DPIR academics present research and lead discussions at 2014 Edinburgh International Festival

The annual Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) celebrates arts and culture, drawing an array of artists, performers, practitioners and academics from around the globe. This year, to commemorate the centenary year of the First World War, the theme of the three-week arts festival was Culture and Conflict.

The festival, held in August, featured over 2,400 individual artists and drew the largest audience to date. Performances were accompanied by a series of talks and workshops, many of which featured professors from the University of Oxford.

Talks led by DPIR faculty members at EIF included:

• The War that Ended Peace: Professor Margaret MacMillan considered the political, economic, and cultural ramifications of World War I on European continent.
• High Command in War: Professor Sir Hew Strachan reevaluated the British command structure during the First World War.
• The War Requiem: Professor Sir Adam Roberts led a discussion on the famous 1962 choral piece performed at EIF by the Philharmonia Orchestra.
• Killing Civilians: Professor Jennifer Welsh and Dr Hugo Slim analyzed the practical and ethical implications of civilian casualties during wartime.
• The Peace to End Peace: Sir Adam Roberts considered the peacebuilding lessons that arose from the interwar years and the Treaty of Versailles.
• Objecting to War: Professor Martin Ceadel discussed the concept of pacifism in the context of WWI in a talk chaired by Sir Adam Roberts.
• Contemporary Military Operations: Risks and Responsibilities: General The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux evaluated contemporary military operations in a discussion chaired by Sir Hew Strachan.

More information about the Edinburgh International Festival and a full programme of this years events can be found here: http://www.eif.co.uk.