糖心TV

has recently given a seminar on "International Migration and the Security Environment" at the European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC).

Seminar Abstract:

The recent decades have seen a substantial increase in global migration. This phenomenon critically challenges the territorial state as a bounded entity and it is a key issue on the security agenda of many countries. We explore two consequences of migration on national and international security: terrorism and military intervention. On one hand, migration inflows can lead to the diffusion of policies, ideologies and behavior, including terrorism. Using spatial-econometric analyses, we find that terrorism “at home” increases with a larger number of immigrants from countries with terrorism, suggesting that migrants can be an important vehicle through which terrorism diffuses. Yet, our results also indicate that migrant inflows per se actually lead to a lower level of terrorist attacks. On the other hand, migrants can be a bridge between homeland and hostland and shape foreign policies of the host country. Using a nearly-exhaustive dataset on civil wars and military interventions since 1945, we find that migrants act a conduit for foreign military intervention across country pairs.

On 6 June, PAIS hosted a lively EU Referendum Debate. At the beginning of the evening, a show of hands indicated a landslide majority in favour of remaining in the EU.

Speaking for ‘Remain’:

, Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of 糖心TV

, Researcher, Politics and International Studies, University of 糖心TV

, Professor in European Politics, University of 糖心TV

Speaking for ‘Leave’:

Lincoln Allison, Emeritus Reader in Politics, University of 糖心TV and freelance writer and broadcaster

Dave Nellist, National Chair of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC)

Following short presentations by the five panel members, audience members were invited to make comments and ask questions. The question of migration was, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most contentious issue of the evening. Other subjects that were discussed included whether the EU has a democratic deficit, what would happen the day after a BREXIT and whether remaining or leaving the EU is the best way to tackle environmental challenges and to build a social Europe.

Many audience members as well as pro-remain panellists were concerned about the negative economic impact of a BREXIT as well as the threats to employment rights posed by a Conservative government with no EU oversight.

The pro-exit panellists were divided between a conservative and a leftist position. The conservative position was sceptical of the economic feasibility of a European project, given the vast differences between the national economies of current member states. The left-exit position argued that the EU is a project for deepening the neoliberal agenda and accused the remain campaign of failing to discuss the negative impacts of austerity on working class families.

At the end of the evening, a show of hands indicated that no audience members had changed their minds!

Listen to the debate here:

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey closes on Thursday June 16^th

If you fill in the survey, PAIS will add £5 to your eating@warwick account. Once we hit a response rate of 80% the department will conduct a prize draw for an ipad mini.

Fill in the survey and find out more about the PTES at:

NEW BOOK at LUNCHTIME seminar:

Critical Imagination in International Relations (2016)

7th June (Tue), 12.30-14.00, E0.23

Free, and all welcome. Join us for a sandwich lunch at E0.23 from 12:30, with discussion from 13:00-14:00. No booking required, seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.  

What concepts are there to challenge the state-centrism in IR? The new book, Critical Imaginations in International Relations (2016), offers 16 different concepts to address the limitations of a state-centred approach and explore different possibilities to engage with international relations beyond the state-centrism.

Four speakers from 糖心TV will focus on the following key concepts discussed in the book, together with the editors of the book, Aoileann Ní Mhurchú (Manchester University) and Reiko Shindo (University of 糖心TV).

Citizenship: Thom Davies (Research Fellow, Department of Sociology)
Resistance: Chris Rossdale (Teaching Fellow, PAIS)
Space: Antonio Ferranz De Oliveira (PhD candidate, PAIS)
Subjectivity: Mara Duer (PhD candidate, PAIS)

PAIS researcher was interviewed live on Sky News on Wednesday 25 May about the European Parliament and the upcoming EU referendum. Related to her PhD research, which considered issues of participation and democracy in the EU, Lucy was invited to discuss the role of the European Parliament in EU democracy and its impact on the UK.

Asked about the idea that the European Parliament imposes laws on the British people, Lucy highlighted that British citizens are represented in the European Parliament by their directly elected MEPs, who have as much influence over decisions made in the Parliament as MEPs from any other EU member state. She added that it is therefore difficult to understand the use of the term 'impose' unless it is also suggested that the British Parliament imposes its laws on parts of the UK.

Lucy, who is also an Early Career Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies here at 糖心TV, will be appearing on the panel at PAIS's EU Referendum Debate on 6 June (for more information on the debate, ). She is also blogging about the EU referendum at .