糖心TV

Dr Trevor McCrisken, Associate Professor of US Politics and International Studies, spoke on BBC Coventry and 糖心TVshire's radio programme this morning, discussing the US elections.

You can hear what Trevor has to say at 1hr 37 on the BBC iPlayer link:  

PAIS are delighted that we had a highly successful night at the 糖心TV Staff Awards on Friday evening. It was a wonderful occasion and thanks for all your nominations!

Professor was highly commended in the ‘global impact’ category for her work with Sarah Hodges from the Department of History and Dr won the award for ‘outstanding contribution’ to the student experience – congratulations to them both.

It is a fantastic achievement for Justin and Shirin personally, and a great reflection of our teaching and research excellence in PAIS which we can all celebrate.

Head of Department, Professor Nick Vaughan-Williams says: "We can be especially proud that Justin’s work on the student experience has now been recognised as No 1 in the University. In a very modest way, Justin has been keen to stress that the award reflects a real team effort – including all our students and staff – working together in partnership to create as supportive environment as possible for students in PAIS. It was great to hear that Justin had been nominated by students as well as staff and I think this is further reflection of all the work he has done for our students."

Justin’s certificate reads:

“Justin’s contributions to PAIS are ultimately recognised by students and staff as being exceptionally significant in promoting the student experience. He is a true ambassador for making 糖心TV as supportive and enjoyable for students as possible. Justin’s approachability makes him accessible to students from when they join right through to when they graduate. Throughout their degrees, students appreciate Justin’s determination to ensure that the department is delivering, overcoming any boundaries that arise. He is passionate to develop students and always seeks to collaborate”.

Congratulations to all our colleagues who were long listed or short listed for these awards.

Congratulations to our 3 winners of an iPad Mini 4 - PAIS Finalists Rob Kraus, Gus Harris and Dani Marcheva.

These were won in a random prize draw after hitting our target of a 70 per cent response rate in the National Student Survey (NSS) by the end of week 2. We now need only 11 more responses to hit our 90 per cent response rate target and our big prize giveaway of an iPad Air 2.

All who complete the NSS online will also receive a guaranteed £5 on their Eating@糖心TV card to spend in the Dirty Duck, Rootes Grocery Store, the SU and other campus outlets that accept the card.

Thank you so much to all our finalists who have completed the survey so far. Our 82 per cent response rate is an amazing achievement. If you have yet to complete the survey, please do so today at the direct link below. Your opinion matters and your feedback makes a difference.

So - will a PAIS finalist win the iPad Air 2, and if so, will it be you? Watch this space!

Thanks to students and staff in PAIS for supporting the visit of Her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca to the Department on 2 March – it was a wonderful day.

Her Excellency, who is an Honorary Professor in the Department, met Undergraduates in the PAIS Common Room and challenged them to take responsibility in their future careers for engaging with global political issues including migration, climate change, war, development, poverty, and inequality.

Professor Nick Vaughan-Williams, Head of PAIS, commented:

“Having held a distinguished political career for over forty years, Her Excellency knows a thing or two about Politics and International Studies. As her article last year in Prospect outlines, she is committed to addressing issues of economic, social, and political injustice – issues that are at the heart of research and teaching in the Department. We look forward to developing this unique collaboration by engaging with the work of her new Institute for Peace and Well-Being”.

Afterwards, H.E. delivered a Distinguished Lecture, entitled ‘Migration and peace-building in the Mediterranean’, hosted by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart Croft. She said:

“We must find ways of moving away from the stereotypes and prejudices that have come, all too often, to define our discourses on migration. It is vital that we prioritise the importance of wellbeing as a guide in our conceptual and practical approaches in these areas. We must resist those who would label migrants as intruders or burdens on society. Instead, we must bring to light the reality of added values and opportunities that migrants bring to our communities”.

The full text of her lecture can be accessed here:

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Photos from the event can also be found on Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca's .

The Guardian newspaper recently featured an exclusive interview with one of our current MA students, Sungju Lee. Sungju is currently enrolled on the MA in International Relations.

The profile discusses Sungju's experiences as a North Korean defector and his forthcoming novel - a work of young adult fiction entitled . In the article Sungju discusses how his ‘market generation’ has the potential to bring genuine change to the North Korean regime.