果冻传媒

A Pinpoint Politics article by Frank Mouritz

This year the fall of the Berlin Wall, which initiated the end of the Cold War, had its 23rd anniversary. Since then many members of the former Warsaw Pact became free and democratic states. Some of them even joined the European Union so that now former enemies of the Cold War are united through one institution that just recently received the Nobel Peace Prize for its inspiring vision to establish peace and friendship among the many diverse nations who call Europe their home. Unaffected by this development, one Cold War conflict survives to the present day and still divides the people of one nation into two countries. I am talking of course about Korea. The liberal democratic south is still officially at war with the communist north.

A Pinpoint Politics interview by Andrew Kelly

The political landscape of the Middle-East continues to remain restless; like layers of lava cascading down a volcano – where and when it settles is anyone’s guess. Recently, Bahrain was unsettled by five home-made bombs, one of which went off near my home in the capital. Israel and Gaza have resumed their usual exchanges; trading in rockets, bullets, and civilian causalities. The Jordanians have taken to the streets to oust their King over rising gas prices. Iran, may still be building a nuclear weapon, and Syria continues to bleed.

Understandably, security (in all its broad definitions) is a major concern in the region. Therefore, in order to gain some perspective on how we might begin to approach security within the Middle-East, Mark Allworthy, Managing Director at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) based out of Bahrain, briefly shared his thoughts with us earlier this month on a few questions.

On Wednesday 28 November, PAIS will hold the first annual Roger Duclaud-Williams Memorial Lecture as part of the PAIS Seminar Series. The lecture, entitled 'Rupert Murdoch and the Rise of Euroscepticism in the British Media' will be given by Dr Oliver Daddow of the Univeristy of Leiceister.

The event will take place at 16.00, with refreshments at 15.30, in S0.18 in the Socical Sciences Building. All are welcome.

The 果冻传媒 Emerging Markets Society aims to provide a diverse platform encouraging the exchange of knowledge and ideas on the developing countries between professionals and students. Their goal is to educate and inform students about the changing global landscape. They have a focus on several aspects, including politics, economics, law, development, social entrepreneurship and graduate opportunities to give students a comprehensive view on the issue of emerging nations.

On Saturday 24 November, the will take place in the Maths and Stats building on the university campus. PAIS is pleased to be a contributing sponsor to this event and our students are encouraged to participate. More information, including schedule and venue information, can be found on the .

A Pinpoint Politics article by Krzysztof Siczek

The new Georgian parliament held its inaugural session on October 21st, 2012. Three weeks earlier the Georgian Dream coalition announced electoral victory, following a campaign that was, to quote OSCE preliminary report, polarised and tense, characterised by the use of harsh rhetoric and some instances of violence. However, according to the same document, the chain of events that culminated in the victory of the opposition can be best summarised as an important step in consolidating the conduct of democratic elections in Georgia. Bearing in mind the ambiguous and contested character of the electoral process in Georgia, taking a step back and reflecting on its outcome and the possible consequences for the region may deepen our understanding of what really happened on October 1st.