Birkbeck Politics 50th Anniversary Celebration Events Week: 27 Jun - 1 July
Join us late June for a week of celebratory events marking the 50th anniversary of the Birkbeck Politics department
The department was founded in 1972 by Bernard Crick, author of In Defence of Politics, and George Orwell: A Life. Sir Bernard was an Emeritus Professor of the department until his death in December 2008 and has evolved to become a centre of interdisciplinary research with an outstanding reputation for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.
Our teaching recognises no intellectual boundary between politics, political history, political theory and sociology, and our degrees transcend any artificial divisions. This particular combination of expertise and course has no equivalent in any other department in the UK.
Events Schedule:
1. Conference: Architecture and the Institutions of the European Union
Monday–Tuesday, 27-28th June
Sessions start 5:30 PM BST on 27th and 1:30 PM BST on 28th
The purpose of the conference is to shed light on the complex interplay between the choices that architects (and those who commission them) make when designing buildings for the use of the EU’ institutions, and the way in which these institutions operate. The conference will bring together top architects, architectural critics, academics who specialise in the study of the operation of EU institutions and officials of these institutions
Confirmed speakers include Sebastiano Fabbrini (University of Venice), John Palmesino (Territorial Agency; Goldsmith’s), Wolf D. Prix (COOPHimmelb(l)au), Sabine Saurugger (IEP Grenoble), Philippe Samyn (Samyn & Partners, Ambassador Ioannis Vrailas (Head, Greece’s Permanent Representation to the EU), Thomas Christiansen (LUISS Guido Carli) as well as several senior EU officials.
Location: Online
Full programme of conference events and registration here
2. In Conversation with Professor Joni Lovenduski
Wednesday, 29th June 18:00–19:30
Professor Joni Lovenduski will reflect on her work and time at Birkbeck, in conversation with Professor Rosie Campbell. During her academic tenure, Professor Lovenduski has reshaped how we think about gender and politics, British politics, and comparative politics. Her works and theories continue to inspire and provoke thought and debate and have had a lasting real-world impact on British politics itself.
Joni Lovenduski, FBA is Professor Emerita of Politics at Birkbeck, University of London. Her published books on gender and politics include Gendering Politics; Feminising Political Science (2015); Feminizing Politics (2005), State Feminism and Political Representation (2005); The Hansard Report on Women at the Top 2005 (with Sarah Childs and Rosie Campbell); Gender and Political Participation (2004) with Pippa Norris and Rosie Campbell; Women and European Politics (1986 ); Contemporary Feminist Politics (1993) (with Vicky Randall); Political Recruitment: Gender, Race and Class in the British Parliament (1995) (with Pippa Norris); and High Tide or High Time for Labour Women (1998) (with Maria Eagle MP).
See her bio here https://10-gower-street.com/emeritus-staff-professor-joni-lovenduski/
Location: Online
Register for this event here
3. Keynote Lecture: Lisa Nandy MP
Thursday, 30th June 18:00–19:30
Followed by Q&A. Birkbeck Politics graduate Lisa Nandy is MP for Wigan and, since 2021, Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities & Local Government. She has previously served as Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs as well as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. You can find out more about her work as an MP and Shadow Minister here.
Location: Online
Register for this event here
4. 50 Years of Birkbeck – Roundtable and Anniversary Party
Friday, 1st July from 18:00
Closing the 50th anniversary week celebrations, we invite our current and past members of staff, students and alumni to an exciting roundtable discussion reflecting on the past five decades of research and teaching at Birkbeck Politics.
This event will be followed by the anniversary drinks reception party from around 19:30.
Hussein Kassim is Professor of Politics at University of East Anglia. A scholar of comparative politics, public administration and public policy, his research investigates EU institutions, the relationship between the EU and the member states, competition policy, and aviation policy. He spent at 13 years at the Department of Politics and Sociology at Birkbeck
Jasmine Bhatia is a Lecturer in Politics and Director of the Msc in War and Humanitarianism Programme at Birkbeck, University of London. Dr. Bhatia is a political scientist with expertise in civil wars, governance, illicit economies, and violent extremism in fragile states. Prior to joining Birkbeck, she spent two years at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on a project examining the relationship between conflict, illicit drugs and development in Colombia, Myanmar and Afghanistan
Sami Zubaida is Emeritus Professor of Politics and Sociology at Birkbeck and a founding member of the Department in 1972, and also holds posts as Professorial Research Associate at the Food Studies Centre at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and Research Associate at the London Middle East Institute at SOAS. His research involves the religion, culture, politics and law of the Middle East, with particular attention to Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Turkey
The roundtable discussion is moderated by Dr Sam Ashenden, Head of Department
Location: Clore Management Centre Lecture Theatre, Torrington Square, WC1E 7JL
Register for this event here