R P R O G R A M M E : M A N D E L A ’ S L E G A C Y

Last term the School ran an exciting range of events aimed at developing students’ employability skills, in-

cluding sessions on Graduate Training Programmes, The Art of Networking, EU Careers and a day-long Alum-

ni Networking Conference. The Alumni Conference took place as part of the University-wide ‘Employability

Week’ in November and was a roaring success. With panels hosted by PolIR alumni and a fantastic keynote

speech by American businesswoman, blogger and author Penelope Trunk, the day was extremely beneficial

to students and enjoyed by all who attended.

This term we are excited to be working closely with other Schools in the Social Sciences Faculty to present

you with a packed itinerary of sessions designed to prepare students for life after university. The Spring

Term’s programme includes sessions on Blogging, Public Communication and Gaining Work Experience in

the UK and Abroad. We also welcome two new members to our Employability Team: Ms Claire Tanner, our

Employability, Internships and Placements Officer and Ms Dora Perera, our Employability Assistant.

As ever we welcome recommendations from students as to what you

would like to see from our School Employability Programme so please do

let us know how we can help you prepare for your future! For more infor-

mation on the Employability Programme or for answers to any questions

you may have on employability, please contact poliremployabil-

ity@kent.ac.uk or our Employability Officer Dr Govinda Clayton

(g.clayton@kent.ac.uk).

D E V E L O P I N G S K I L L S F O R L I F E – E M P L O Y A B I L I T Y

P E E R M E N T O R I N G

The 2013/14 School of Politics and International Relations Peer Mentoring Scheme is now fully in swing with

twenty of our highest performing final year students supporting more than forty of our first year students. The

mentoring scheme provides help and support on a broad range of issues, such as essay writing, research, li-

brary skills and time management. In the Spring Term our mentors are also offering sessions on revision and

exam preparation. The scheme is open to all first year students so if you are interested in joining the pro-

gramme please email Dr Govinda Clayton (g.clayton@kent.ac.uk) or our Peer Mentoring Coordinator Misha

Upadhyaya (mu34@kent.ac.uk).

Page 5 S P R I N G T E R M N E W S L E T T E R

Dr Seán Molloy

joined the School of

Politics and Interna-

tional Relations as a

Reader in Interna-

tional Relations

from the University

of Edinburgh in May

2013. Seán’s re-

search interests lie

at the intersection of

IR theory, political

theory, philosophy

and the history of IR

theory. He is the au-

thor of a well-

received book, The

Hidden History of Realism: A Genealogy of Power Poli-

tics and several articles in leading IR journals. At pre-

sent, Seán is working on two projects, a book provi-

sionally titled Kant’s International Relations: The Politi-

cal Theology of Perpetual Peace and a two book study

of Realist ethics in IR. Recent articles have examined

the neglected aspect of theology in Kant’s theory of

IR, an examination of Benedict Spinoza and E.H.

Carr’s ethics and a critical inquiry into how Hans J.

Morgenthau and David Hume used the idea of the Bal-

ance of Power in their approaches to international pol-

itics. Seán recently co-edited a special issue of the

journal ‘International Politics’ with Hartmut Behr of

Newcastle University. Seán is the Programme Director

of the MA in International Relations and the MA in In-

ternational Relations with International Law. At the

undergraduate level, Seán teaches Introduction to

International Relations (PO310) and War and Peace in

International Society (PO667) and at the postgraduate

level he will be teaching the module International Re-

lations Theory (PO824).

Dr Toni Haastrup is

a Lecturer in Inter-

national Security

and a Deputy Direc-

tor in the Global

Europe Centre. She

joined us from the

University of War-

wick in September

2013. Her re-

search focuses on

international rela-

tions; regional se-

curity governance,

gender politics and

her areas of empiri-

cal interests in-

clude EU foreign policies in Africa and the develop-

ment of the African peace and security architecture.

Toni is particularly interested in new institutionalist

accounts of international relations, Normative Power

Europe and feminist accounts of international security

and much of her work uses these frameworks. Her

recent research focuses on the implications of multi-

ple meanings of gender within the African and Europe-

an security contexts. In the 2013/2014 academic

year, Toni is convening the undergraduate modules

European Security Cooperation (PO599) and Introduc-

tion to Strategic Studies (PO608) and teaching Inter-

national Security in a Changing World PO916 at post-

graduate level. Next year, she will be introducing an

exciting new module International Security

(PO671), an introduction to security studies which in-

troduces key thinkers and literatures with the aim of

providing a solid theoretical and conceptual grounding

for students interested in the practice of international

security.

S P O T L I G H T O N N E W A C A D E M I C S T A F F

Page 6 S P R I N G T E R M N E W S L E T T E R

Congratulations to Dr Paolo Dardanelli, co-convener of the Comparative Politics Re-

search Group and Deputy Director of the Schools’ Centre for Federal Studies, who has

been awarded a £97,000 grant by The Leverhulme Trust, to lead an international team

of scholars on the project ‘Why Centralization and Decentralization in Federations: a

Comparative Analysis’. The other members of the team are Prof. John Kincaid of Lafa-

yette College, USA, the co-principal investigator on the project, Prof. Alan Fenna of Cur-

tin University, Australia, Prof. André Kaiser of the University of Cologne, Germany, Prof.

André Lecours of the University of Ottawa, Canada, and Prof. Ajay Kumar Singh of Ja-

mia Hamdard University, India. The project seeks to investigate the dynamics of cen-

tralization and decentralization in mature federations and to draw lessons for newer

ones, aiming to explain why some federal systems become more centralized over time while others become

more decentralized. Over three years, it intends to build the first comprehensive database on de/

centralization in federations, publish a special issue of a leading academic journal, and hold three scholar-

practitioner conferences in India, Canada, and Germany. The project is conducted under the aegis of the

Forum of Federations, the Research Committee on Comparative Federalism and Multi-Level Governance of

the International Political Science Association, and the International Association of Centres for Federal

Studies. Dr Dardanelli says: “I’m very grateful to The Leverhulme Trust for their generous funding. It’s a ma-

jor vote of confidence in the quality of Kent’s research in comparative politics. I very much look forward to

working with my colleagues on this project.”

D R P A O L O D A R D A N E L L I T O L E A D I N T E R N A T I O N A L P R O J E C T

L A U N C H P A R T Y F O R L E G I O N S O F P E A C E :

U N P E A C E K E E P E R S F R O M T H E G L O B A L S O U T H

Congratulations to Dr Philip Cunliffe on the launch of

his new book ‘Legions of Peace: UN Peacekeepers

from the Global South’ hosted by the School’s Conflict

Analysis Research Centre on 11 December 2013. Dr

Cunliffe’s book is the first of its kind to consider the

question of personnel contribution to United Nations

(UN) peacekeeping operations since the end of the

Cold War – a growing field in the study of peacekeep-

ing. UN peacekeeping deployments have now be-

come so extensive that only the USA deploys more

military personnel around the world. With a new UN

peacekeeping operation launched in Mali last year

following the French intervention in that country, and

following the recent expansion of the peacekeeping

mission in South Sudan, the question of who provides

forces for peacekeeping - and why - has never been

more vital. Given that most of these forces come from

the developing countries that comprise the global

South, Philip argues that peacekeeping contribution

is best seen as an imperial security system where the

wealthy and powerful countries of the West use the

UN to displace the costs and risks of military interven-

tion onto the armies and police forces of poorer and

less powerful states. In so doing,

peacekeeping has helped to

globalise the use of military pow-

er, making peace increasingly

dependent on the prolonged use

of armed force. In all, over 50

people attended the launch and

all copies of the book sold out

by the end of the event!

R E S E A R C H N E W S

Page 7 S C H O O L O F P O L I T I C S A N D I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E L A T I O N S

The Global Europe Centre (GEC) is the SPIR-based research centre that focuses on Eu-

rope, its member states, and its place in a changing world. Based in Canterbury and

Brussels the Centre brings together leading international academics from politics and

international relations, economics, law, business, and European culture in order to ex-

plore the contemporary policy challenges to Europe and its nation states.

N E W S F R O M T H E G L O B A L E U R O P E C E N T R E

L A U N C H O F T H E G L O B A L E U R O P E C E N T R E P O L I C Y P A P E R

The GEC launched its first Policy Paper in Brussels to an audience of policy makers from the European Com-

mission, European External Action Service, representatives of member state representations and think tanks

on Wednesday 16th October 2013. The policy paper is available at http://www.kent.ac.uk/politics/gec/GEC%

20Policy%20Paper.pdf. In the paper the Global Europe Centre’s team of Professors Korosteleva and Whitman

and Dr Tom Casier set out a reform agenda that the EU needs to adopt towards its neighbouring states in East-

ern Europe which are linked through a policy called the Eastern Partnership (EaP), calling for the EaP states to

be drawn into a more binding relationship.

T H E E U R O P E A N E X T E R N A L A C T I O N S E R V I C E : A W O R L D P L A Y E R

O R A N E X P E N S I V E L U X U R Y ?

The Global Europe Centre, together with the School’s Public Speaker Programme held a joint Key Note Lecture

by Lord Teverson of Tregony, who spoke about the European External Action Service (the EU’s diplomatic ser-

vice). The key note lecture focused on the costs and benefits of the EEAS, especially at a time of severe budget

cuts across national Foreign Ministries. Lord Teverson, who led the House of Lords enquiry into the EEAS, ar-

gued about the many opportunities in making a better use of the EEAS’ world network of Delegations. He con-

cluded that, although the EEAS is unlikely to gain any roles in nationally sensitive areas such as Consular Assis-

tance, there are many benefits for Europe in making the EEAS a global player. The Service is, after all, as he

concluded, an ‘inexpensive luxury’.

For more information on the GEC’s research and upcoming events, visit the centre website www.kent.ac.uk/

politics/gec. To join the mailing list email globaleuropecentre@kent.ac.uk.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S T O O T H E R C O L L E A G U E S W I T H I N T H E S C H O O L W H O

H A V E A L S O R E C E I V E D R E S E A R C H A W A R D S :

Dr Tom Casier, Brussels School of International Studies, University of Kent Brussels: EU-Russia Relations: de-

veloping a transnational perspective (European Commission, £66,875).

Professor Richard Whitman: Normative Power Europe: EU in Asia/NPPEA (EACEA, £84,261).

Dr Luca Mavelli: Addressing the Asylum Crisis: religious contributions to rethinking protection in global politics

(Henry Luce Foundation, £15,638).

Professor Elena Korosteleva: Global European Workshop (CEELBAS, £2,000).

Page 8 S C H O O L O F P O L I T I C S A N D I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E L A T I O N S

Students and staff ended our hectic autumn term with a Politics Christmas quiz at Woodys. Despite the ap-

proaching essay deadlines, we had a great turn out,

showing the impressive time management skills of PolIR

students at Kent! Ten teams competed for the title 'Best

Team of the Year', won in the end by Dr Phillip Cunliffe's

team 'Legions of Peace'. The quiz first tested participants’

creativity in coming up with team-names, including

‘Discourses on the Art of Winning’, and the team who

proved they

did not know everything, the NSA. Overall, it was an eventful and

extremely enjoyable evening and a special thanks to Nadine, who

made great effort in spreading the word; the administrative staff at

PolIR, who are always positive and smiley, and finally, Dr Charles

Devellennes and Siobhan Dumphy who both did a lovely job in or-

ganising and presenting the quiz.

Ela Calik – 4th year student in Politics and International Relations

with a year in Continental Europe

C H R I S T M A S Q U I Z

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E S T U D E N T S U P P O R T O F F I C E R

Module Preferences for next Academic Year

Please note that students who are returning in the next academic year will be able

to submit their module preferences, online, during weeks 21 & 22 (17th March –

28th March). Further information regarding arrangements etc. will be e-mailed to

you in due course. Please be sure to check your Kent e-mail account for further

updates.

Student Learning Advisory Service/UELT

If following coursework/assessment in the Autumn term, you have any concerns

regarding future assignments, or need some help with study/revision/referencing

techniques, please remember the Student Learning Advisory Service is open

throughout the year – just drop in. (Located between Grimond building and

banks). Alternatively, take a look at their website: http://www.kent.ac.uk/learning/

You can also seek academic advice from your Academic Adviser – listed on your

SDS home page as your ‘Tutor’. Academic Advisers are there to help support your academic needs and devel-

opment. You can find further information on the role of your Adviser, and how to contact them, online

at:http://www.kent.ac.uk/politics/support/academicadvisers.html. Your Academic Adviser will be contacting

you regarding a one-to-one meeting during this term.

If you have any personal/academic concerns or queries, or just want to talk something over, I will be here

throughout the term. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail (polirsupport@kent.ac.uk) or drop in to see me

during my office hours: Monday to Friday, 9.30am-12.30pm & 2.30pm-4pm).

Best wishes for the term ahead!

Mrs Sara Witchell, Student Support Officer