This event brings together North Korean defectors to share their lived experiences of defection, adaptation, and identity in South Korea. It is hosted by Hayoun Noh, a DPhil candidate in the Human-Centered AI group (supervised by Prof. Max Van Kleek) at the Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford. Her research explores how digital technologies shape the transition of defectors from one of the least connected societies in the world to one of the most digitally advanced.

To whom does 'sovereignty' belong, and what does the Islamic intellectual tradition have to say about this? While some scholars argue that a normative commitment to democracy compromises the sovereignty of God, thinkers like Rached Ghannouchi hold that democracy is an expression of a delegated power of vicegerency (or caliphate) granted to humanity by God.

How does identity influence politics and international conflict? What happens when identities feel threatened or insecure?
In this session, we’ll explore how identity and security intersect, examining how non-physical threats to identity can fuel political tensions and conflict dynamics.
To ground our discussion, we’ll engage with three key articles: one outlines the theoretical framework, while the other two apply it to specific case studies—Turkey–Kurdish relations and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

🗓️ Wednesday, 18 June
🕢 20:00 (refreshments from 19:45)