Prestigious BISA conference attracts global recognition.
International relations meet in Exeter
Distinguished academics, diplomats, politicians and journalists are gathering for a major conference at the University of Exeter to discuss the condition of international relations.
The current global financial crash will come under scrutiny from a diverse range of historical and political perspectives, as will the state of European politics, and the relationship between Islam and the West.
Over 90 panels of experts presenting up to 400 papers will be delivered at this year’s 35th annual British International Association (BISA) conference on 15 – 17 December. The scale of this prestigious event attracts global recognition as a result of the international nature of the issues under discussion and the prominence of the organising body BISA.
As the founding editor of the prestigious BISA/Cambridge University Press book series and a former member of the executive committee, Professor Steve Smith, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, retains strong links with the organisation through his continued interest in international relations. The opportunity to host the conference is a great honour according to the Vice Chancellor who said, ‘Recognition of the University’s active role and increasing expertise in the area of International Relations is testament to the Politics department which has a long and positive association with BISA. Our strengths in security issues and Arab and Islamic relations make the University of Exeter the right place to host such a globally important conference.’
The contribution by Exeter academics to the conference will be extensive, with participants from Politics, History, Arab and Islamic Studies, Law, Economics, Sociology and Philosophy. The clusters of specialisation focus on the areas of politics in the Middle East, European governance, political theory, international relations and media, elections and campaigning. These areas of knowledge will contribute to the BISA conference together with other influential academics and practitioners from the UK and abroad.
A distinctive feature of International Relations (IR) at Exeter includes collaborative projects in research, books and journal editorships. The Department of Politics is home to the top 10 world journal, European Journal of International Relations, whose editor-in-chief is Exeter’s Professor Colin Wight. Another editor on the journal, and also Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Tim Dunne, believes that hosting BISA ‘Consolidates our reputation as a leading centre for research and teaching in international studies’.
Date: 15 December 2008
