Seeing the bigger picture: Defence and diplomacy in uncertain times

International responses to global crises such as the current coronavirus pandemic do not occur in a diplomatic vacuum. They build on and tap into long-established relations between nation states in a wide variety of areas.

This panel will explore these relations from a wide variety of perspectives that represent the breadth of research being carried by the scholars in the Defence & Diplomacy Research theme. The presentation will examine the role of multinational, strategic-level defence and security colleges, bilateral relations between China and the UK, the search for common ground and risk reduction in the international non-proliferation regime and multilateral defence cooperation in Europe.

Such a broad view will allow the panel to better understand the underlying factors of the complex international cooperation and competition regarding Covid-19 and explore major developments in the area of defence and diplomacy beyond the immediate crisis.

Panelists and running order

Presentations:

• Understanding the strategic value of executive-level defence and security college, Dr Duraid Jalili, Lecturer in the Department of Defence Studies.
• Between trade and geopolitics: Britain’s post-Brexit strategy towards China, Dr Zeno Leoni, Teaching Fellow in the Defence Studies Department.
• Nuclear Diplomacy: Trends and Future Challenges, Amelia Morgan, PhD student in the Defence Studies Department.
• How to achieve defence cooperation in Europe?, Dr Bence Nemeth, Teaching Fellow in the Defence Studies Department.
• The EU Commission and Defence Policy, Sophia Besch, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for European Reform.