Unfulfilled Dreams: China’s 'Liberal' Communist Party Intellectuals’ Struggle for Democracy from the 1930s to the 2000s

Amid the Sino-Japanese and civil wars in the 1930s and 1940s, many patriotic young intellectuals joined the Chinese Communist Party out of a fervent desire to 'save the nation'. Attracted by its promises of freedom, democracy and equality, these underground party members braved arrest, torture and prison under the Nationalist government to fight for a communist utopia. After 1949, following an initial period of euphoria, they found themselves painfully struggling between their twin goals of democracy and revolution under the Mao regime.

Displacement and Documentary Film: A Conversation with Marc Isaacs

Themes of displacement, migration and hospitality have been at the heart of Marc Isaacs’ films for many years. From his documentation of refugees in Calais to his detailed studies of xenophobia among English communities, Isaacs has turned his camera on the complex lives and contradictory attitudes that surround us. A recent feature in Sight and Sound describes Isaacs’ filmmaking as capturing “a sense of transience and instability that is universal.” His films are “set in nebulous or liminal spaces” that take us deep into the lives of others.

Mental Capacity: Why it doesn't and shouldn't matter much in medical law and ethics

Medical law and ethics students are normally taught that mental capacity is a key concept. Simply put, if the patient has capacity then their autonomous decisions are respected, while if they lack capacity then decisions are made on their behalf based on what is in their best interests. This paper will challenge that supposition and claim that only in rare cases does it matter in terms of the outcome whether a patient has capacity or not. The paper will then turn to the ethical issues.

The Future of Work in the Age of AI

Panel Discussion on The Future of Work in the Age of AI

Join us at the Nelson Mandela Hall, Saïd Business School (University of Oxford) for a fascinating discussion on the future of work in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), featuring:

Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor, MIT, and Sanjaya Lall Visiting Professor, University of Oxford

Sir Chrisopher Pissarides, Regius Professor of Economics, LSE, and Nobel laureate in economics

Helen Margetts, Professor of Internet and Society, University of Oxford

Cyril Foster Lecture 2024: On the Declining Success of Civil Resistance

Over the past 50 years, the Cyril Foster Lecture series has delivered engaging lectures from some of the world's most influential policymakers and academics. This year's lecture will be given by Professor Erica Chenoweth, a leading expert on mass movements, nonviolent resistance, terrorism, political violence, revolutions, and state repression. The lecture will be introduced by Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Dr Sir Michael Jacobs, and chaired by Cyril Foster Lecture Chair, Professor Neta Crawford.

Subscribe to