Reflecting on Public Diplomacy & Soft Power

On 25 June 2020, Prof Natalia Chaban from the University of Canterbury (NZ) invited me to share my thoughts for her course on public diplomacy. In 20 minutes I reflect on the questions by Prof Chaban and talk about the relevance of researching diplomacy, how the concept of “soft power” relates to public diplomacy, and what is “new” (or not) in public diplomacy.

NEXTEUK conference: the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on teaching

In my short introduction to this roudtable about the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on teaching I share the following observations:

Like any change, Brexit and Covid-19 can be perceived as threat and disruptive or as enriching opportunity

Both, Brexit and Covid-19, pull politics to the surface in all kinds of areas. For teaching in terms of getting students interested, motivated and connecting key concepts with the world that the care about it is an opportunity.

In my view, the current 2020 situation should remind us as educators of 3 things:

1. The added value of thinking academically; disagreement is key but also active listening and the will to understand the other;
2. Equipping our students with the tools to make sense of the world: Critical thinking so key but means more than criticising; Should ensure our students understand the difference between data, information and knowledge aka check your sources; But also in a complex world it needs multidisciplinary approaches to understand;
3. Learning needs to be uncomfortable, but also very careful handling when it includes subjective experiences. How to balance objective expertise as academic, with subjective interpretations of direct effect; objective analysis, subjective interpretations – how much room is there/should there be?

NORTIA online: Foreign policy lessons from #European responses to #covid19

now online the recording of our NORTIA online exchange as UACES youtube video: https://bit.ly/36Xejxs

Does size matter? Foreign policy lessons from #European responses to #covid19

with Niels van Willigen,, Oriol Cost, Magdalena Gora, and Tomas Weiss;

Chaired and organised: Heidi Maurer

NORTIA podcast: Foreign Policy Research in times of Covid-19 Restrictions

This podcast is a recording of the NORTIA webinar ‘Foreign Policy Research in times of Covid-19 Restrictions’.

Speakers: Federica Bicchi (EUI/LSE); Carlos Bravo (IBEI) Marianna Lovato (University College Dublin)

Chair & Organiser: Heidi Maurer (University of Bristol)

The EU fit for purpose? Lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic – Guest talk

Reina Shehi, the Head of the Center for European Studies from Epoka University had invited me to speak about “The EU fit for purpose? Lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic” on 14 May 2020.

Slides supporting my talk can be downloaded here.

Roundtable “Europeanisation in the times of corona pandemics (online)”

Speakers:
• Heidi Maurer, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
• Kristi Raik, Eesti Välispoliitika Instituut, Estonia
• Paolo Graziano, University of Padova, Italy

Moderation: Tomáš Weiss, Univerzita Karlova, Czech Republic

Watch here

online now: Innovative Teaching in European (foreign) affairs

***online now*** 

our special section on Innovative Teaching in European (foreign) affairs in Journal of Contemporary European Research

When collective smallness translates into lack of vision and action in European Security and Defence – my IIEA contribution

On 28 February 2020, the Institute for International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin in cooperation with NORTIA organised the third of its seminar series on “Small states and European Defence“.

My opening remarks with the title “When ´small´ translates into a collective lack of vision and action” can now be read here.

 

Ö1 Mittagsjournal – my take on “Boris Johnson and the EU”, 15 June 2019

On 15 June 2019 I gave an interview to Cornelia Vospernik about the current Tory political leader selection of a future UK prime minister and the implications for the Brexit process.

BBC News The Briefing, 21 June 2019

On 21 June 2019, I gave a short early-hours interview on the BBC News programme “The Briefing” discussing the result of the first day of the European Council on 20 June 2019, the nominations for the EU top job, and the implications for Brexit. For the full recording check here.