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On 20 February, Greece agreed to a four month extension of its current bailout programme, subject to the approval of reform measures proposed by the Greek government. In a recent commentary piece published by the London School of Economics European Politics and Policy blog, writes that while the election of the Syriza-led coalition in Greece was initially hailed as a game-changing event that could bring an end to austerity in Europe, the negotiations between Greece and the ‘Troika’ demonstrate why a sharp turn away from austerity policies in Eurozone bailouts remains highly unlikely.

The full commentary is available to view at:

The top ten ISI ranked journal Security Dialogue has recently published a Special Issue on ‘Resilience and (In)Security.’ This marks one of the key interventions on resilience from a critical perspective and is sure to become a standard reference point in the field. Impressively, the collection includes articles by no less than four members of the International Relations and Security Cluster in PAIS:

• James Brassett and Nick Vaughan-Williams (2015) Security and the performative politics of resilience: Critical infrastructure protection and humanitarian emergency preparedness, 46(1): 32-50.
• Charlotte Heath-Kelly (2015) Securing through the failure to secure? The ambiguity of resilience at the bombsite, 46(1): 69-85.
• Jon Coaffee and Pete Fussey (2015) Constructing resilience through security and surveillance: The politics, practices and tensions of security-driven resilience, 46(1): 86-105.

Resilience is an important and burgeoning theme across the Social Sciences and PAIS has led the way in developing collaborative networks and notable events and projects. Indeed, this rich vein of research activity has already produced a number of books, articles, and an already well-cited Special Issue of Politics edited by James Brassett, Stuart Croft, and Nick Vaughan-Williams (2013), entitled: ‘Security and the Politics of Resilience’, 33(4). The latter features an interview with Helen Braithwaite OBE, one of the architects of the 2004 Civil Contingencies Act, who sits on PAIS’ Impact Advisory Board.  

Dr. , Reader of International Politics of the Middle East, has recently published a new article for openDemocracy, titled "Gendered paradoxes of Egypt’s transition."

Gendered paradoxes abound in Egypt following the departure of former president Hosni Mubarak four years ago. Under Mubarak, the women’s rights agenda was almost totally monopolized by the National Council for Women under the leadership of former first lady Suzanne Mubarak, whilst independent women’s organizing was severely constrained by limits on freedom of association. After the overthrow of Mubarak, women’s rights were threatened but independent women’s organizing flourished. Since July 2013, under the post-Morsi regime, advances have been made in women’s legal rights. However, independent women’s organizing is once again endangered by heavy handed control of the civic sphere.

Dr , Associate Professor in US Politics and International Studies, has recently been interviewed by Julie Pace, Chief White House Correspondent for the Associated Press, about Obama and the language of terrorism. Trevor is quoted directly and much of the article is based on what he said during the interview.

In the days after a deadly terror spree in Paris, President Barack Obama was criticized for purposely avoiding calling the attacks an example of "Islamic extremism," settling for the more generic "violent extremism." This week, the White House struggled to explain why the administration sometimes classifies the Afghan Taliban as a terrorist organization — and sometimes does not.

The rhetorical wrangling underscores the extent to which a president who pledged to end to his predecessor's war on terror is still navigating how to explain the threats that persist to the American public, while also being mindful of the impact his words can have abroad.

"They do believe that part of the roots of terrorism comes from the way the United States acts and talks and is perceived globally," said Trevor McCrisken, a professor at Britain's University of ÌÇÐÄTV who has studied Obama's foreign policy rhetoric.

Julie’s piece can be read here:

The Associated Press story has featured in over 200 different publications worldwide, including , , , and .

Trevor appeared on as a follow up to the piece, you can view the video below:

Professor recently featured on a podcast for Chatham House, "Does Britain Matter in East Asia?"

Britain has a range of longstanding interests in East Asia, based on historic, commercial and military ties. The government has made strengthening bilateral relationships with emerging powers – in particular China – a central plank of its foreign policy, whilst trying to find a balance between an ambitious commercial agenda and the promotion of democracy and human rights. But while the UK has important interests it has limited influence in maintaining regional security, which is threatened by continuing tensions in the East and South China Seas and on the Korean peninsula.

The participants discuss these challenges, and consider how the next government can balance the UK’s sometimes competing interests in East Asia.