Lancaster University provides north west platform on major defence and security issues

The Centre for War and Diplomacy (CWD) at Lancaster University is behind the move to encompass fresh perspectives from beyond London.

The inaugural Lancaster Defence and Security Dialogue addresses how the UK should position itself on China between the changing US-led defence and security architecture in Asia and emerging European policies.

A public roundtable discussion exploring how Britain – as a European yet globally ambitious power – can position itself in relation to China, the United States and the EU will be hosted by the CWD at The Storey in Lancaster on December 6 (4.30pm to 6.30pm).

The Rt Hon Alastair Burt, former Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, will chair the panel. Mr Burt is also the university’s Pro-Chancellor.

Other panellists will include:

*Avinash Paliwal - reader in International Relations, School of Oriental and African Studies, and author of India’s Near East – A New History

*Cindy Yu - assistant editor of The Spectator and host of the Chinese Whispers podcast

*Hugo Meijer - CNRS Research Fellow at Sciences Po, Centre for International Studies, Paris, and author of Awakening to China’s Rise: European Foreign and Security Policies Toward the People’s Republic of China

*Simona Soare, a senior lecturer in Strategy and Technology at Lancaster University, and former defence advisor to the Vice-President of the European Parliament

You can book your place online at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/750765669327?aff=oddtdtcreator

Prof Marco Wyss, director of the CWD, said: “China’s rise and the return of great power rivalry have generated a bewildering array of questions for the UK and Europe.

“Realities of economic, environmental, and societal interdependence coexist uneasily with the exigencies of expanding strategic competition, presenting the UK, the European Union and its member states with new and difficult defence and security policy choices.

Dr Andrew Chubb emphasised: “The UK faces distinct challenges in how to position itself between the changing US-led defence and security architecture in Asia and the emerging European, French, and German China policies.”

The north west has an internationally significant Defence Technological and Industrial Base, worldwide trade links, and cyber research capabilities, and therefore has unique contributions to make in addressing the UK’s defence and security challenges.

The National Cyber Force, a new branch of the military, gearing up to fight battles in cyber space from Samlesbury in Lancashire, is expected to bring a high-tech renaissance to the region.

The Lancaster Defence and Security Dialogue will provide a platform for major defence and security issues from a unique vantage point.

It is a unique occasion for discussion and debate among academics, public intellectuals, policymakers and members of the public on how the UK can navigate – especially at the defence level – the complex realities and risks of an increasingly interdependent world marked by increasing geopolitical rivalry and divisions.

The public roundtable discussion will be followed by an invitation-only workshop of academics,

analysts, and policymakers examining the UK’s defence and security position and policies in relation to the US-China rivalry culminating in a report to be presented to the UK Government.

For more information go online at https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/centre-for-war-and-diplomacy/ldsd/