• A Snail Carries its Bunker on its Back: Researching Nuclear Anxiety through Creative Writing

    Dr Philippa Holloway Creative Writing often embraces other disciplines. While academic research within this field focuses on research in Creative Writing (the theories and practices of creative expression), essentially writers must also research for their writing. They must learn about and consider psychology, geography, science, history, sociology, geology, ethnography, and philosophy as well as develop…

  • The War Against ‘Dis-information’: Romania Reacts to the Conflict in Ukraine

    Dr Cristian Ciobanu & Dr Duncan Light The war in Ukraine came as a big shock for Romanians who (like many Europeans) found the idea of a ‘traditional’ war involving tanks and bombs as unimaginable. In recent years, scepticism among Romanians about membership of the EU and NATO had been on the rise, but with…

  • ‘A Whiff of Munich’?

    Roger Spalding Neville Chamberlain holds the paper signed by both Hitler and himself on his return from Munich. I often read in applicants’ personal statements that they wish to study History to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. This is sadly, something that rarely occurs; humanity appears to have an infinite capacity to repeat…

  • Ukraine – What Next? Is Civil Society the Answer?

    Sergej Ljubownikow Over a week into Putin’s war in Ukraine, speculation on why, for what reason , remain high – but also to what end. Putin appears to have a variety of conflicting, and spurious aims (some only beknownst to him) with this invasion; both with regards to Ukraine, and highly likely beyond. Western response…

  • Crossing the Dnieper: The UK political response to Ukraine

    Paula Keaveney “I have never forgotten the sheer courage and determination of pro-democracy activists whom I met on the streets of Lviv in 1989 as they risked their lives to throw off the shackles and chains of the Soviet Union.” (Lord Alton, HL Deb 25 February 2022) The last few days have seen debates in…

  • Why Ukraine? Why Now?

    Professor Jo Crotty In the last 24 hours I have received a number of messages asking ‘Why Ukraine?; and why now?’ Although media commentary has focused on Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, and Russia’s unwillingness to acquiesce to NATO forces on its border; the answer is more complex. First, since the end of the Soviet Union 30…

  • Ukraine Replay?: Re-navigating Work in Professional Basketball in Conflict Spaces

    Laura Purdy (Edge Hill University) and Geoff Kohe (University of Kent) The increasing attention on Ukraine jogged memories of the Euromaidan upheaval in 2013/14 and parallel regional uncertainties over Ukraine-Russia relations. At this time, civil unrest arose over the government decision to halt signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union. Within Ukraine, pro-EU…