A special daylong event as the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) celebrated its 35th birthday with a revival of CSD Encounter, drawing upon a distinguished tradition of CSD Encounters with public intellectuals including Luc Boltanski, Judith Butler, Stuart Hall, Bruno Latour, Richard Rorty, Quentin Skinner, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Charles Taylor, James Tully, and Michael Walzer.
The 2024 CSD Encounter highlighted the work of Professor John Keane. Scholars from the UK and abroad will explore central themes in Keane’s work, including Public Life and Late Capitalism, Civil Society and Democracy, Fools, Folly, and Politics.
About CSD
Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), established in 1989, is based in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Westminster. At the Centre, academics working in politics and international relations undertake socially engaged, methodologically diverse and often interdisciplinary research that aims to address a range of critical political challenges in relation to democracy worldwide. CSD has a longstanding international reputation for research excellence through a programme of publications, events and collaborations with academics, practitioners, policymakers, and activists. Research in Politics and International Studies at CSD was ranked 4th highest in the UK for impact in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF). The Centre has established numerous collaborations with scholars and universities around the world and the CR Parekh lecture, instituted by Lord Bhikhu Parekh, has included lectures by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Arundhati Roy, and Ashis Nandy.
Event location
Portland Hall and G.03, University of Westminster – Little Titchfield St, London, W1W 7BY
Event programme
The morning and afternoon sessions included several panel discussions centred on the key themes in the work of Professor John Keane. Speakers from the UK and abroad engaged with these topics, celebrating CSD’s contribution to political scholarship over the past 35 years.
Programme agenda
- 10.15-10.45 Arrival and registration, tea/coffee
- 10.45-11.00 Introduction, welcome from the University of Westminster
- Prof Nitasha Kaul, Director, Centre for the Study of Democracy
- Alan Porter, Head of School, School of Social Sciences
- Prof Dibyesh Anand, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
- 11.00-12.30 Panel: Civil Society and Democracy
- Chair: Dr Patrick Burke
- Speakers: Prof Amanda Machin (University of Agder, Norway), Dr Myriam Fotou (University of Leicester), Ivan Vejvoda (Institute for Human Sciences, Vienna)
- 12.30-13.15 lunch
- 13.15-14.45 Panel: Public Life and Late Capitalism
- Chair: Rob Macmaster (University of Westminster)
- Speakers: Prof Colin Crouch (University of Warwick), Dr Stuart Isaacs (University of West London), Prof James Stanyer (Loughborough University)
- 14.45-15.00 tea/coffee
- 15.00-16.30 Panel: Fools, Folly and Politics
- Chair: Dr Elisabetta Brighi (University of Westminster)
- Speakers: Prof Lars Tønder (University of Copenhagen), Dr Camila Vergara (University of Essex), Dr Agnes Horvath (President, International Political Anthropology Association)
- 16.30-17.45 Panel: Former CSDers reflect on how Centre for Study of Democracy shaped their academic journey
- Chair: Prof Roland Dannreuther (University of Westminster)
- Speakers: Prof Abdelwahab El-Affendi (Doha Institute of Graduate Studies), Prof Amanda Machin (University of Agder, Norway), Prof (Emeritus) Barry Buzan (LSE), Prof Lord Bhikhu Parekh (House of Lords), Prof Simon Joss (University of Glasgow), Prof Richard Whitman (University of Kent), Prof John Keane (University of Sydney)
- 17.45-18.15 break
- 18.15-18.30 Introduction to Keynote
- Welcome by University of Westminster President and Vice-Chancellor Prof Peter Bonfield
- Introduction to Prof John Keane by CSD Director, Prof Nitasha Kaul
- 18.30-19.30 Keynote Lecture by Prof John Keane on "China's Galaxy Empire"
- 19.30-19.45 Discussant Remarks, Prof Kerry Brown (King's College London)
- 19.45 Closing Remarks, Centre for the Study of Democracy/University of Westminster
