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Edward and Emily McWhinney Professorship in International Relations
Conflict and migration
The Edward and Emily McWhinney Professorship in International Relations was established in 2016 with a generous donation from the Edward and Emily McWhinney Foundation in honour of the late Professor Emeritus Edward McWhinney (1924–2015) and Emily McWhinney (1925–2011), with matching funds provided by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The professorship supports the research and outreach missions of the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies by addressing important issues in international relations.
Inaugural professor
James Horncastle joined Simon Fraser University and the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies as the inaugural Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations in 2019 at the rank of Assistant Professor. He is a historian of Modern Greece who completed his graduate work at the University of New Brunswick (MA in 2011) and Simon Fraser University (PhD in 2017). His current research connects the Greek Civil War and the role that conflict played in population movements in the Balkans.
James Horncastle
Annual Edward and Emily McWhinney Memorial Lecture
The Edward and Emily McWhinney Memorial Lecture was established in 2017 to honour the memory of two long-time friends and supporters of Hellenic Studies at SFU and is devoted to contemporary issues in international relations. Both Edward and Emily were committed to academic excellence and public service and this now annual lecture is a lasting legacy for the couple at SFU. It is organized by the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies to support public discussion of the topics that animated the McWhinneys’ professional and intellectual lives.
Upcoming lecture
Nothing scheduled yet. Please check back later.
Past lectures
2021: Is There a Future for 'The West'?
In 2021, the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies virtually welcomed Dr. Roman Gerodimos for the fifth Annual Edward and Emily McWhinney Memorial Lecture, entitled "Is There a Future for 'The West'? European Security, the Transatlantic Alliance, and the Role of Values in the New World Disorder." Dr. Roman Gerodimos is an Associate Professor of Global Current Affairs at Bournemouth University, and a faculty member at the Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change. His research focuses on the challenges facing engagement, democracy, and global security due to globalization, digitization, and extremism. Roman is also the founder and convenor (2004–2017) of the Greek Politics Specialist Group—the largest international network of social science scholars on Greece. He is the winner of the Arthur McDougall Fund Prize, awarded by the Political Studies Association, for his research on digital youth civic engagement. He has written, directed, and produced four award-winning short and documentary films, including his latest film Deterrence.
2020: Charismatic Leadership and its Discontents
In 2020, the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies virtually hosted Dr. Harris Mylonas for the fourth Annual Edward and Emily McWhinney Memorial Lecture, entitled "Charismatic Leadership and its Discontents: The Case of Greece." Dr. Mylonas is Associate Professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. He is also the Editor-in-chief of Nationalities Papers published by Cambridge University Press for the Association for the Study of Nationalities. His documentary film, "Searching for Andreas: Political Leadership in Times of Crisis," which also deals with the deep causes of the recent financial and political crisis in Greece, premiered at the 2018 Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and won two awards at the 2019 International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra.
2019: Bailout Legacies
In 2019, the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies welcomed Dr. Dimitris Papadimitriou to the podium for the third Annual Edward and Emily McWhinney Memorial Lecture, entitled "Bailout Legacies: The Imprint of the Greek Economic Crisis on the European Union." Dr. Papadimitriou is Professor of Politics at the University of Manchester and Director of the Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence. He is also a leading scholar of Greek politics and public policy and has written extensively on the European Union’s political economy and external relations. His latest book, Prime Ministers in Greece: The Paradox of Power (with Kevin Featherstone) was published by Oxford University Press in 2015.
2018: Brexit and the European Union
In 2018, the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies welcomed Professor Loukas Tsoukalis, President of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy and leading expert on European integration, for the second Annual Edward and Emily McWhinney Memorial Lecture, entitled “Brexit and the European Union: Is There Life After the Divorce?” Professor Tsoukalis is the author of many books and articles on European integration and international political economy. He has advised the former President of the European Commission and the former President of the European Council. He is the president of Greece’s leading think tank (ELIAMEP) and he now teaches in Paris and Bruges. His latest book In Defence of Europe: Can the European Project Be Saved? was published by Oxford University Press in 2016. He has received the Légion d’honneur of the French Republic for his contribution to European integration, as well as many academic distinctions and awards.
2017: A Momentary Erasure of Millennia
In 2017, the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies welcomed Dr. Michael Danti, the Academic Director of the American Schools of Oriental Research Cultural Heritage Initiatives, for the first Annual Edward and Emily McWhinney Memorial Lecture. Dr. Danti's lecture was entitled "A Momentary Erasure of Millennia: The Cultural Heritage Crises in Syria and Iraq."