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International Relations

September 30, 2021

Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan failed long before the Taliban took over

Hager Ali Just days after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban seized power. Hager Ali argues that the US army and its allies foundered because they couldn't resolve two simple questions: What was Resolute Support’s end state actually supposed to look like? And was it ever attainable through military involvement? Read more
September 24, 2021

The ‘Global South’ and research on world politics

Sebastian Haug The ‘Global South’ has become a popular meta category in the practice and study of world politics. Making use of its analytical potential, Sebastian Haug argues, requires an explicit engagement with definitions, meanings and the implications of taken-for-granted framings Read more
September 13, 2021

Threats to states’ identity are equally important as threats to state borders

Gabriella Gricius States face not just threats to their physical security, but also to their sense of self and biographical continuity. This is what we call securitisation. Understanding the process of securitisation can uncover taken-for-granted colonial and imperial influences that would otherwise remain hidden, writes Gabriella Gricius Read more
September 2, 2021

EU international LGBTI rights promotion: coherent, consistent and effective?

Markus Thiel The EU’s promotion of LGBTI human rights has provoked disputes over these rights, and the way they are promoted. Focusing on civil pluralism and democratic consolidation would make the EU a more reflective and effective actor, argues Markus Thiel Read more
August 31, 2021

Covid vaccine apartheid and the failure of global cooperation

Stephen Brown After the pandemic hit, scientists rapidly developed vaccines effective in preventing infection, serious illness and death. These breakthroughs presented humanity with an important test: could we deal with Covid-19 from a truly global perspective? Stephen Brown argues it's a test we are clearly failing Read more
August 30, 2021

How political leaders ‘securitise’ external threats to achieve their goals

Dionysios Stivas ‘Securitising’ an alleged external threat can be a convenient tool for political leaders to justify extreme measures and policies. Dionysios Stivas looks at the case of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s handling of asylum seekers in 2015 Read more
July 8, 2021

Chinese vaccine diplomacy in Latin America could change the international order

Elena Cossu China has delivered vaccines to Latin America on an extraordinary scale. We must understand this in the context of China’s long-term aspirations as a rising power in the international order. Elena Cossu argues that Chinese vaccine diplomacy directly challenges the already declining US authority in the region Read more
July 1, 2021

How knowledge sharing could advance Africa’s responses to terrorism

Sven Botha Scant counterterrorism initiatives in Africa have often been blamed on a lack of political will. But institutional capacity, technical competency, decolonisation struggles and pressure from national advocacy groups all play their part. As Africa’s terrorism worsens, Sven Botha and Suzy Graham suggest that peer-learning through peer review may prove fruitful Read more

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Advancing Political Science
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