Centre for the Study of Democracy
The Centre for the Study of Democracy was established in 1989 and since then has grown to become one of the major international centres for intellectual reflection and engagement on issues relating to democracy, civil society, and democratization. John Keane, Bhikhu Parekh and Chantal Moofe are leading figures associated with the Centre and who have made major intellectual contributions through the Centre. The Centre has always sought to be an open, pluralistic and inter-disciplinary community and the research undertaken within CSD ranges from the agonistic theory of democracy, Islam and democracy, legislative politics in the United States, environmental governance and sustainability, Chinese and Indian political identities, and International Relations.
The Centre arranges a series of seminars and also hosts the annual CSD Encounter which has recently included speakers such as Charles Taylor, Stuart Hall, and Richard Rorty.
CSD Research Strategy 2006-10
Download the CSD Research Strategy 2006-10 here
CSD Trust Fund
In support of its long-term development plans, the Centre for the Study of Democracy has established an interest-earning fund known as the CSD Trust Fund.
The Fund aims, broadly, to supplement CSD's current revenue base (drawn from taught Masters' courses, research student fees, government research grants, and individual research contract sources) and so to provide for the things that we urgently want to do. CSD needs additional funds to encourage staff development and to support our publications, seminars, and conferences; and to enable us to appoint additional teaching, research, administrative and library staff. Support is also needed to create an enlarged community of resident scholars and postgraduate students; and to publicize better the work and good reputation of CSD on a European and global basis.
The establishment of the CSD Trust Fund, and the launch of an appeal to raise an endowment to support these various appointments and activities, was initially supported by a modest grant from the University of Westminster. The CSD Trust Fund operates strictly under the auspices of the University of Westminster Prizes and Scholarships Fund, to whose Trustees it is directly accountable. Decisions about fund-raising and disbursements are initially formulated by a CSD Trust Fund Working Group, which includes several CSD staff, senior University representatives, well-placed patrons of the appeal, and a representative of the CSD Council of Advisers. In principle, the functions and activities of the CSD Trust Fund are kept quite separate from the governing institutions of the Centre, including its commitments to the wider University structures.
Council of Advisers
- Pierre Hassner CERI, Paris (Council Governor)
- Takashi Inoguchi, University of Tokyo
- Charles O. Jones, University of Wisconsin at Madison
- Elihu Katz, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
- Claus Offe, Humboldt University, Berlin
- F. R. Pfetsch, Heidelberg University
Contact
Dr Simon Joss
Email: josss@westminster.ac.uk