Current and recent research projects
Brexit
Brexit is an area of great interest to us; however its repercussions are unknown. Current research, carried out by Dr Lorenzo Cladi, is looking at what Brexit means for the ability of the British Prime Minister to exercise prerogative powers. There is also ongoing research into what Brexit entails for NATO and the European security cooperation. Other research focuses on the application of concepts from international political economy to the Brexit case as well as the impact of Brexit on Anglo-Irish relations in particular.
Development politics and North-South relations
Research in this area looks into the politics behind the Global Sustainable Development Goals and other areas of global development governance. Professor Mary Farrell and Dr Patrick Holden are also investigating the power dynamics behind European Union relations with developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Dr Patrick Holden sits on the editorial board of the journal Mediterranean Politics.
United Nations and Global Governance
The UN is both a political actor and a policy entrepreneur in global affairs. This research area addresses questions around how the global community of sovereign states seeks to reach consensus on key areas of global policy (development, climate, environment, security, human rights) and assesses the UN’s capacity to manage the global order and implement key policies while balancing the inevitable conflicts and divisions among the member states with often very different national interests. Mary Farrell’s research looks at how UN politics shape prominent policies in areas such as development, inter-regional cooperation, and the changing global order. Piers Revell focuses on global environmental policies and the challenges of climate change
The EU and European politics
This topic addresses two areas that are inter-linked in complex ways: the politics and policies of European integration based on supranational and inter-governmental processes; and the dynamics of national politics in the individual European states. Particular areas of expertise include European (national) political systems, EU public policy, European governance, and EU-Africa relations.