Blavatnik Election Briefing: Pakistan Votes - Exploring the key issues that will determine Pakistan’s future

Millions of voters go to the polls in Pakistan on 8 February at the end of an election campaign that has seen a former prime minister jailed, another return from exile to seek power, a crackdown against opposition parties, accusations of election influence by the military, all while the country has faced economic crises and a deteriorating security situation.

As for the election itself, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan is blunt: "At this point, there is little evidence to show that the upcoming elections will be free, fair, or credible."

Book Launch: Queer Conflict Research

We are pleased to announce an exploration of the intersection of queer studies and political violence with our latest volume, Queer Conflict Research, a collaborative effort by an international team of esteemed scholars. This book serves as a foundational guide to queer methodologies in the study of political violence and conflict. Delving into the significance of queer approaches, the contributors shed light on their essence and offer practical insights into applying these methods.

Luke Botting

I am a DPhil candidate in International Relations (IR) at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford. My research - funded by a scholarship from the Economic and Social Research Council - explores theories of international order, specifically the English School and political theology, and their ability to explain and resolve normative conflicts in contemporary society of states. Beyond my doctoral research, and based on my experience with the British military, Ministry of Defence and NATO, I have also written on defence and security issues.

Marie-Lou Sohnius

I am a DPhil candidate in Politics working on non-citizen voting rights in the United Kingdom. My doctoral research is jointly funded by the Grand Union DTP (Economic and Social Research Council) and Nuffield College. Before starting my DPhil, I completed my Bachelor's and Master's in Political Science at the University of Mannheim with a specialisation in elections, quantitative methods, and survey research. I was a visiting student at the University of Sheffield, UK, where I focused on economic inequality and voting behaviour. 

LGBT+ History Month: Q&A with Tom Crewe

Join prize-winning author Tom Crewe for a special Q&A in celebration of LGBT+ History Month. The New Life, his first novel, is an historical imagining of LGBT+ rights in 1890s London. It is the winner of both the 2023 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and the 2023 Southbank Sky Arts Award for Literature. The novel has been or is being translated into French, German, Spanish, Dutch and Italian.
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