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Debating Europe: Challenges and Opportunities over the next decade

Seminar Series Debating Europe: Challenges and Opportunities over the next decade

The School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy is pleased to announce a special seminar series on Debating Europe in 2013. This series runs in partnership with the European Commission Representation in the UK and the Northern Ireland Assembly and Business Trust (NIABT).

The Debating Europe seminar series has been designed to bring together policymakers, business people, trade unionists, politicians, academics, postgraduate students and members of the voluntary sector, to learn about and discuss key policy issues and themes facing contemporary society in Northern Ireland.

The objectives of the proposed series are to:
Raise awareness and develop understanding in Northern Ireland of European integration themes and issues of major public importance Identify the economic, political and social significance of these themes for Northern Ireland Stimulate academic and policy debate at national, regional and local level which the Commission Representation locally (in Belfast) and in London can feed back to the Commission in Brussels

Seminar Themes
The programme comprises 6 seminars which are based on key themes facing society and governments over the next decade.

  1. The UK Angle On the Emissions Trading Scheme and Low Carbon Technologies
    Date: 17 January 2013
    Venue: Canada Room & Council Chamber, Queen’s University Belfast
    Time 12.30-14.30 seminar preceded by buffet lunch at 12.00
    Speakers: Dr John Barry, QUB and a European Commission Representative
  2. The Implications For The UK of the Sovereign Debt Crisis and Eurozone Economic Governance
    Date: 7 February 2013
    Venue: Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings
    Time 12.30-14.30 seminar preceded by buffet lunch at 12.00
    Speakers: Dr Andrew Baker, QUB and a European Commission Representative
  3. Reconnecting The Public With The EU
    Date: 14. March 2013
    Venue: Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings
    Time 12.30-14.30 seminar preceded by buffet lunch at 12.00
    Speakers: Dr John Garry, QUB and a European Commission Representative
  4. EU Social Policy and the Welfare State in the Current Economic Crisis
    Date: 28 March 2013
    Venue: Council Chamber and Canada Room, Queen’s University Belfast
    Time 12.30-14.30 seminar preceded by buffet lunch at 12.00
    Speakers: Dr Jay Wiggan, QUB and a European Commission Representative
  5. Euroscepticism and EU Critical Thinking in the UK
    Date: 16 May 2013
    Venue: Council Chamber and Canada Room, Queen’s University Belfast
    Time 12.30-14.30 seminar preceded by buffet lunch at 12.00
    Speakers: Dr Lee McGowan, QUB and a European Commission Representative
  6. Economic Recovery, Europe 2020 and the Growth, Jobs and Competitiveness Agenda
    Date: 6 June 2013
    Venue: Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings
    Time 12.30-14.30 seminar preceded by buffet lunch at 12.00
    Speakers to be confirmed


All six sessions will commence at 12.00 with a buffet lunch
The seminars will begin at 12.30 and the talks will run for 60 minutes and be followed by Q&A.

 

Engagement
The engagement aim of the project is to involve a broad range of Northern Ireland-based societal actors directly in debates on a number of key policy themes of direct relevance to society in this region of the United Kingdom .The project seeks to enable participants to appreciate the international context and the challenges and opportunities that are confronting governments (both national and regional) and citizens in 2012/13 as well as the external drivers that are increasingly shaping European policymaking. This project is targeted at a range of actors and stakeholders who will include: academics, businesspeople, policy-makers, politicians, trade unionists and representatives from the voluntary sector. Through a combination of dissemination activities, both direct (e.g. podcasts) and indirect (newspaper reports, seminar attendees reporting back to their respective organizations), the project seeks to inform discussion and debate more widely within society, especially in Northern Ireland. By providing academic, expert and practitioner knowledge this project aims to enable the participants not only to become more familiar with policy issues but to become ever more fully engaged as proactive players in debates about policy change and the future trajectory of public policy in Northern Ireland.

The School of Politics, International Studies & Philosophy, Queen’s University, Belfast
The School of Politics, International Studies & Philosophy (PISP) is one of the schools in Queen’s University, Belfast, a member of the Russell Group of 24 leading UK research-intensive universities, providing world-class education underpinned by world-class research.

PISP has 33 full-time academics, making it by some distance the largest institutional centre for the study of these subjects in Ireland and one of the largest in the UK. PISP provides undergraduate programmes (Single Honours, Major, Joint and Minor), MA programmes and postgraduate research degrees (MPhil or PhD).
The School has five areas of distinctive research strength: Philosophy; Political Theory; Irish Political History; Governance and Public Policy; and International Politics and Ethnic Conflict. This seminar series will be carried out by members of staff associated with the Governance and Public Policy research cluster (GAPP). The European Studies research group is one of the nodes of interdisciplinary research within GAPP, bringing together scholars concerned with both the European Union and the broader historical and cultural processes which have shaped contemporary Europe.

The UK Research Assessment Exercise has produced very impressive results in its assessment of research carried out in the School, with more than 50% of the research was judged to be ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The School also performed very well in relation to departments in other UK Universities. These impressive results reinforce QUB’s position as one of the leading centres in the UK for world-class research in Politics, International Studies and Philosophy.

Northern Ireland Assembly and Business Trust The Northern Ireland Assembly and Business Trust (NIABT) works to forge links with, and promote the exchange of knowledge and information between, local businesses and parliamentarians in Northern Ireland and in Europe. Open to businesses from all sectors and of all sizes, the NIABT organises activities including breakfast briefings, educational visits, fellowships and seminars and an annual European visit. NIABT aims: to provide Assembly Members (MLAs) with a better insight into how local businesses work, helping them to make informed judgements when reviewing Department policy and legislation relating to the local economy; to improve the business community’s understanding of how the Assembly and devolution work and how policy and legislation is developed.
For more information, visit www.niabt.org

Location and Travel information available here