Europe’s refugee crisis and the terrorist attacks in Paris are being connected within a broader framework of “violent democracy”, argued Queen Mary University of London (QMUL’s) Professor Jef Huysmans, at a public lecture at the University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP).
9 February 2016
“The politics of insecurity: challenges for Europe” was the inaugural lecture in a new joint seminar series - co-organised by QMUL and ULIP- which aims to understand the current challenges facing Europe.
In his lecture on 4 February, Professor Huysmans said that it was violence, rather than social issues, that has increasingly become the organising principle of democracy in Europe, adding that it was “not surprising” that the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris were being connected with the refugee crisis in the public and political discourse.
“There has been, for a long time now, a process of institutionalising and connecting border controls, migration, refugees, and security issues, specifically terrorism and organised crime,” he said.
The seminar series, called “Challenging Europe: European Politics in Focus”, is part of a number of collaborations between ULIP and QMUL, including a new jointly-offered MA in International Relations (Paris).
The inaugural lecture was attended by Professor Simon Gaskell, President and Principal of QMUL and Tim Gore OBE, CEO of ULIP.
Professor Gaskell said: “QMUL has been one of the most active supporters of ULIP and is now looking to broaden the range of educational and other activities delivered in Paris. We can use this as a platform to promote our international objectives, as well as to support key initiatives within Schools and Institutes.”
Tim Gore said: “Our campus, in the heart of the political district in Paris, combines the strengths of ULIP with those of QMUL. Our faculties work together on teaching and research, creating a unique academic environment where students and scholars experience UK higher education in the context of a dynamic and intellectually active French, and global, city.”
Further talks in the joint seminar series include “Debate: The UK EU Referendum: would a Brexit matter to European Higher Education?”, chaired by Professor Sir Adrian Smith, on Friday 15 April and “Supporting reform in the EU’s Eastern neighbourhood: avoiding the wrong lessons from enlargement”, a talk by Dr Antoaneta Dimitrova on 24 May. Both events will take place at ULIP.
More information about QMUL’s new MA in International Relations (Paris) is available here.
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