Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 7h

🌍 The Africa Special Interest Group (ASIG) meets every Tuesday from 11:00 — the hub for Africa-focused research at Essex!

Co-directed by Prof Hannah Gibson & Dr. Florian Kern, and open to all — staff, students, and anyone interested. Come say hi! ☕

#EssexGov #ASIG

2 5

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 2d

🌍 EssexGov researchers in Kampala for the Multilingualism, Conflict, and Conflict Resolution in Africa (MCCRA) project — a £2.5M ESRC-funded collaboration (2023–2027) studying how language shapes conflict and peacebuilding across Africa.

#EssexGov #EssexGovImpact @mccrafrica-essex.bsky.social

1 3

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 6d

🌍 Dr. Alexandra Hennessy co-hosted with Prof. Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti (UGM) a workshop at Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia) on climate geopolitics, critical minerals, & sustainable mining governance.

🌱Global collaboration tackling urgent sustainability challenges!

#EssexGov #ResearchImpact

1

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 8d

🎉 Kicking off the year at #EssexGov with welcome talks, a mini-fair for undergrads, and a meet & greet for our graduate students.
🙏 Huge thanks to our admin staff for organising, and our peer mentors for helping new students feel at home! 💙
#EssexGov #WelcomeWeek #StudentExperience

1

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 12d

Happening now! Our colleague, Dr Laura Sudulich, presents 'Mapping Public Engagement in Parliaments Across the World' @ukparliament.parliament.uk, with POST.

🎙️ Chaired by @shane-martin.bsky.social, joined by @estrangeirada.bsky.social, Chair of IPEN

#EssexGov #EssexGovImpact #UKParliament #IPEN

2 4

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 13d

👏 Essex Government researchers are ranked among the most cited in the world! See our colleagues in the Ioannidis et al. 2025 global ranking of the world’s most cited scientists, in political science, international relations, and security studies.

🌍 #EssexGov #ResearchExcellence

1 7

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 15d

✨ Dr Laura Montanaro has been awarded a prestigious Leverhulme Research Fellowship for her project entitled 'Mansplaining, Intersectionality, and Political Efficacy.' Congratulations, Laura! 🎉 @leverhulme.ac.uk

Read more about her work here: www.essex.ac.uk/news/2025/09...

#EssexGov #PoliSky

Impact of mansplaining on democracy under spotlight | University of Essex

Mansplaining and its specific impact on women of colour is the focus of a new grant awarded to Dr Laura Montanaro, from our Department of Government.

www.essex.ac.uk

1 7

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 16d

🏆 Congrats to Dr Rabia Malik! She's officially received the Jewell-Loewenberg Prize from APSA’s Legislative Studies Section, awarded for best Comparative Politics article in Legislative Studies Quarterly (2023). Announced at APSA 2024, the plaque just arrived — time to celebrate! 🎉
#EssexGov #APSA24

Photo of Rabia Malik with congratulations for the Jewell-Lowenberg Prize

3

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 19d

This work is part of an exciting collaboration between EssexGov researchers, the Department of Lang & Ling, and ODI Global.

Most of the team will be in Kampala soon — stay tuned for updates from the field!

#EssexGov #EssexLinguistics #ODIGlobal #LanguageAndConflict #EssexImpact #ResearchInAction

Multilingualism, Conflict and Conflict Resolution in Africa @mccrafrica-essex.bsky.social · 20d

MCCRA team members Angiachi Demetris, Hannah Gibson, and Fiona Tumusiime present research on language and conflict at Makerere University, Uganda.

Most of the team will be in Kampala soon - stay tuned!

@uniessexgov.bsky.social @africasigessex.bsky.social @universityofessex.bsky.social

Angiachi presents at Makerere University

2

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 21d

Our colleague @tashlindstaedt.bsky.social writes in
@forbes.com that this state visit is a vanity trip for Trump but a strategic necessity for the UK.

Read her analysis here:
www.forbes.com/sites/natash...

Costing Millions, The U.K. Is Rolling Out The Red Carpet For Trump Again

Trump's second state visit has its costs, but for the U.K. it is a strategic necessity. What are the benefits for the U.K. of hosting Trump again?

www.forbes.com

Reposted by Department of Government, Essex

American Journal of Political Science (AJPS) @ajpseditor.bsky.social · 25d

Change in migrants’ political attitudes: Acculturation and cosmopolitanization is now available in Early View. @evakrejcova.bsky.social @filipkostelka.bsky.social ajps.org/2025/09/12/c...

1 8 15

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 25d

📈 The University of Essex is on the rise!
The Guardian University Guide 2026 ranks us:
🏆 12th overall in the UK
📚 12th for Politics
🌍 9th for International Relations
#EssexGov #EssexImpact #EssexIR #UniversityRankings

2 4

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · 26d

👏 Congrats to Dr Laura Sudulich on completing her Parliamentary Academic Fellowship with @ukparliament.parliament.uk!

Outcome: a global map of parliamentary public engagement 🗺️

📅 Launch Event: 25 Sept, Westminster
🎙️ Chaired by @shane-martin.bsky.social

#EssexGov #EssexImpact #UKParliament

2 5

Reposted by Department of Government, Essex

Carolina Garriga @carogarriga.bsky.social · Sep 7

I had the pleasure of joining NPR's @planetmoney.bsky.social to talk about central banks, what’s happening with the Fed, & why it matters.

Big thanks to @erikaberas.bsky.social for a fun and engaging interview (+ Carola Binder & Lev Menand).

@uniessexgov.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2025/09/05/n...

What happens to central banks under pressure? : Planet Money

President Donald Trump has been pressuring the Federal Reserve from a few angles. So we wanted to look at other examples of political pressure on central banks, to see what it might mean for us and fo...

www.npr.org

5 15

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · Sep 5

🎉 Huge congratulations to our colleague, Diane Bolet, on being awarded a prestigious ERC Starting Grant! 🌍

This is an incredible achievement and we can’t wait to see the impact of #GREENLOSS!

#ERCStG #EssexGov #ResearchExcellence

Diane Bolet @dianebolet.bsky.social · Sep 4

Delighted to share that I have been awarded an ERC Starting Grant for my project “Lost in the Green Transition: Local Collective Greenloss Identity, Anti-Climate Attitudes and Radical Right Support.” #ERCStG
More soon on #GREENLOSS.
A huge thank you to friends and colleagues who made this possible!

1 3

Reposted by Department of Government, Essex

Brian J. Phillips @brianjphillips.bsky.social · Sep 3

Check out this new article from @amayoap.bsky.social, PhD from @uniessexgov.bsky.social ! Important finding: "EU aid for peace reduces civilian victimisation"

Johanna Amaya-Panche @amayoap.bsky.social · Sep 1

I am thrilled to share 'Foreign Aid for Peace and Civilian Victimisation,' recently published in @coco-journal.bsky.social. This study examines the impact of European Union aid on civilian victimisation in Colombia’s post-conflict context.
🔗 Read the full article: lnkd.in/dQUFTq_v

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

lnkd.in

1 6

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · Sep 3

👏 Congratulations to our PhD candidate, Winifred Michael, on publishing her first article in Contemporary Politics! 🎉

Read it here 👉 doi.org/10.1080/1356...

#EssexGov

When do oil autocracies formally commit to climate change mitigation?

Existing literature suggests that there is an autocratic disadvantage in climate change mitigation commitment, even amongst oil-rich countries. Yet, evidence suggests that there is no universal dis...

doi.org

4 5

Reposted by Department of Government, Essex

Carolina Garriga @carogarriga.bsky.social · Aug 28

Short-term politics, long-term costs:
What happens if the independence of the Fed is under threat?

Some of the research we do at @uniessexgov.bsky.social @universityofessex.bsky.social

Link to the article with Cristina Bodea ⬇️

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Aug 27

President Trump’s attempt to remove Fed governor Lisa Cook could undermine the economy -- and amp up inflation.

The Fed’s role is to keep decisions like interest rates tied to data, not short-term political gain. Video from an article by political economists Ana Carolina Garriga and Cristina Bodea

6 16

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · Aug 27

👏 Congrats @mirandasimon.bsky.social, research lead for evaluation of activities under the North Africa Migration and Development project by @iom.int. She’s evaluating skills & livelihood trainings in North Africa to ensure programmes effectively support vulnerable people’s futures.
#EssexGov

1 1

Reposted by Department of Government, Essex

Brian J. Phillips @brianjphillips.bsky.social · Aug 26

“Trump’s attempted firing of Fed governor threatens central bank independence − and that isn’t good news for sound economic stewardship (or battling inflation)” theconversation.com/trumps-attem... by @carogarriga.bsky.social @uniessexgov.bsky.social and Bodea

Trump’s attempted firing of Fed governor threatens central bank independence − and that isn’t good news for sound economic stewardship (or battling inflation)

Politicians have long coveted control over monetary policy. Good economic governance requires that they don’t get it.

theconversation.com

1 3

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · Aug 22

"...if these parties grow stronger and dominate governments they are quite likely to try to subvert democracy. Reform supporters in Britain could get more than they bargained for."
Paul Whitely #EssexGov

Kai Arzheimer @kai-arzheimer.com · Aug 22

Sensationalist headline, sober post

Two charts that lay bare the threat posed by radical right parties to western democracies

Radical parties are now more numerous than any other category in 31 countries.

theconversation.com

1

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · Aug 19

🚨New ‪paper from our colleague @dianebolet.bsky.social and co-author @florianfoos.bsky.social: Media interviews with extreme-right activists normalise their ideas.

👉 Uncritical interviews ↑ agreement & perceived support
👉 Critical interviews ↓ persuasion but still raise perceptions of popularity

Media Platforming and the Normalisation of Extreme Right Views | British Journal of Political Science | Cambridge Core

Media Platforming and the Normalisation of Extreme Right Views - Volume 55

www.cambridge.org

10 20

Reposted by Department of Government, Essex

UppsalaPeaceConflict @uupeace.bsky.social · Aug 14

We are looking for 1–2 postdoctoral researchers to join the project “Political Violence in Democracies”, led by @hannefjelde.bsky.social

📌 Full-time, 2-year postdoctoral position
📆 Start Date: Dec 1, (or by agreement)
📍 Location: Uppsala
⏳ Apply by: Oct 1

Read more: www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...

1 25 23

Reposted by Department of Government, Essex

Moya Lloyd @moyalloyd.bsky.social · Aug 11

This paper had a long gestation but is now out in Political Studies: doi.org/10.1177/0032...

The onto-politics of body counts - Moya Lloyd, 2025

This paper is concerned with a conundrum: the contention that the dead are dehumanized both through body counts and their absence. To understand this paradox we...

doi.org

2 7

Department of Government, Essex @uniessexgov.bsky.social · Aug 8

Our colleague, Dr Zorzeta Bakaki, has been appointed a founding Trustee of a pioneering new environmental charity East Suffolk Trust (EaST) to help boost biodiversity in Suffolk.

Find out more: brnw.ch/21wUEzk

New environmental charity to boost Suffolk biodiversity | University of Essex

Environmental politics expert Dr Zorzeta Bakaki has been appointed a founding Trustee of a pioneering new environmental charity tasked with boosting biodiversity in Suffolk.

brnw.ch

2