PIR at Royal Holloway

Dr Michael Bacon @michaelbacon.bsky.social speaks to the Telegraph about his experience of spending three years in psychoanalysis as a child.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09...

🚨Hiring a fully funded (3.5 years) PhD for the @ldnsocmedobs.bsky.social to research social media and politics. Candidates should have quantitative/computational skills and/or be interested in content curation/moderation. UK home candidates only unfortunately. www.royalholloway.ac.uk/media/hquftp...

Today I presented work on the downfall of the European Commission led by Jacques Santer at @cont.europarl.europa.eu together with other experts. #Discharge #EUbudget cc: @rhulpir.bsky.social

📣 Congratulations to @andreucasas.bsky.social on winning a Future Leaders Fellowship from @ukri.org! As part of the project, Andreu launches the London Social Media Observatory @ldnsocmedobs.bsky.social, a multidisciplinary research centre for cutting-edge research on social media and politics!

Dr Lai speaking in front of a microphone, with a screen in the background stating that she is the new EISA president

Congratulations to Dr Daniela Lai @danielalai.bsky.social, who has been elected as President of the European International Studies Association @europeanisa.bsky.social for 2025-2027!

Dr Anthony Bruno has published a new book, Facticity and the Fate of Reason After Kant, with Oxford University Press!

Available here: global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Under the theme “Teaching Well” it will bring together academics to share pedagogical research, insights and teaching innovations.

Political Studies Association Teaching and Learning Network Conference | The Political Studies Association (PSA) Theme: Teaching Well4th-5th September 2025 This year’s PSA TLN annual conference will take place on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th of September at Royal Holloway, University of London, in Egham, Surrey.

📣 One more day until the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social Teaching and Learning Network Conference is taking place at Royal Holloway, organised by PIRP’s Lyn Johnstone and Nat Rutherford!
www.psa.ac.uk/specialist-g...

A perfect occasion to read the Roadmap to Votes at 16 and the Pathways to Participation for Marginalised Young People report: hollodec.github.io/images/ssia_...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

A square image with a pink background. The logo for Democracy Classroom is in the bottom right-hand corner. In the bottom left is the title "A roadmap to votes at 16". From the title is a snaking path which has groups of cartoon people clustered along it. Some groups are holding discussions; one is in a classroom; one is on a protest; and the final is queuing at a polling booth.

Another pink square with the democracy classroom logo. There is a large block of text which says "Launching the roadmap to votes at 16, a shared vision to support young people to engage in democracy". There is a smaller cartoon image of two women helping each other carry a large object up a flight of stairs.

🚨 Launching: A Roadmap to Votes at 16 🚨

Kaat Smets and @jamessloam.bsky.social contributed to A Roadmap to Votes at 16 🗳️ - a report co-created with organisations, teachers, youth workers and young people to make Votes at 16 a success.

👉 Read the full report: docsend.com/view/9nnhamt...

@acitizenshipt.bsky.social @savechildrenuk.bsky.social @londonyouth.bsky.social @hackneycouncil.bsky.social @democracyclub.org.uk @campaign-lab.bsky.social @omidaze.bsky.social @sosukcharity.bsky.social @theyoungfdn.bsky.social

@politicsproject.bsky.social @newhamsc.bsky.social @nakedpolitics.bsky.social @electoralcommission.org.uk @aoc-info.bsky.social @forward-action.bsky.social @nusscotland.bsky.social @nus-usi.bsky.social @unitedresponse.bsky.social @youthfocusnw.bsky.social @volunteeringuk.bsky.social @mysociety.org

The report was funded by @royalholloway.bsky.social 's ESRC Social Science Impact Accelerator 💸💸

The front page of the report. The background is navy blue. The Royal Holloway and Partnership for Young London logos are in the top left hand corner. Underneath this is the title "Pathways to Participation for Marginalised Young People". In the centre of the page is an image of three young people talking intently. Under the image is the text "Kaat Smets, James Sloam and Aine Bennett in collaboration with Matthew Walsham and Nora Zia from Partnership for Young London and Louisa Foyle from Pan-London CiCC".

Kaat Smets, @jamessloam.bsky.social and @ainebennett.bsky.social are today launching their report "Pathways to Participation for Marginalised Young People" in collaboration with Partnership for Young London and the Pan-London CiCC
hollodec.github.io/images/ssia_...

I am delighted that this is now published in @wepsocial.bsky.social : our assessment of the 2020 negotiations on #RuleofLaw #conditionality and grants vs loans in the #RRF. #FunctionalSpillover #EUbudget

Four people standing in front of a PowerPoint screen

Last month I was very pleased to host a Jean Monnet seminar in London on the democratic versus audit-based accountabilities within the EU's finances #EUbudget. Thanks to María-Luisa Sánchez-Barrueco, Andreea Hancu Budui, and Paul Stephenson for their papers. 1/2

The week was organised by @jamessloam.bsky.social and is one of many opportunities for Politics students at @royalholloway.bsky.social 🗳️

Aliza said "We would recommend this Work Experience week for anyone that has a genuine curiosity of Parliament [...] A lot of the things that we learned this week we had no idea about previously and it was absolutely fascinating to learn about people’s experiences in Parliament and the work they do"

Five young women stand arm-in-arm in a low-lit wood-paneled room lined with oil paintings.

The same five young women sit in a panel in front of a dramatic red painting. Their hands are clasped in front of them and they have name signs on their desks.

The same five young women stand in front of the houses of parliament.

Five of our 2nd-year undergraduates have recently completed a week's work experience in the House of Commons🧑‍⚖️
Each worked with a different select committee, they met MPs and the speaker of the house, and attended PMQs and OPQs
Well done all!

Sharing a blog post by @rhulpir.bsky.social final year student @tayapanter.bsky.social on the % of MPs who are [active] on BlueSky v. X:

hollodec.github.io/2025/06/26/b...

Three key takeaways (1/n)

Education Excellence Award 2025, banner.

I am delighted to have been nominated for a @royalholloway.bsky.social Education Excellence Award. One of the comments from a nominating student said:

'From facilitating the greatest and most inspirational lectures and seminars...

1/2

In the Linen Hall library finishing prep for this roundtable and panel I am very excited to be on tomorrow at #BISA2025
If you're also in Belfast, come and join us! 🌈🎓

Students made thus website after a doing week-long workshop with @trillingual.bsky.social on social justice and journalism. Some powerful stories from our graduates, and incredible visuals as well well worth a read at - rtn.earth

Israel’s strategic failure is now apparent Israeli aggression and expansionism are not signs of ascendance; rather they point to inevitable failure.

Our PhD student Samer Jaber's latest analysis of the Israel-Palestine conflict is out now in @aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com/opinions/202...

RTN: Reclaim the Narrative A social justice journalism project at Royal Holloway, University of London

Last week, students embarked on an intensive week-long workshop on Social Justice Journalism led by @trillingual.bsky.social convened by @yoavgalai.bsky.social from PIRP. Students researched and wrote the articles, made the visuals and designed the website at: rtn.earth

Are they worth it? Democratic and audit-based accountabilities in the EU’s finances

Are they worth it? Democratic and audit-based accountabilities in the EU's finances. Workshop at Bedford Square, London, 19 June 2025: www.royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and...

#EUbudget

@uaces.bsky.social @rhulpir.bsky.social @royalholloway.bsky.social @euinuk.bsky.social

This is taking place tomorrow!

A classroom with 10 young people watching a presentation from a white man in a grey shirt. The man is stood in front of a slide that says "Types of news writing: 1. News story" and has a screenshot from the BBV news. Some students are watching intently, while others take notes by hand or on their laptops.

Students of Law and Social Science are taking part in a week-long workshop on social justice journalism led by @trillingual.bsky.social and PIRP’s @yoavgalai.bsky.social
Watch this space for student work!
visualwriting.org/sj/

The Visual Writing module is a research-led course on Political Visual Literacy designed and taught by @yoavgalai.bsky.social whose eye for design can be seen in the website!
Yoav's work on Political Visual Literacy is published open-access here: academic.oup.com/ips/article/...

A group of young people stand in a brightly lit room deep in conversation. Some people in the background are looking at or gesturing to artwork hung densely on the wall.

Another angle of the same room. Two of the groups in the foreground feature a young black woman appearing to explain something to an older white woman. Behind them, two people are seated, looking at the art. In the background a small group of white men are listening intently, with another work of art on a screen behind them.

Two young women stand at the other end of the brightly lit room while the exhibition is being installed. One looks at her phone while the other looks thoughtfully at the work on the wall. In the foreground we can see one of the art pieces: a collage of a mythological scene with an american flag and photographic faces.

The in-person exhibition of student work from the Visual Writing module was a huge success and you can now see the students' work exhibited online: visualwriting.org/exhibition/ 🧑‍🎨🖼️