You are warmly invited to the showing of a new documentary film, ‘The Hardest Bridge’, on a real example of post-conflict reconciliation in Britain and Northern Ireland, with discussion led by the film’s subjects Jo Berry and Pat Magee:

'The Hardest Bridge' Tuesday 3 February [Third Week]
7.30pm – 10.00 pm, in the Auditorium, St John’s College.

Where democratic uprisings have gained momentum, some autocracies respond by disseminating propaganda that taunts and mocks their political opponents. Instead of diverting citizens’ attention away from opposition voices, such propaganda directs its rhetoric and public attention toward the anti-regime movement. What is the logic behind it? Dr Yueng proposes a theory of propaganda as provocation. By using provocative propaganda to radicalize protesters in social movements, autocrats can discredit regime opponents and dissuade others from joining forces with the opposition.

Across the world, governments are invoking AI sovereignty as they confront rising geopolitical tension, strategic competition, and deepening technological interdependence. Yet sovereignty, in a globalised AI ecosystem dominated by a small number of firms and nations, may not be the most meaningful lens to apply.

Former Irish Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy offers a rare, deeply personal look into the realities of modern political life in a candid fireside chat based on his bestselling book Running From Office: Confessions of Ambition and Failure in Politics. The event will feature a a moderated conversation with Michael McMahon, Professor of Economics, and David Doyle, Professor of Politics, and an audience Q&A.

Why did France lose to the Nazis, despite its defenders having more tanks, troops, and guns? How did Ukraine repel Russia’s initial onslaught? In his new book, Warhead, Wright journeys through the brain to show us how it shapes human behaviour in conflict and war. Cutting-edge research comes to life through battle stories from history: What was it like for American or Chinese foot soldiers in World War Two? How did leaders like Churchill or Eisenhower make wiser decisions?

Week Four (13 February, Lecture Room VII)
Primary: Marge Piercy, Woman on the Edge of Time, Chapters 10-12
Supplementary: Shulamith Firestone, The Dialectic of Sex (1970), Chapter 1