The Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) at the University of Westminster hosted a special evening at Fyvie Hall to celebrate the work of Professor Barry Buzan, Emeritus Montague Burton Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics, longstanding Fellow of the British Academy and former CSD colleague.
The evening was organised by Professor Nitasha Kaul, Professor of Politics, International Relations and Critical Interdisciplinary Studies and CSD Director, with support from Dr Patrick Burke, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, and Namgyel Wangchuk, Professor Kaul’s PhD student at CSD.
The event kicked off with a panel discussion chaired by Professor Rita Floyd from the University of Birmingham that brought together Dr Cornelia Navari and Dr Emel Akçali from King’s College London, Professor Robert Falkner from London School of Economics, and Professor Buzan. The panellists explored Buzan’s big picture approach as a method and its relationship to the international society thinking of the English School of International Relations and reflected on how his work has shaped their own.
The next session was an in-depth conversation between Professor Buzan and Professor Kaul, in which they spoke about the way in which the big picture approach is movable across theory, region, policy sector and period. They also explored the politically disempowering implications of rejecting all grand narratives; offered words of advice for social scientists and international relations scholars new to the field; and highlighted the anticipated challenges for the future of international relations thinking. Professor Buzan argued that social science has much to gain from natural sciences, pointing to Earth System Science (ESS) as a model of what natural sciences can achieve when working together, and urged social scientists, in particular, to move beyond disciplinary silos.
This was followed by a thought-provoking Q&A session, chaired by Professor Kaul, where Professor Buzan responded at length to questions on a variety of topics including the importance of collaboration, technological change and the global rise of the right - the subject of a recent article he co-authored with Professor Kaul in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations on Trump’s America.
The evening closed with a networking reception, giving scholars at every career stage an opportunity to talk with the panellists and Professor Buzan directly. Dr Patrick Burke, who had interviewed Professor Buzan at CSD in 2001 for the CSD Bulletin, called it “a wonderful event” - a sentiment echoed across the room.
The evening also marked the launch of the book titled The Big Picture as an Approach to the Study of International Relations: Thinking With and Beyond Barry Buzan, edited by Rita Floyd and Laust Schouenborg.
Professor Buzan is a former CSD colleague, having been a member of the Centre between 1995 and 2002.
Professor Kaul said: “The event reminds us of the value of working together to amplify what inspires us, to move beyond siloed thinking, and to remember the big picture as a way of tackling contemporary challenges innovatively.”
Professor Floyd, who chaired the panel and co-edited the volume, added: “Thanks again for putting on such a wonderful event to celebrate our book and Barry's life work. I am sure that many in the audience will always remember this event. I know I will!”
This event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities and 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster.
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