Virtual Lecture Series is back for 2024!
All Lectures take place virtually on Microsoft Teams on the dates listed below. If you would like to like to be included on the mailing list for the lecture series, please email Rachel Tregidgo on r.a.tregidgo@reading.ac.uk
“Alliance Politics and Europe’s Views of Nuclear Deterrence After Russia’s February 2022 Invasion of Ukraine” with Michaela Dodge, Research Scholar at The National Institute for Public Policy, Washington DC.
The event is scheduled for 13 February 2024 at 15:00 UK Time. Contact Rachel Tregidgo if you would like to be added to the mailing list.
“The Conceptual Divide” with Dr Tom Durell-Young, Senior Academic Advisor, President’s Office, Defense Security Cooperation University, Washington DC.
Tom’s lecture explored the divide between the development of military concepts in former Warsaw Pact nations that are now members of NATO, and the older, original NATO members’ concepts. The live event took place on 24 January 2024, watch this space for the recorded lecture!
“Israeli Strategic Culture in the wake of the October 7th Hamas attacks” with Itai Shapira, Retired Colonel from Israel Defence Intelligence (IDI).
The live event took place on 17 January 2024, but at the discretion of the speaker, the lecture was not recorded.
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Virtual Lecture Series Autumn 2021
“Global Defence” with Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP, Chair of the HoC Defence Select Committee
Watch the lecture below, the live event took place on 13th October 2021.
“Reflections on Afghanistan” with Professor Caroline Kennedy-Pipe, Professor of War Studies at Loughborough University.
Watch the lecture below, the live event took place on 10th November 2021.
“Somalia and Operation Badbaado” with Lieutenant Colonel Philip O’Callaghan MBE RM – Former military advisor to the Somali Prime Minister and Chief of Future Operations in the Military Coordination Group Somalia (MCG-SOM).
The live event took place on 1st December 2021, but at the discretion of the speaker, the lecture was not recorded.
All Lectures took place virtually on Microsoft Teams on the dates listed above between 14.30 – 16.00pm. If you would like to like to be included on the mailing list for the Spring Term lecture series, please email michelle.nand@reading.ac.uk
The Spring Term 2022, lecture series will be announced in January 2022.
War Film Series 2021
The Department of Politics and International Relations & The Ways of War Centre Present the following:
Charlie Wilson’s War October 4th
Fog of War October 18th
Battle for Algiers November 8th
An Ungentlemanly Act November 22nd
All films will be screened in the Van Emden Lecture Theatre, Edith Morley starting at 6pm, with discussion to follow.
For inquiries, please contact the coordinators, Joseph O’Mahoney (j.p.a.omahoney@reading.ac.uk) and Kenton White (k.white@reading.ac.uk
Previous Virtual Lecture Series – Spring 2021
17th March 2021: “China – would-be hyperpower or stumbling giant?” with Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry.
24th February 2021: “Manstein on the Eastern Front: Lost Victories or Strategic Illusions?” with Major General Mungo Melvin CB OBE FInstRE, Chairman of the Royal Engineers Historical Society.
27th January 2021: “Peacekeeping under the United Nations” with Lt Col Matthew Whitchurch RE.
Previous Events
Ways of War Centre / Henley Business School Seminar Series
Contemporary thinking on defence and security sits within a discourse rooted in ambiguity. Persistent change, perpetual adaptation, evolving complexity and constant innovation are all acknowledged factors of the 21st Century strategic operating environment. To which can be added the ubiquity of communicated information, the ease with which it can be manipulated and thus the now relative nature of ‘truth’. Nevertheless, to be successful, defence policy and planning must lead to capabilities and strategies that are, or could be decisive. This seminar series explored the ambiguity/decision paradox to determine if and where novel ideas, behaviours and practices can remove or bypass ambiguity, enable better decision making and ultimately, enhance the decisiveness of strategy, campaigns and operations.
Other Events
- “War Amongst the People: A Critical Assessment”, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Symposium
- “Languages in post-conflict development: working with NGOs”, Professor Hilary Footitt & Dr Wine Tesseur, University of Reading. Seminar Series “Translating Danger Zones”
- “Britain’s Wars with France, 1793-1815 and their contributions to the consolidation of its industrial revolution”, Professor Patrick K. O’Brien, LSE & St Antony’s College, Oxford
- “Massacres: the deliberate killing of the unarmed”, presentation of work in progress by staff and research students from the departments of Archaeology, Classics, History, Modern Languages and Politics/International Relations, University of Reading
- “The Value of Anglo-Japanese Defence Co-operation”, Navy Captain Keizo Kitagawa, Japanese Defence Attaché
- “The War We Don’t See”; round table with Sean McAllister (BAFTA nominated director of The Reluctant Revolutionary and A Syrian Love Story), Elhum Shakerifar (BAFTA nominated producer of The Reluctant Revolutionary and A Syrian Love Story) and Janet Harris (BBC2 This World ‘Iraq: Did my son die in vain?’, BBC1 Soldier, Husband, Daughter, Dad)