Government

Dr Julie Yu-Wen Chen co-edits new book

Dr Julie Yu-Wen Chen has recently co-edited (with Prof. Chih-yu Shih of National Taiwan University) Tibetan Studies in Comparative Perspective. Politics, history, and religion have long lent Tibet a glamorous air, particularly in the West. But Tibet can be understood in an astonishingly wide variety of other ways, including linguistic, ecological, environmental and climatological, geographical, geological, economic, biologic, sociologic, medicinal. Tibetan Studies in Comparative Perspective touches on all the elements of the Tibet issue, offering invaluable insight to a wide variety of readers, from specialists to those with a general interest in the topic. By putting readers into the shoes of all the stakeholders, from the Dalai Lama in his home in exile and the various Tibetan exile communities, to decision makers in Beijing, New Delhi, Washington and London, the issues at stake come into bold relief. Furthermore, the book examines the potential opportunities that lay ahead, documents where and how Tibetans have been dispersed and offers a glimpse into the social and political undercurrents sending shudders through this exiled nation. With the chasm between exiles and indigenous Tibetans growing ever-larger, what challenges do Tibetans confront just to remain Tibetan? And how will this shape the future of their political movement? The book provides a timely re-examination of the contemporary predicament of Tibetans, both in and out of Tibet.

Prof. Neil Collins & Dr. Andrew Cottey publish new book

• The Department of Government continues to be research-active and the most recent book publication to emerge from the department is Understanding Chinese Politics, written by Professor Neil Collins and Dr Andrew Cottey. The Chinese political system is the subject of much media and popular comment, in part because China supports and economy with an apparently inexorable dynamic and impressive record of achievement. Understanding Chinese Politics by Collins and Cottey provides a comprehensive introduction to China’s political system, outlining the major features of the Chinese model and highlighting its claims and challenges. It explores the central role of the Chinese Communist Party in the country’s politics and the way in which the party controls most elements of the political system but also interacts with other actors. In addition, the book offers an analysis of the machinery of government examining both central government institutions and the centre’s relations with the provinces and other elements of local government. A number of themes run through the analysis. One is that an effective political system needs to generate an overall level of compliance or, at the very least, acquiescence to its authority. The book thus highlights the ways in which the Communist Party seeks to secure public support and its own legitimacy. A second theme is that a comparative approach is productive and much is to be gained by considering the Chinese system through the lens of other systems with which it shares characteristics. The book also draws parallels with previous historical periods in China’s history. Finally, it addresses the question of what role the PRC will play in global politics as whole, the implications for the West and the rebalancing of relations between China and its neighbours.

Dr. Liam Weeks co edits new book.

Dr Liam Weeks has recently co-edited (with Alistair Clark of Newcastle University) Radical or Redundant? Minor parties in Irish politics. The book examines the fortunes of small political parties in Ireland and asks why no new party has yet emerged. While the type of minor political party in Ireland has varied, their fate, it seems, has not. Although some enjoy a brief time in the sun, termination would appear to be the long-term prospect for all minor parties. The usual pattern is a speedy ascent, an impact on the political system including a time in government, followed by a prolonged death. This book examines this pattern of evolution for the smaller parties in Irish politics. As the Irish state has changed, so too have the types of parties that have emerged. With the first-time entry of the Greens into government in 2007, their wipe-out in 2011, the dissolution of the Progressive Democrats in 2009, and the failure of a new party to emerge despite the ongoing financial crisis, the time is ripe for this analysis. Contributors include Des O'Malley, founder of the Progressive Democrats, Dan Boyle, former Green TD and Senator, Catherine Murphy TD, and a range of Ireland's leading political scientists, including Professors John Coakley, Gary Murphy and Dr. Eoin O'Malley. The book is available from Eason’s, most bookstores and thehistorypress.ie. Its RRP is €20.

欢迎到科克大学政府学系

科克大学是爱尔兰著名的研究型大学，前身是皇后学院，爱尔兰最古老大学之一，爱尔兰国立大学联盟成员。科克大学政府学系(Department of Government)招收从大学部到博士班的各个阶段专业学生。政府学系大学部提供四年的本科课程，除了有针对性地教授政治科学与公共管理的专业课程，也根据学生需求，鼓励并协助学生广泛研修工商管理、财务、法律、现代语言、社会科学与信息科技等其他专业，培养各国亟需的通用人才。同时，大学部针对三年级本科生特设实习课程，可推荐至爱尔兰的政府机构、欧洲议会、美国纽约州议会，以及其他国际政府或非政府组织实习工作。本系也相应设有相关专业的硕士与博士学位课程，结合学术理论与实务，培养具备专门政治科学知识、善于独立思考、兼具人文关怀与国际视野的优秀人才。

若您对科克大学政府学系的专业与相关课程感兴趣，请与系主任Neil Collins教授(英语)或本系陈玉文老师(中文)联系；若对其他相关学习事宜与学校信息感兴趣也可与科克大学驻北京办事处的代表Olimpia Zhang联系。

Bienvenue du Départment de Gouvernment

Bienvenue dans le Départment de Gouvernement de l’Université de Cork. Vous avez choisi un département jeune et actif, à la pointe de l’enseignement et de la recherche en sciences politiques en Irlande. Nos maîtres de conférences et professeur sont également très impliqués au sein de la communauté et sollicités par le gouvernement, le Parlement, les autorités locales ainsi que les medias afin d’analyser et de répondre aux problèmes clés de notre époque . Cette expérience pratique de nos enseignants nous permet de délivrer un enseignement riche et actualisé.

 Vous avez la possibilité de choisir parmi un vaste nombre de cours dont politique irlandaise GV1210, politique en Irlande du Nord GV3006, politique européenne comparée GV2219, politique de l’Union Européenne GV4403, politique de management publique GV2204, gouvernance mondialisée GV4402 ou bien relations internationales en Asie GV2225.

N’hésitez pas à venir nous rendre visite au sein du Départment afin de discuter de vos choix et de poser vos questions. Nous serons ravis de vous accueillir et de vous guider dans votre parcours Erasmus.

A très bientôt.

Information for Incoming Students 2012/13

The staff of the Department of Government would like to welcome all incoming students to UCC.

Please use the following link to find all the information you will need for starting University.  http://www.ucc.ie/en/study/incoming/ 

Launch of GV4404 report 'Democratic innovations for engaging and empowering citizens'

UCC President Dr. Michael Murphy at the launch of the ‘democratic innovations for engaging and empowering citizens’ report and poster exhibition in the Department of Government.

Photo (Left to Right): Corrina O’Sullivan, Tony Rodgers, Rebecca Sullivan, Dr. Clodagh Harris, UCC President Dr. Michael Murphy, Jayne Roynane, Sinead Ronan, Niamh O’Farrell, Claire O’Sullivan and Heather Fahy.

Launch of 'Democratic innovations for engaging and empowering citizens'

Research shows that people have ‘become more and more disenchanted with the traditional institutions of representative government, detached from political parties, and disillusioned with old forms of civic engagement and participation’ (Yetano, Royo and Acrete, 2010: 783).

This report, prepared by students of GV4404 'theories and origins of democracy and ideology' examines democratic innovations, referring to international examples, and makes specific recommendations, ranging from participatory budgeting to direct initiatives, to widen and deepen citizen engagement in the democratic process.

This report has been prepared by final year BSc Government, B.Comm and B.Comm international students. 

This work has been funded by the President's award for research on innovative forms of teaching and learning.

Symposium of the PSAI Deliberative and participatory democracy specialist group

Dr. Clodagh Harris, the Department of Government with Professor Jurg Steiner (University of North Carolina at chapel hill) and Professor Peter Vermeersch (KU Leuven) at the PSAI participatory and deliberative democracy specialist group’s recent symposium entitled ‘Beyond the Ballot – forms of citizen engagement between democratic elections’. This event which was attended by academics, practitioners and policy makers was co-convened by Dr. Clodagh Harris and Dr. Gemma Carney (NUIG) and funded by the IRCHSS and PSAI.

Governance, Democracy and Sustainable Development

The Department of Government hosted a one day conference, Democracy, Governance and Development in Africa on 9 February 2012. The event included three panels on political institutions and elections, accountability and gender mainstreaming. Government students displayed their research on the theme at a lunch time poster presentation. This event was jointly organised with the students of Year III of the BComm and the BSc Government degrees and the event was generously sponsored by the Development Education Grant Scheme of Irish Aid and supported by the College of Business and Law at UCC.