Politics, International Relations and Philosophy Academic Taster Sessions

Sessions can be delivered on campus or, if you are local to Keele, in your school/college. All events are subject to staff and space availability. Please specify your topic preference in your request. Talks can be adapted to last for anywhere between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

Intervention: Why Do It, And Is It A Good Thing? - The human cost of war is high, and it is difficult to stand by and just watch, but is another country stepping in always the best? Looking at the lessons from Iraq, this session asks, why should we intervene, and is it a good thing?

He’s a Rocket Man! Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear War, Nuclear Politics? - The Cold War was an age defined by a fear of nuclear war. That fear never became a reality, though. How can we use the lessons and political structures of the Cold War to make sense of the re-emerging nuclear threat?

How Does A Country Become A Country? - It’s easy, right? This session demonstrates the complexity of becoming a country, drawing on sovereignty, international politics, international law, and International Organizations (UN). This session is interactive, so students should come prepared to negotiate….or not.

Go Big or Go Home? Post-Brexit Britain in the World - The EU referendum and the vote for Brexit was one of the defining political moments of 2016, and its impact will continue to be felt for years to come. This session explores how domestic politics helped determine a very international decision, the on-going negotiations (can we call them that?) between the UK and the EU, and what impact these decision will have on Britain’s role and power in the world.

Introduction to Studying Philosophy at Keele - A guide to the Philosophy course at Keele for Y11, Y12 and Y13 students. Groups are welcome to visit us in Keele by arrangement, or we may be able to visit schools and colleges to provide classes there.

Philosophy Taster Seminars - Discover what it is like to study philosophy at university. These seminars cover topics you might encounter as part of a philosophy degree and give students the chance to try university philosophy out for themselves (it’s very different from A Level!) These seminars do not require any background in philosophy and are open to all Y12 and Y13 students who are interested. Typical topics may include: What is a person? Personal Identity: what makes you the same person that you were last year? Could a computer think like a conscious human being? Is time travel possible? Do we know what we think we know? Is euthanasia wrong? What is art?

Why Did May's Gamble Fail? - Theresa May's decision to call the 2017 general election seemed an obvious decision. Riding high in opinion polls, a three digit majority was widely predicted. This interactive session examines the factors which explain this underperformance. The failure of UKIP to hold its vote, the 'youth surge', the weaknesses of the Conservative campaign against a vigorous Labour one, and other issues combined to frustrate May's ambitions.

The Trump Presidency - What is the Trump Phenomenon? Why does it matter and how is the development of his presidency giving us more or less cause for concern?

George Washington's Leadership in the American Revolution - George Washington is an iconic figure in American history, but does he deserve this position? This talk covers Washington's background, his actions as a military leader, his actions as a political leader and how well he performed in his role as the head of the military in the American revolution.

Civil Rights: Brown v. Board of Education and Desegregation in the U.S. - Brown v. Board of Education is seen as a landmark court case that ushered in sweeping desegregation of American schools. However, more recent work argues over its impact and how important the role the Court played in school desegregation. This talk covers the history of the Brown decision, its aftermath and includes a simulation to demonstrate the difficulties facing reformers at the time.

High School in America - This talk surveys the images of high school in American mass media, particularly film and television, analysing how it high school is depicted and what it is really like in order to see how accurate a picture of the US we are getting from the media.

A Level Revision Seminars or Revision Days/Half Days
These will concentrate on specific areas of the curriculum, depending upon student needs (we are happy to take requests from teachers to cover certain topics).

Bespoke Sessions
We are also able to provide bespoke sessions on a number of topics upon request and after discussion with the teacher/school/organisation making the request.