Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University

Photo of a smiling woman standing on a stage next to a large screen on which the title of her talk is projected: IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Relations between knowledge and politics in theory and practice

Yesterday @hannahhughes.bsky.social presented her research into the IPCC and the relationship between knowledge and politics in theory and practice at the department's International Politics Research Seminar, including her reflections on attending COP30 in Brazil.

Happy to chat with Aberyswyth students (albeit remotely)- great questions and lots of interest in what’s going on this side of the pond.

A woman with dark hair and glasses is shown on a large screen above a stage

Students sit at rows of tables in a large teaching room, listening intently. One student speaks into a microphone, asking a question of the speaker on screen

Yesterday second year undergraduates taking the module "People and Power" were lucky enough to have @ninajankowicz.com as their guest speaker, on the subject of disinformation in the US media and politics. Nina gave a fascinating talk and answered the students' questions comprehensively.

A funded PhD at Interpol in Aberystwyth - ah that takes me back!

Reminder: PhD studentships available!
Are you interested in studying for a PhD in the department? Funding is available from the ESRC through the Wales Graduate School for the Social Sciences. The application deadline is 11 December. See the link below for details
www.aber.ac.uk/en/interpol/...

Dr Umar discussed the most recent G20 Summit, the future of multilateral international order, and the position of global south countries, together with Mr Ayanjit Sen (a geopolitical analyst based in New Delhi) and Dr Daisuke Sakai (University of Tokyo). The host was Mona Shaker. 2/2

الدور الآسيوي المتصاعد في قمة العشرين.. والمجموعة تتبنى أجندة الجنوب العالمي | العالم شرقًا YouTube video by AlQahera News - القاهرة الإخبارية

📺 Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Ahmad Umar was recently interviewed on Cairo News TV (Al-Qahera News TV), a TV station based in Egypt 1/2
www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...

Professor Sharon Weiner stands on a stage, giving a talk in front of a large screen on which is projected an image of the Oval Office in the White House and the title of the talk: Deterrence, Nuclear Strategy and the Realities of Human Choice

Dr Jan Ruzicka stands on a stage to introduce guest speaker Professor Sharon Weiner. On the screen behind him is projected a photo of Professor Ken Booth and Professor Kenneth Waltz

Dr Patrick Finney stands on a stage to introduce guest speaker Professor Sharon Weiner

Last night Professor Sharon Weiner gave a fantastic Kenneth Waltz Memorial Lecture about her research into decision making in the event of a nuclear crisis. Welcomed by Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor Patrick Finney and introduced by Jan Ruzicka, Prof Weiner delivered a memorable - and disturbing - talk

Poster announcing a public lecture on "Devolution Generation: The Birth and Bedding In of the Senedd" by Lee Waters MS on 27 November at 6:30pm in the Main Hall, International Politics department

Tonight! Free and open to the public but please register in advance:
forms.office.com/pages/respon...

A smiling woman sits at a table covered by a tablecloth with the words "King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence, King's College London" on it and an image of the cover of a book "Operation Wrath of God" on a big screen behind her.

Congratulations to @guttmannaviva.bsky.social whose new book, Operation Wrath of God, was launched at @kcsi.uk in London 🎉 📚

Tonight! Please do come along if you are in Aber - it's going to be a fascinating, important and topical event ⬇️

Join us for a discussion of the opportunities and challenges of devolution, and the future prospects for Welsh democracy and the Labour Party in Wales. The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is essential - please follow the link below 3/3
forms.office.com/pages/respon...

From a student of international politics at Aberystwyth University, to being a journalist, Member of the Senedd and a Minister in the Welsh Government, Lee Waters will reflect on his ring-side seat on the development of devolved politics over more than two decades. 2/3

📣 Centre for Welsh Politics and Society & WISERD Annual Lecture: ‘Devolution Generation: The Birth and Bedding in of the Senedd’ delivered by Lee Waters AM. Thursday 27 Nov, 18:30 (drinks reception from 18:00) Main Hall, International Politics Bldg. See 🧵 below for details & registration 1/3

Monocle radio - listen now

🎙️ Earlier this morning @devries.fr and I spoke to Emma Nelson on Monocle Radio's The Globalist, trying to make sense of the latest news on the 28 point "peace plan" for #Russia's war against #Ukraine. The segment begins 2 minutes and 45 seconds into the recording
monocle.com/player/?uuid...

The Department is delighted to welcome Professor Sharon Weiner to deliver this year's Waltz Lecture. The world’s leading authority on nuclear crisis decision-making, she led the experiment The Nuclear Biscuit, using Virtual Reality experience to understand nuclear decision-making in a crisis. 4/4

Deterrence theory assumes such choices are based on a rational and analytical assessment of the pros and cons of different options. But empirical evidence suggests that emotion and intuition play preponderant roles and that the preferences of the decision maker may be created on the spot. 3/4

In her Waltz Lecture, Professor Weiner will show how U.S. nuclear strategy places decision makers in a quagmire, giving a decision maker mere minutes to weigh the pros and cons of different retaliatory options, the likely adversary response, and the impact on national security and humans. 2/4

Poster advertising Sharon Weiner's Waltz Memorial lecture titled Deterrence, Nuclear Strategy, and the Realities of Human Choice, to be given at 6pm on Wednesday, 26 November 2025

📣 🧵 This year’s Kenneth N. Waltz Annual Lecture, "Deterrence, Nuclear Strategy, and the Realities of Human Choice" will be given by Professor Sharon Weiner (American University, Washington, DC) on Wednesday, 26 November at 6pm in the Main Hall, International Politics Building. 1/4

It’s good that we’ve got to see much of the dynamic climate politics in the city of Belém because it’s been very difficult for observers to follow the inside preparation of final texts this second week

Hannah writes: "This has been a very interesting COP and research experience for the CAMAMAZON team. The event spread out across the city and this has provided distinct spaces and methods for participating in this summit of climate politics that we haven't captured in our research previously." 2/2

Two smiling women stand in front of a building with COP30 Brasil Amazonia on it

It is the final day of COP30 in Brazil, which Hannah Hughes has been attending as part of her current research project. She is pictured below, with research collaborator Verônica Gonçalves (University of Brasilia). 1/2

A wide shoot of a round room with an audience sitting in rows of chairs facing a panel of academics

Another shot from the audience's pespective, showing the round room and the panel speaking

Speakers explored a range of challenges, including those posed by China's deepwater fishing fleet, Russia's covert actions, health emergencies, ethical questions around small boats crossing the Channel, the British-French nuclear collaboration and climate change. 2/2

A commodore of the Royal Navy in uniform stands and speaks to an audience, next to a panel of four people

A panel of four academics speak to an audience. On the screen next to the panel is a slide about the actions of China's deepsea fishing fleet

Close up of a panel discussion, seen from the audience. A young woman is speaking and the audience and fellow panel members are listening intently.

Yesterday the department hosted a conference on unconventional maritime challenges, together with the Council on Geostrategy and the Royal Navy. 1/2

Unconventional maritime challenges: Naval forces in a world of strategic flux The Memorandum | No. 43.2025

Today the department and the Council on Geostrategy are hosting a conference on unconventional maritime challenges. Our head of department @alshepherd.bsky.social has written this piece about the issues that we will be addressing
www.britainsworld.org.uk/p/the-memora...

📢 On Wednesday, 19 November @guttmannaviva.bsky.social's new book, Operation Wrath of God, will be launched at the King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence, at King's College London. The event is free to attend but registration in advance is essential!
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-launc...

Happy and excited students are sitting at tables of six in a large room. A man is standing on the stage in front of them with a quiz question on the big screen behind him asking what proportion of the UK population is left-handed

Happy and excited students are sitting at tables in a big room, with plates of pizza and pen and paper in front of them

Happy and excited students are sitting at tables in a large room, discussing possible quiz answers with each other

A smiling man stands in front of a big screen with an image from a film and question 7 written on it

On Friday evening the department held a pizza and quiz night for students: approximately 60 undergraduate and MA students braved Storm Claudia to enjoy the evening, hosted by John Wood and @lucytaylor12.bsky.social

On Thursday, 20 November at 5pm, Dr Elin Royles will chair an event in @librarywales.bsky.social looking back on the career of Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, with his biographer Dr Aled Eirug. The event is free to attend. Click on the link below to register!
www.ticketsource.co.uk/llgcnlw/evt-...

📣 Happening on Wednesday of this week - free to attend, but requires pre=registration ⬇️

Are we in a new cold war? The Big Ask | No. 46.2025

For some thought-provoking reading to take you into the weekend, take a look at this piece from the Council on Geostrategy, asking whether we are in a new cold war. Our own Dr Jan Ruzicka has contributed his views:
www.britainsworld.org.uk/p/the-big-as...