Global Security (MSc & MRes)

May 2014 Newsletter for

Applicants & Prospective Applicants

Contact: Dr Eamonn Butler

Telephone: (0)141 330 4094
Email: eamonn.butler@glasgow.ac.uk
Visit: www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/globalsecurity/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/glasgowgsr

University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401

University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401
WELCOME
This is the first Global Security
newsletter for 2014 and is intended
for individuals who have applied or
are considering applying to our
Global Security (MSc or MRes)
programmes.
Glasgow University has a strong
history of researching and teaching
security studies with a wide range
of staff within a variety of schools
and subjects areas in all four of the
University Colleges - Social
Science, Arts, Medical and Science
– working on security matters. The
Global Security programme is
designed to reflect on this and bring
together these various experts and
enable you, as students, to benefit
from a broad based curriculum of
study. Students are encouraged to
develop their own interests, but at
the same time they are able to learn
about a wide variety of emerging
security challenges from cyber
security, drones and intelligence
matters to energy security and food
security or even climate change.
The programme also gives students
the chance to engage with
practitioners from a range of
organisations and institutions via
the regular master class seminars
and our annual study tour to
Brussels.
To find out more about what our
students got up to this year please
read through this newsletter and if
you have any questions please do
not hesitate to get in touch.
We look forward to
hopefully welcoming
you to Glasgow in
September 2013
Eamonn Butler
Global Security Master’s Convenor
eamonn.butler@glasgow.ac.uk
University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401
FACEBOOK
We have a Facebook page. Visit
www.facebook.com/glasgowgsr
to find out more about what has
been happening with the
programme. For regular updates
just click ‘Like’
ONLINE WEB CHAT
We will be hosting a live web
chat with staff and students from
the Global Security programme
on Friday 20th June 2014 at 2pm
(GMT). This is your opportunity
to speak directly with those linked
to the programme this year and
ask your questions. You will also
have the opportunity to speak
with some of our recruitment and
international office (RIO) staff to
ask any questions you may have
about accommodation, travel,
cost of living in Glasgow, or
about the university in general.
Keep an eye on our facebook
page for more details on how you
can take part or contact Lesley
Scott for details on how to
register:
lesley.scott@glasgow.ac.uk
2014 APPLICATIONS DEADLINE
Applications for the MSc and
MRes Global Security are still
being taken. Entry to the
programme is with a good quality
2:1 honours degree or equivalent
in a social sciences, humanities or
computing science background.
We also are open to considering
individuals with backgrounds in
security affairs, the armed forces
and relevant international
organisations.
The deadline for applications is
25th July 2014 for non-
EU/international applicants and
29th August 2014 for UK/EU
applicants.
For more details about how to
apply please visit the University
website:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate
or email Dr Eamonn Butler if you
have specific questions or queries.
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE DOING NOW

Darren Reid (MRes Global Security)

Darren graduated from the MRes in Global Security in November 2013.

He wrote his dissertation on what intelligence in an independent
Scotland might look like, by comparing the intelligence systems of
other small states in Europe. The dissertation was used to inform an
article published by the Scottish Global Forum. The article can be found
at: http://www.scottishglobalforum.net/1/post/2013/10/future-of-national-
security-intel-blog.html

Having completed his studies at Glasgow University he has gone on to

become Cohen Center Research Associate at the William S. Cohen Center, University of Maine in the United
States. His main role there has been to contact research concerning the future of US-Russia relations. He is
utilizing the University of Maine’s Cohen Papers Archive as primary research material.

He has also established a student-based research journal at the University of Maine. The Cohen Journal for
Leadership and Democracy will solicit submissions from both undergraduate and postgraduate students, and will
focus on issues relating to American domestic and foreign policy. The first publication of CJLD is expected in the
Autumn semester 2014.

Darren also serves as Communication and Project Support Officer for the independent research institute,
Scottish Global Forum. SGF is dedicated to the analysis of policy issues which are of significance to Scotland
and its place in the world. Darren is a frequent contributor on issues of foreign policy, intelligence, and
international development.

Speaking about his time and experiences of the Global Security programme at Glasgow University, Darren said:
“I would strongly recommend the Global Security programme to anyone interested in examining the threats we
face in the contemporary world. This isn’t a programme only suited to those from political or international
relations backgrounds, it will accommodate for those from numerous disciplines and I encourage people from
any discipline to consider applying to this young and exciting programme”.

The picture to the right is Darren meeting

former US Senator Alan Simpson & former
Secretary of Defence William S. Cohen at
the 2013 Annual William S. Cohen Lecture
at the University of Maine. This lecture
series provides a setting for public
discussion of current affairs and raises
awareness about the diverse research
material in the Cohen Archive collection.

You can watch a video of the 2013 lecture

by Alan Simpson on YouTube at the
following link:
http://youtu.be/TT2tygEjoXQ

University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401

MEET OUR STAFF GLOBAL SECURITY ANNUAL STUDY TOUR TO BRUSSELS 2014

The annual Global Security Study Tour returns to Brussels in May

2014. We have 30 students taking part in the trip this year. They will be
meeting a range of speakers from the Eurtpean External Action Service,
the EU Military Staff, the United Nations, The Council of Europe, NATO,
and the Hungarian and United Kingdom Representations to the EU
Political and Security Committee. We will have a wide range of talks
address topics such as Piracy and Maritime Security off the Horn of
Africa (see our cover photo), the current Ukraine Crisis, Human Rights
and Security, Gender and Security and Energy Security.

We are pleased to announce that Dr

Ian Shaw has joined the University
as a lecturer in Human Geography.
Dr Shaw has an interest in the
transformations associated with the
rise of drones in U.S. national
security strategy and beyond. His
approach emphasises why the drone
is a political actor - a technology that
is slowly but definitively changing
social, territorial, and sovereign
relations.
Email: ian.shaw@glasgow.ac.uk

Above and Below: Photos from the 2013 Study Tour

Dr Luca Anceschi has just joined

the university as our new lecturer in
Central Asian Studies. He also has a
background in Middle East Studies
and interests in the security and
politics of post-Soviet Central Asia
and the Gulf States.
Email: luca.anceschi@glasgow.ac.uk

University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401

GLOBAL SECURITY NETWORK

The Glasgow Global Security Network is dynamic network of

Glasgow University academic staff. Its primary function is to facilitate
the exchange of ideas which should lead to further cooperation in
security issues. Its role is to act as a facilitator and originator of
projects, and as a vehicle for publicizing or coordinating events in the
global security field.
MASTER CLASS SPEAKERS
From 2014, our Masters students will be able to contribute to the Throughout the past year we have
development of the network, by participating in events and organising had some hugely interesting
and running your own events. A special workshop will take place in speakers from the worlds of
early October 2014 to introduce students to the network and discuss academia, policy making and
how the students can contribute. practice. These have included:
Ambassador Ivan Grdešic
One of the big events for 2013-2014 that was organised by the network
Croatian Ambassador to the
was a special 2-day conference on the security implications of Scottish
United Kingdom who spoke about
Independence. Speakers covered a wide range of specialties from
the security of the Balkans in
senior civil servants and soldiers to academics from the United
Europe
Kingdom and around the world. The speakers discussed the
implications of Scottish independence and security not only for the Professor Richard English
potentially new nation, but for the rest of the United Kingdom and the
Professor of Terrorism Studies at
world.
St Andrew’s University who spoke
about changing ideas of terrorism
The coverage that the conference received was extraordinary. Different and insurgency
aspects of it were discussed in the Guardian, Herald, Telegraph, Times,
Scotsman and Daily Mail. BBC Newsnight Scotland also ran a segment Mr Gregor Lindsay
on the event the night before we started. Because of this intense Head of Cyber Resilience at the
interest, and because we have received many requests from the public Scottish Government who spoke
for more information, the network has made a set of recordings from the about regional and national
event readily accessible online. These audio podcasts can be found at: resilience
http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/globalsecurity/publicevents/
Dr Kavus Abushov
For more information about the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy –
network please visit the speaking on threats and
website which can be found Vulnerabilities in the Caucasus
via the link below: Region

Professor Alison Phipps

Professor of Intercultural Studies
who spoke on the concepts of
global vulnerability and insecurity

http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/globalsecurity/ Mr Sascha Strupp

Europol who spoke about
transnational organised crime in
Europe

For full details of these talks

please visit our events section on
the facebook page

University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401

GLOBAL SECURITY EVENTS 2013-2014

The students on the Global Security programmes have had an

opportunity to take part in a number of events over the past year. These
included

Living with War

The students were able to visit the ‘Living with War’ exhibition which WANT TO GO ON TO DO A
was on show at the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art. They were given a PhD?
personal tour from the exhibition’s curator, Ben Harman. ‘Living with
War’ illustrated how artists from destinations as far reaching as Brazil, The MRes and MSc in Global
Los Angeles, and South Korea, as well as UK based artists, respond to Security offers you the opportunity
the prevalence and effect of conflict around the world. It covered the to continue your studies to PhD
period from 1800 to the present day and showed a wide range of level. Two of our students from
artworks including paintings, sculpture, photography and video the 2011-2012 class are currently
installations which made a range of commentaries on war and violent undertaking PhDs at Glasgow
conflict. University.
The image to the left is an These include Ruth McKenna
example of one of the artworks, who took our MRes pathway. Ruth
called ‘Haywain with Cruise is now working on
Missiles’ (1980). conceptualisations of Russia in UK
Domestic and Foreign Policy. Her
research includes work on the
Glasgow City Councillor, Archie security of Russian migration to
Graham, commented that the the UK and how that relates to
exhibition “makes clear the vital societal security concerns.
role that artist play in society and their ability to broaden our
understanding of the effects of war and conflict around the globe” Rob Dewar was
a student on our
MSc Global
Berlin Security Conference 2013 Security: Politics,,
A number of students attended the Berlin Security Conference at the Information and
end of November 2013. The conference is one of the major security Security pathway. He is now
events in Europe and is attended by politicians, military staff and undertaking his PhD on the
industry figures. It offered an insight into how security is viewed in development of a European
Europe. approach to Cyber Security. His
work sees him engage with EU
Speakers included: Dr Andrew Murrison, level institutions and policy
UK Minister for International Security matters.
Strategy; Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, To hear about Rob’s experiences
EU Special Representative for Afghanistan; with the Global Security
Sir Stuart Peach, UK Vice Chief of Defence programme you can watch a short
at the MoD; Wolfgang Wosolsobe, Director video where he talks about his
time on the programme at:
of the EU Military Staff; Claude-France
http://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/
Arnould, Chief Executive of the European taught/globalsecurity/
Defence Agency and General Mieczyslaw
Bieniek, Dep. Supreme Allied Commander A number of other students have
Transformation at NATO. applied to PhD programmes
across the UK and Europe for
2014 entry.
University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401