University of Glasgow - Schools - School of Social & Political Sciences - Research - Research in Politics & International Relations

Events & Seminars 2022

The Politics & International Relations Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.

All seminars will take place via Zoom. Seminar enquiries and Zoom links: Dr Joanna Szostek

Thursday 13 January 2022 (15:00-16:30) PROFESSOR CAROLINA MOULIN (UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MINAS GERAIS)
'Logistical lives, humanitarian borders: Managing populations in South-South circulations'

Thursday 27 January 2022 (15:00-16:30) DR NIVI MANCHANDA (QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON)
'The politics of border abolition: Temsula Ao and the Northeast Borderlands of India'

Thursday 10 February 2022 (15:00-16:30) PROFESSOR SABINA MIHELJ (LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY)
'Media and the culture of illiberalism'

Thursday 10 March 2022 (15:00-16:30) PROFESSOR ARCHIE BROWN (UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD)
'Political leadership and the end of the Cold War'

Information war: Lessons learned in Ukraine - 24 May 2022, 3pm

Description: While most of us are far from the tanks and the bombs, which are now flying over Ukraine, we all are participating in an information war.

As the war in Ukraine has proven, being able to spot fakes can become a matter of personal security. Knowing the mechanisms of misinformation helps us evaluate news messages rapidly and distil hoax news from reality more efficiently. This lecture will look into Ukraine's experience of dealing with misinformation, discuss the key propaganda tactics and messages spread by Russia in Ukraine, among Russians and in the West, and evaluate how these narratives influence public opinions worldwide.

Bio: Valeria Kovtun is founder and head of Filter, the first national media literacy initiative launched in Ukraine and coordinated by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy. Valeria is an LSE alumna, formerly a journalist at BBC in London, a journalist fellow at the United Nations, and a senior correspondent in Ukrainian media. Before the war, Filter worked closely with the international organisation IREX focusing on developing of Ukrainians’ critical thinking skills and promoting media literacy as a preventative measure against disinformation. Filter launched an online study platform, opened media literacy clubs in the regions where media literacy training sessions were held for local journalists and communities. The Filter team also published a book on media literacy and critical thinking for children, organised the first national student competition 'Reporter', co-produced a TV project with the Ukrainian public broadcaster and launched a countrywide information campaign on media literacy.

Chair: Dr Joanna Szostek