Undiplomatic Signals

By Professor David Dunn, Department of Political Science and International Studies School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham By its very nature, diplomacy involves secret communications, between states, and between envoys and their governments. Indeed the word itself, di-plomacy means a paper folded in two to keep it confidential. It is the embassy’s job … Continue reading “Undiplomatic Signals”

Can Adversaries Become Friends?

By Nicholas Wheeler, Professor of International Relations Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham ‘The past does not have to define the future. Yesterday’s conflict does not have to be tomorrow’s war. As history has proved over and over, adversaries can become friends’. US President Donald Trump spoke these words after his … Continue reading “Can Adversaries Become Friends?”

VIDEO: All things considered, is the world really such a bad place?

In this exciting new video series, researchers from the College of Social Sciences sit down over a cuppa and tackle some of the big issues which impact today’s society. If you pay attention to the headlines, you are likely to conclude that life doesn’t seem so great. In the last few years, we have seen … Continue reading “VIDEO: All things considered, is the world really such a bad place?”

Trust in Face-to-Face Diplomacy

By Nicholas J. Wheeler, Professor of International Relations Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-un, are due to meet for a historic summit in an as yet undisclosed location to try and resolve the nuclear stand-off on the Korean peninsula. For academics … Continue reading “Trust in Face-to-Face Diplomacy”