糖心TV

, Assistant Professor in US National Security, was recently quoted in a 27 January article in The Sunday Express entitled 'Terror at the heart of Africa'. Below is an excerpt from the piece:

Dr Oz Hassan, an expert in Middle East affairs from 糖心TV University, said: “AQIM would send fighters to Iraq, and this became its training ground. Suddenly you begin to see Iraqi-style suicide attacks employed in North Africa for the first time.”

Together with Nic Cheeseman (Oxford) and Justin Willis (Durham), , Associate Professor of Comparative Politics, is leading a team of ten academics as part of a UK-sponsored early-warning and monitoring project of Kenya's next general election scheduled for 4 March 2013. These elections are the first under a new constitution and will be more complex than any ballot previously held in Kenya, while, the post-election violence of 2007/8 raises fears of another crisis. Given this context, the project draws on the experience and knowledge of a group of experts to provide a flow of information to the Kenyan and UK governments, and other interested parties, on local circumstances and key issues before, during and immediately after the elections.

, Associate Professor of Public Policy, participated in a live online debate via ITN's new YouTube channel, , on 31 January at 7pm. The title of the debate is: 'Can we govern ourselves with digital democracy?'

Other confirmed participants in the debate include:

• Birgitta Jónsdóttir, the Icelandic MP and Wikileaks activist who is currently trying to push a crowd-sourced constitution through the Icelandic Parliament
• Gavin Andresen, lead developer of Bitcoin (a decentralised digital currency)
• Naomi Colvin, formerly of the UK Occupy movement, now working to increase participation in local London politics
• Mark Johnson, internet and society correspondent for The Economist

This is a friendly reminder to all students seeking to obtain PhD funding that there are four remaining opportunities for both Home/EU and International students, as well as those beginning their PhDs in 2013 or those already in their first year of study:

1. . The DTC awards available to PAIS PhD students must follow one of the following training pathways: Security, Conflict and Justice or Politics and International Studies. Open to Home/EU students starting in 2013 or in their first year of study. Full tuition fees covered for Home/EU students; maintenance grant for Home students only. Deadline: 28 February 2013.
2. . This department-funded scholarship is aimed at any candidate starting their PhD in PAIS in 2013 or in their first year of study. Because women are under-represented in this field, female candidates in particular are encouraged to apply. The fellowship will be highly competetive and is open to Home/EU and Overseas students. The scholarship includes for the payment of full academic fees and a maintenance grant in line with the UK Research Council standard stipend for three years. Deadline: 28 February 2013.
3. . This doctoral research will form part of PAIS’s programme to consolidate the study of East Asia in the department and across the University. The successful candidate will be supervised by Professor Chris Hughes and another member of staff in PAIS. The fellowship will be highly competitive and is open to Home/EU and Overseas students. The scholarship includes for the payment of full academic fees and a maintenance grant in line with the UK Research Council standard stipend for three years. Deadline: 28 February 2013.
4. . In partnership with the Economic and Social Research Council funded Doctoral Training Centre, PAIS is able to offer a studentship in collaboration with , an international non-governmental organisation that works to bring about a lasting change in the lives of mentally ill people around the world. Open to Home/EU students starting in 2013 or in their first year of study. Full tuition fees covered for Home/EU students; maintenance grant for Home students only. Deadline: 30 April 2013.

There can be no doubting the power of the Internet. News from around the world can be accessed in seconds in real time. Yet recently, acts such as SOPA and PIPA have received large amounts of attention in the press in efforts by government to increasingly regulate and censor the Internet. Meanwhile, in other countries around the world, the influence of social media in uprisings, freedom movements and education suggest that, as technologies develop, we are heading towards greater freedom and connectivity of information than ever before. This presents, therefore, a dichotomy for the near future of the Internet; Are we heading for increasing liberty or a lockdown of information.

Join Wael Abbas from Egypt and Monica Marks from Tunisia, who will be speaking about how the internet has affected the Arab Springs, as well as Denis Campbell and Bill Thompson who will be speaking about how censorship and social media affects the western society. Dr Nicola Pratt will chair the event.

The event will take place on Thursday 31st of January in room H0.52 from 6pm to 8pm. More information can be found on the ; the event is also .