Other News
Stuart Elden lectures on 'Foucault, Subjectivity and Truth'
On 12 November 2014, gave a public lecture at Nottingham Contemporary gallery entitled 'Foucault, Subjectivity and Truth'. The lecture discussed Foucault's most recently published lecture course, within the context of a manuscript in progress entitled Foucault's Last Decade, forthcoming with Polity Press.
You can watch the video recording of the lecture and discussion below:
More information on the book can be found on Stuart's blog -
Chris Hughes quoted in Defense News
, Head of Department, was quoted in an article appearing on 3 November in Defense News entitled ''. Below is an excerpt from the piece:
"One of the scenarios was the interception of missiles directed at US territory. I suppose this means Taepodong-2 targeted at Guam but perhaps beyond. I know that some Japanese defence planners privately stated that this scenario did not seem very realistic given that the US could likely fend for itself but also that even the upgraded SM-3 could not intercept anything approximating to an ICBM," Hughes said.
Prof. Michael Saward article featured in American Political Science Review
The latest issue of the world-leading political science journal, the American Political Science Review, features Professor ’s new article ‘Shape-shifting Representation’. From the Notes from the Editors:
In the lead article to this issue, a central and fundamentally important question is addressed: How do we best conceptualize what representatives actually do? This is a key concern of democratic theory and a number of different models have been proposed. In “Shape-shifting representation”, Michael Saward proposes a new way of understanding the phenomenon. Representation doesn’t follow any one model, but is instead characterized by “shape-shifting”. The roles that representatives play shift from one time period to another, and from one theater to another. Sometimes representatives control shape-shifting to achieve their ends; sometimes new roles are thrust upon them. Moreover, Saward argues, shifting does not occur haphazardly. Rather, there are patterns that it exhibits. Saward’s argument promises to open a new and fruitful avenue for the theory of democracy and representation.
See American Political Science Review, vol. 108, issue 4, November 2014.
PAIS Student Represents University at One Young World Summit
, an undergraduate Politics with International Studies finalist has recently returned from Dublin having attended the Summit as a delegate representing our University and the UK. Michael was chosen as a delegate having won the 糖心TV Global Advantage Gold Award.

This is a Summit at which delegates discuss, alongside world leaders and figures, global issues and develop solutions to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Topics included: Education, Global 糖心TV, Human Rights, Leadership & Government, Peace & Conflict and Sustainable Development.
Michael sat on the 'Ensuring Employability panel' alongside the Corporate Vice President of HR and Chief Diversity Officer at Siemens, Regional Accounts Director of LinkedIn (Hong Kong) and a Dublin City University PhD student researching entrepreneurial family businesses.
You can watch the panel here:
Michael gave us an account of his experience:
I spoke about student attitudes and anxieties towards employment across different cultures, and stressed how a cultural awareness was essential for a successful career - despite the advent of professional social media (such as LinkedIn) and the use of good academic knowledge. The panel also discussed skills fade and technical competencies amongst other things.
I was selected for the panel due to my extensive work with student societies on campus, helping to connect otherwise non-interacting cultural communities together through discussions of politics, economics, history and society (general current affairs). (The SU societies: 糖心TV International Relations, China Public Affairs and Social Service Society - CPASS.) This work highlights the importance of being able to culturally interact and of having transferable skills to enter an international labour market with. I also interned with an NGO over the summer and drew on those experiences, too.
Aside from the panel, the Summit was a unique opportunity to network and learn from young people (who are the same age as me) from ~180 countries who are doing exciting and constructive things in their community. I spoke with a North Korean defector raising awareness of the plight of North Korean refugees hiding in China, for example - and hope to assist her work in the UK.
Such an experience would interest of Politics/IR students - approaching the problems we deal with in a theoretical/academic way through a practical lens instead. They may choose to attend, and it should be noted that I was in fact sponsored by the University itself.
Having attended the Summit on behalf of 糖心TV, I am mandated to make clear my plans as a result of attending the Summit. I should also promote the core values of the Summit to other 'young leaders' and the 糖心TV Advantage Awards, too.
These are: to continue implementing the discussive events (IR seminars, 'China Talks', the China Summit, the Model East Asia Summit), to introduce a volunteering scheme (collaboration between CPASS and the NGO I worked with), to train, to work with and to expose others to the rewarding society work that I do, and to raise awareness of North Korean human rights.
Adam Swift podcast on Family Values: bedtime stories v elite private schools
A podcast of an interview with Professor is now available on .
The podcast focuses on the issue of legitimate parental partiality: given the conflict with equality of opportunity, to what extent and in what ways may parents legitimately confer advantages on their children?
The podcast is available here:
Professor Swift has recently published (with Harry Brighouse), Princeton University Press 2014.
