IIEA Talks

Since the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, reports of crimes against Armenian cultural heritage in the territory have emerged. After Azerbaijan assumed control over Nagorno-Karabakh following a military offensive in October 2023 and the mass expulsion of the region’s ethnic Armenian population, concerns of heritage abuse have intensified. Crimes against cultural heritage gained infamy in recent years with the plundering of ancient sites in Iraq and Syria yet reports of the attempted erasure of Armenian cultural heritage in both Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhchivan have not received global attention. In this panel, two experts discuss abuses of cultural heritage in general and, specifically, the alleged or potential destruction of Armenian cultural heritage following the assertion of Azerbaijani control over Nagorno-Karabakh. About the Speakers: Derek Fincham is a Professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston, where he teaches Legal Research and Writing and Art Law. Dr Fincham serves on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Cultural Property and runs the Illicit Cultural Property Blog. Lori Khatchadourian is Associate Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Anthropology at Cornell University, and co-founder and co-director of Caucasus Heritage Watch. Her research uses the methods of archaeology and anthropology to study heritage politics and the ruins of modernity, with a particular focus on the South Caucasus.

In this IIEA webinar, Dr Tim Oliver, Director of Studies, and Senior Lecturer for the Institute for Diplomacy and International Governance, Loughborough University and Dr Lisa Claire Whitten, Research Fellow at Queen's University Belfast, discuss the implications and outcomes of the UK general election that took place on Thursday, 4 July. About the Speakers: Dr Tim Oliver is a leading expert on Brexit, UK politics and foreign policy, and international relations. Dr Oliver holds a PhD from London School of Economics, which looked at the nature of the UK state and how it makes foreign policy. Dr Oliver was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Defence and International Affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was also a Transatlantic Postdoc Fellow for International Relations and Security (TAPIR) based at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (Berlin), the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and the RAND Corporation in Washington D.C. Dr Lisa Claire is a Research Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast specialising in the legal, regulatory, and constitutional implications of Brexit, particularly looking at Northern Ireland. Prior to entering academia, Lisa Claire held a variety of posts in the public sector, including working for an MP in Westminster and in the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels. She has recently published two books, both on the subject of the Northern Ireland constitution entitled, Northern Ireland and the UK Constitution and Brexit and the Northern Ireland Constitution.

Prof. Tobias Lock gives a detailed examination of the constitutional and legal processes behind German reunification to highlight the substantial legal challenges that Irish unification would entail. Similar to German reunification, achieving Irish unity would necessitate negotiations at multiple levels: domestic, bilateral, and international, including with the EU. This process would involve integrating two distinct legal systems, addressing issues ranging from the routine to the contentious. Although the specific issues will differ between Germany and Ireland, Prof. Tobias Lock argues that the legal techniques used in Germany, such as frontloading, transition periods, and conflict rules could also be effectively applied to Irish unification. About the Speaker: Tobias Lock is a Professor of Law at Maynooth University and the founding director of the Maynooth Centre for European Law. From 2020-2023, he held the Jean Monnet Chair in EU Law and Fundamental Rights. Originally from Germany, Prof. Lock previously taught at the University of Edinburgh. His research focuses on EU constitutional and fundamental rights law, comparative constitutional law, and the relationship between EU law, domestic law, and international law. He is an EU law adviser to the Scottish Parliament and a member of the Royal Irish Academy’s ARINS project.

France is on the cusp of unprecedented political change. If opinion polls prove correct, Europe’s second largest economy and founding member of the European Union is set to elect a lower house of parliament dominated by the hard right and hard left. This edition of IIEA Insights examines the political, economic, diplomatic, and security implications of the coming sea change in French politics. Hélène Conway-Mouret, member of France’s senate representing the Socialist Party. She was minister-delegate for French expatriates from 2012-14 and is a scholar of international relations. She has previously held academic positions in both France and Ireland. Nicolas Véron, cofounder of Bruegel think tank and Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He is a Senior Fellow at both Bruegel and the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington DC. He has previously held senior positions in the French government and private sector.

Full event title 'Global Gateway Strategy: EU’s Values-Based Strategy for Enhanced International Partnerships and Sustainable Investments' In her remarks, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, presents the Global Gateway investment strategy. In a time of geopolitical turmoil and subsequent global crises, which have hit the most vulnerable the hardest, Global Gateway is the European Union’s positive and holistic partnership offer to advance Sustainable Development Goals in partner countries. It reflects the new paradigm of development cooperation, stemming from the need to reset relations with the Global South and build mutually beneficial, equal partnerships to solve global challenges. About the Speaker: As European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Ms Jutta Urpilainen oversees the European Commission’s work on international cooperation and sustainable development. Before joining the Commission, Ms Urpilainen served as a Member of the Finnish Parliament from 2003 to 2019. In 2008, she became the first woman leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. From 2011 to 2014, she served as Finland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. During that time, she became closely involved in development issues, joining the Development Committee of the World Bank Group and IMF, and chairing the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development. She served as the Foreign Minister’s Special Representative on Mediation (2017-19) and chaired the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO (2015-18).

In his talk, Michael Kenny discusses the main themes of his new book, Fractured Union, which provides a comprehensive analysis of how and why the UK’s Union has, in his opinion, come near to breaking apart in recent years. He explores the policy options and cultural changes required in British politics and government to put the Union on a more stable footing. He also considers the implications of the next general election taking place in the UK for the next 10-20 years, and discusses what will be different, and what might continue, in the event of a victory for Keir Stamer’s Labour Party. About the Speaker: Michael Kenny is Professor of Public Policy, and the inaugural Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge where he leads the Institute’s place and public policy programme. He is a visiting Fellow at the UCL Constitution Unit, a Fellow of the UK’s Academy of Social Sciences, and holds advisory positions with the Constitution Society, the ‘Behaviour Change by Design’ project, and ‘The Science of Global Risk’ project. His research includes leading projects on left-behind communities, social infrastructure and devolution, and the future of the UK constitution. His latest book is entitled Fractured Union: Politics, Sovereignty, and the Fight to Save the UK.

In his presentation, Gerald Knaus argues that migration fears drive populist leaders like Viktor Orban and Donald Trump to undermine post-war liberal democracies. Using examples from Austria, France, Italy, and Germany, Dr Knaus will demonstrate how these fears have enabled the far-right to achieve their strongest results in recent European elections. He offers suggestions on how to improve migration management in Europe by moving towards a more humane legal system which balances border control and human rights by introducing fast and fair asylum procedures, strategic deportations, and legal mobility for migrants. He also discusses partnership agreements and other options to deter illegal migration. About the Speaker: Gerald Knaus is an Austrian migration expert and a well-known advisor on migration policy. He is the founding chairman of the European Stability Initiative (ESI) think tank and a founding member of the European Council on Foreign Relations. An accomplished author, in 2020, he published the award-winning SPIEGEL bestseller “What Borders Do We Need?” and prior to that he wrote a book in 2011 with the British writer and then politician Rory Stewart entitled: “Can Intervention Work? He was an Associate Fellow at the Kennedy School in Harvard University for five years and has lectured at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna, at the State University of Ukraine and at the NATO College in Rome. Apart from refugee issues, his expertise covers economics, southern Europe and the Balkans, rule of law in Europe, and corruption.

In recent years digital technologies have led to rapid economic and social change. For Ireland and Europe to adapt, grow, and prosper in the digital age it is vital that their populations are equipped with the right skills to navigate this digital transition. In this event an expert panel examines the current state of play with regards to digital skills in Ireland and Europe. The panel also discusses the challenges and opportunities relating to digital skills for the economy and society. The panel also explores the role of policymakers and other stakeholders in promoting the uptake of the skills required to ensure a prosperous and inclusive future. This event is jointly organised by the IIEA and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS). This event begins with a keynote address by Minister Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The panel for this event include: Francesca Borgonovi, Head of the Skills Analysis team in the OECD Centre for Skills Barry Lowry, Chief Information Officer of the Government of Ireland Grainne Blake, Associate Director, KPMG Anna Thomas, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Institute for the Future of Work

How effective has America’s new industrial policy been to date? How seriously should western countries take the threat of a wave of cheap Chinese goods flooding the global marketplace? Is the end of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency in sight? What lessons can be drawn from Japan's 20-year history of unconventional monetary policy? And how is American public opinion shifting on issues ranging from domestic political polarization to the role of the US in the world? In the next edition of IIEA Insights, polymath analyst Noah Smith will answer these question and others about which he has written recently. Noah Smith is an American blogger, journalist, and commentator on economics and current events. A former assistant professor of Behavioral Finance at Stony Brook University, Smith writes for his own Substack blog, Noahpinion, and posts prolifically to his more than 300,000 followers on X. He has also written for publications including Bloomberg, Quartz, Associated Press, Business Insider, and The Atlantic.

Sally Hayden, journalist and photographer focused on migration, conflict, and humanitarian crises and an international correspondent for The Irish Times, participates in a fireside chat with IIEA Researcher Tara Kukec and a Q&A session with members. Based on her acclaimed book “My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World’s Deadliest Migration Route,” Ms Hayden discusses the movement of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, their treatment on the way to Europe, and how EU institutions and citizens have responded to the ongoing migration crisis. She also provides insights into her personal experience conveying the stories of refugees and what she has witnessed throughout her reporting. About the Speaker:  Sally Hayden is a journalist and photographer focused on migration, conflict, and humanitarian crises and is an international correspondent for The Irish Times. Her debut book, “My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World’s Deadliest Migration Route,” was awarded the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, Il Premio Terzani, An Post Irish Book of the Year, and the Michel Deon Prize. She is a three-time winner for ‘best foreign coverage’ at the Irish Journalism Awards and was named Journalist of the Year in 2023.