The Global Insecurities International Conference is the first of its kind both at the University of Bristol and in the wider South West.
Over two days [21 and 22 November] it aims to tackle an ongoing problem in dealing with global security issues – that people from different fields are rarely able to talk to each other.
Attendees will hear lectures and take part in debates from leaders in their fields such as Jennifer Gibson, Staff Attorney from Reprieve, Paul Whiteway, the London Director of Independent Diplomat, Dr Lara Montesinos Coleman, Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sussex and Independent Social Research Foundation Fellow, and Professor Timothy Edmunds, Director of the Global Insecurities Centre at the University of Bristol.
Professor Mark Duffield, the founder of the Global Insecurities Centre, has been welcomed back to give a special talk on the struggle between development and security on a virtual level.
Other keynote speakers include Dr Eric Herring, who will be discussing Somali First, an ongoing project to transform insecurity in Somalia and Dr Brad Evans, who will speak on representations and acceptance of violence in today’s society.
They will be joined by Associate Professor Jake Lynch, an IAS Benjamin Meaker Visiting Professor from the University of Sydney, who will present on the influence of mass communication in conflicts and the challenges this poses for researchers.
The conference has a strong focus on the promotion and development of postgraduate and early career academic research, with the long-term goal of promoting networking and research ties for the future.
Gilberto Algar-Faria, a PhD student who has arranged the conference, said: “I’m very excited to be convening the first ever Global Insecurities Conference at the University of Bristol.
“The aim of this conference is to foster ties and research collaboration between practitioners, senior academics and early career academics. Early career academics and postgraduate students are the next generation of major thinkers in the area of global insecurities, and therefore encouraging interaction at this time is key to promoting a future where academia and policy work together more neatly and with better understanding.”
The Global Insecurities International Conference is affiliated with the Global Insecurities Centre, but is also supported by the British International Studies Association’s Postgraduate Network, the Institute for Advanced Study, the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies and the Gender Research Centre.