Research
Lying in Politics – Reflections on the PENTAGON PAPERS
Summary of Hannah Arendt’s essay written in 1972. She takes the episode of the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam war to reflect upon the subject of lying in politics.
History and Case studies
The COLOUR REVOLUTIONS in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan
What sparked the Colour revolutions? Did they bring democracy and the rule of law? What role did the US play? How did it impact relations with Russia?
History and Case studies
NIGERIA and Boko-Haram
How did Boko Haram get control of Lake Chad? How does Boko Haram differ from the Islamic State? What is the connection between terrorism and criminality? What hinders Nigerian counter-terrorist efforts?
History and Case studies
Administrating IMPERIAL TERRITORIES between the 1880s and 1939
How was political, economic and cultural domination organised? What were the different modes of colonial administration? How was the colonial system challenged both in the metropole and in the colonies?
History and Case studies
IMPERIAL HIERARCHIES between the 1880s and the 1990s
How were racial hierarchies justified and implemented? Why was there also a hierarchy among colonised populations? How did colonial conquests fuel imperial rivalries?
History and Case studies
Summary of ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICTS since 1948
What were the causes & consequences of the various wars? How do Israeli-Palestinian tensions impact the broader regional context? How do the PLO and the Hamas differ? Why have attempts to pacify Israeli-Palestinian relations fail?
Research
International Humanitarian Law (jus in bello)
What are the Geneva and La Haye conventions? What are the three components of the Law of Armed Conflicts? Are human rights law and humanitarian law the same? What are the 5 core principles of the LOAC?
Essays Politics
What is a NATION ?
What are the two tenets on which rests the concept of nation? Are nations eternal? Are they linked to notions of race, language, religion, interest or geography?
History and Case studies
A Short History of RUSSIA
Twelve centuries of Russian history to discover how Russia has built its identity under the Mongols, Ivan the Terrible, the Romanov, the Soviet Union and now Vladimir Putin.
Research
HUMILIATION in International Relations
How can globalisation and Western modernity be both desired and rejected? What are the humiliating ways in which the West sustains its global domination? How does humiliation fuel national narratives? How have wars changed in a way that humiliation has become systematic?
History and Case studies
From Clinton to Biden: a look back on 30 years of US LEADERSHIP
Delve into Bill Clinton’s pragmatic Wilsonianism, George W. Bush’s “America First”, Barack Obama’s smart power, Donald Trump’s unilateralism and Joe Biden’s Cold War mentality…
History and Case studies
ETHIOPIA, ERITREA and the TIGRAY war
What was Ethiopia’s position during the Cold War? What is the history of the relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea? What sparked the Tigray War in 2020?
Research
PAN-AFRICANISM: between genuine aspirations and ideological hijacking
Short history, main thinkers and recent developments related to Russia’s influence in Africa.
History and Case studies
Jihadism in MALI, the FULA case
Who are the Fula and why do some fight with jihadists? Why is the ethno-religious lens an inadequate tool? How has poor governance fueled the security crisis?
Research
TURKEY and RUSSIA : a strategic alliance ?
Do past rivalries impact their relations? Why is Turkey annoying NATO? How complementary are their economies? How compartmentalised are their interests?
History and Case studies
UGANDA: the “Pearl of Africa”
Presentation of Uganda’s History, culture, politics, economy, security situation and so much more !
History and Case studies
SOMALIA: al-Qaeda’s base in Eastern Africa
How did Islamist groups exploit state weaknesses? Why did piracy develop there? Why do Kenya and Ethiopia get involved in Somalia’s security issues?
History and Case studies
SUDAN and SOUTH-SUDAN: the forgotten wars
What caused the 2017 famine in South-Sudan? What are the root causes of the genocide in Darfur? How was Omar al-Bashir deposed by the 2019 revolution?
History and Case studies
RWANDA and BURUNDI: genocide between Hutu and Tutsi
How did ethnic tensions culminate in
a genocide between Hutus and Tutsis? What role did colonisation play? Who is Paul Kagamé the current Rwandan President ?
History and Case studies
THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: the resource curse
How come the DRC has so much natural resource but is still poor?
What has been the influence of Rwanda over the DRC over the past decades? What is the M23?