Interested in all things defence? Take a peek inside our
Monthly Members' Newsletter
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For new friends, welcome! We are an interdisciplinary network of Masters, PhD and Early Career Researchers focused on defence, security and military topics concerning policy, strategy, history, culture and society. We hope you find our network interesting, exciting, informative, and supportive.
For old friends, thanks for your continued involvement. It is always worth remembering that we would be nothing without you! For our October newsletter we are talking about teaching. We have lots of different perspectives to share with you so we hope you enjoy the read.
Scroll down to get up to date with the news, opinions, events and opportunities from our members...
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A reminder that if you have been forwarded our newsletter and are not already subscribed, you can sign up here.
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Welcome to the Defence Research Network Newsletter!
The end of October already - I hope you are all settling into the new academic year okay and into the swing of teaching, if teaching is a part of what you do. We are delighted to be able to turn our attention to teaching defence, military and security studies and I'm really grateful to Baris Celik who has championed this cause since joining our committee.
Whether you teach in a University, Professional Military Education or other setting and whether that takes the form of seminars, guest lectures or convening modules it is great to be able to make the space for a conversation about what it means to be teaching about war and conflict to military or civilian scholars. This newsletter bring together experience from across this space and you will find lots to reflect on including resources and advice. We hope this is just the start for the Defence Research Network plans to do much more in facilitating a continuing conversation, hopefully through future workshops.
As ever, we'd love to hear from you, whether about teaching or anything else you have been up to. The end of November will see the committee get together to plan our programme for the next year so if there is a theme you'd like us to cover or collaborate on, then do get in touch.
Take care,
Hannah West
Chair of the Defence Research Network
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DRN Peer-to-peer workshop: BISA submissions
The British International Studies Association (BISA) Conference 2024 is taking place from 5 - 7 June 2024 in Birmingham and the deadline for submission of abstracts, roundtables and panels is 14 November 2023.
You can read more about the conference and the submission requirements here.
This workshop will provide peer-to-peer support to write and review abstracts for submission to BISA and the opportunity to plan panels and roundtables. The workshop will be led by DRN Chair, Dr Hannah West and we will be joined by Dr Nick Caddick who is the BISA Conference Programme Chair. You can register here.
We would encourage attendees to bring along draft ideas or abstracts to develop during the workshop and share with attendees. We would also recommend using this as an opportunity to invite others to consider putting together a panel or roundtable together and to work together on these submissions with advice on hand.
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Wargaming: The value of chance
In conversation with Major Daniel Hoyt (Royal Canadian Artillery School’s Deputy Commandant)
Edited by Marshall Gerbtandt*
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What does military training look like?
Demonstration, memorization, and repetition describes much of my early experiences as both student and instructor. This may sound familiar and there is a time and place for this type of pedagogical. Major Daniel Hoyt, the Royal Canadian Artillery School’s Deputy Commandant, and I spoke about how they use wargaming as an instructional approach. While it is not the solution to every pedagogical problem, Dan describes how it ought to represent another tool in the instructor’s toolbox.
What is wargaming and what is it good for?
My favorite definition describes wargaming as a dynamic representation of conflict or competition in a synthetic environment in which people make decisions and respond to the consequences of those decisions. Simply put, wargaming is about decision making and chance. Wargaming helps students confront and bring to life foundational ideas, principles, and concepts that might otherwise tend to remain abstract. If we have well-designed games, our students can show up, learn a few rules, and start to make these abstract ideas much more tangible and often more memorable.
What is it not?
It is not the solution for everything. For example, I would not draw upon wargaming to teach skills or drills. We have better and more familiar ways to do that. It is also a learning tool and by that I mean wargaming or professional gaming when conducted in this environment is not the same as playing games at home – even if it is still fun and enjoyable. There are similarities and often we may even draw upon the same games, but when many people hear ‘game’ they don’t take view it as a serious educational approach. For us, wargaming is linked to educational outcomes and seen as another way to achieve training aims. Perception is very important, and some people approach gaming with a bias. That represents a barrier to developing a culture of wargaming, but I find it is often overcome simply through exposure. Once people are introduced to wargaming and experience wargaming, they start to see its pedagogical value.
How does wargaming contribute to decision making?
In my experience, most army training methods are not well-suited to specifically train decision making. They are good at training skills and drills and decisions often occur. But these decisions are often the result of a check list. In wargaming, we can introduce chance. Chance is key. Chance forces students to react to the unexpected. In many other training methods that we use, students often expect and experience events linearly. But with wargaming, every turn is controlled by chance, and this causes their brains to turn on because they don’t know what is going to happen next and they are forces to react to the unforeseen and make decisions. The real world is filled with luck and chance, and wargaming helps simulate the fog of war in a way that other methods just don’t permit. Often this results in a need to make decisions that they are not expecting to make.
In contrast to live training or large-scale simulation, what value does wargaming provide?
Wargaming represents an opportunity for individuals or small groups to fail in a safe environment. The training needs of others don’t depend upon a single student’s choice or desire to try something new. Here there is no wrong answer, only the opportunity to explore options and it comes at an acceptable cost.
Can you speak to the learning experience?
There is an element of competition in wargaming that exists when individuals or groups face off against one another. In this competition there’s a sense of intrinsic motivation because people do not want to lose. Nobody wants to fail, and it seems that those who loose tend to be the most passionate and are able to make the strongest connections between theory and the decisions they made. Wargaming and the ability to make decisions in a safe environment makes this possible. For instructors, I think running a wargame is similar to leading a guided discussion. These soft skills are important as you keep people going. It is also influenced by the type of game. For some you can teach the students and they can run their own game including adjudication whereas more complicated games may depend upon more instructors adopting a ‘behind the curtain’ approach.
In short, how would describe wargaming’s contribution to the classroom?
It allows students to think, make decisions based on information, react, and then just learn from this experience and the conversation that follows.
*Marshall Gerbrandt is a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick where he explores adult learning in the Canadian military. He is interested in how learning, formal and informal, contribute to culture. Marshall holds an MEd in Instructional Design where he explored online learning and quality of life within the military. Prior to doctoral studies, he served as an artillery major in the Canadian Army and held leadership positions in training and operational organizations.
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Teaching international security through simulations
by Phil Mayne*
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Teaching security studies, strategy or international relations should engage and excite students. Moving beyond reading and discussions, and having students do international security has a number of important benefits. First, they allow students to implement what they have been learning, whether it is international relations theory or strategic principles, into practice. Second, they get students to develop their problem-solving and teamworking skill. Third, and perhaps most importantly, they have fun.
While completing my PhD at the University of Hull, I helped to run a full-day MA simulation on a crisis in the South China Sea. Students were put into small groups, with each group representing different countries, including the UK, China, the US, and Japan). Across a number of turns, students were tasked with trying to solve a crisis in the region. Students successfully managed to mitigate the crisis and prevented international conflict from breaking out. Students then reflected on the simulation as part of their assessment.
The simulation allowed students to put their knowledge, obtained over the module, into practice. Students used both International Relations theory and strategic theory to guide their decision making. When making decisions they critically assessed the strengths and weaknesses of each theory, to help make their decisions. Importantly, it highlighted to those running the simulation the knowledge of the students, and how well they had grasped the concepts covered in the module.
Since Joining the University of Sheffield in 2021, I have used simulations to teach both undergraduate and postgraduate students. This semester, following discussions from my colleague Lewis Eves, I ran simulations where students represented fictional countries (they decided the nature of the state) with the sole task of “surviving”. The only other instruction given was to interact with the other states. My role in the simulation was to be the international press, where I would comment on what each other group was doing. In each of my classes war (both conventional and irregular) quickly broke out among the countries (often in strange ways!). Following the simulation, students were then asked to reflect on what the simulation had demonstrated. I highlighted that I had not informed any of them to go to war, which then allowed for an in-depth discussion on the causes of war and how can war be prevented. Students discussed how there was nothing preventing war from occurring, which led to a discussion on anarchy and neorealism. Students also discussed how uncertainty had caused fear among states, leading to a discussion on international institutions, norms and values, and balances of power.
Doing international relations helps students to understand the abstract elements of IR theory and how states can secure themselves. Simulations, therefore, have become a key part of my teaching, and will continue to do so going forward.
*Phil completed his PhD titled ‘Ethics or Efficacy? Examining Strategic Ethics and Counterinsurgency’ at the University of Hull in April 2022. Currently at the University of Sheffield, he has taught across a range of topics including international relations, international security, human rights, political philosophy. His current teaching is focused on International Relations. Phil's current research examines strategic ethics (the relationship between ethics and strategic effectiveness) with a key focus on counterinsurgency.
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Speaking of simulations and wargaming...
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Research and incorporating it into teaching practice
by Umut Can Adisonmez*
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“Interesting work begins not just with a problem…but with a puzzle…Great leaps forward…often take place when someone sees puzzles, where others have only seen facts”, claimed Keohane (2009, p. 360). If Keohane is right, then I have been lucky enough to have my research puzzle(s) for a long time, motivating me to think about the intersection between the social and the political. These puzzles influencing my academic interests spring from my childhood memories from the 1990s, marked by heavy clashes between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the government in southeast Turkey. In this sense, my a priori knowledge and subjective experience played a principal role in shaping my research agenda and teaching interests. Let me start with the former.
Gravitating around topics like national identity, memory politics, and violent conflicts, I sought to uncover the driving forces behind the intractable conflicts of Turkey and Israel in my PhD project. My central motive was to trace the sociopsychological roots of these two countries’ perpetual conflicts, which, for some strong reasons, makes them “unlikely twins” of the Middle East. Before the completion of my PhD, I published some of my findings in the Political Psychology journal. Specifically, this work scrutinises how traumatic conflict memories become peoples’ psychological cornerstone, defining their social reality and individual-level patterns of actions. It also demonstrates that these mind-occupying experiences can be instrumentalised in designing key state apparatuses, i.e., the military.
Publishing this study in an impactful journal was an important milestone for me. Firstly, I felt that my line of thinking on violent conflicts and their dominating impact on agents’ cognitive and emotional structures is recognised by scholars in my field. Building on the previous point, this recognition at the early stage of my academic career made me confident to think more on the sociopsychological approaches to conflict resolution and life after conflict. Then, I designed my elective modules at Izmir University of Economics with these points in mind.
Besides core module responsibilities, most of my modules (e.g. PSIR400 and PSIR448) are centred on peace and conflict processes in the Middle East region and beyond. From the design of their syllabi to the delivery methods, I have strived to go beyond orthodox lenses towards violent conflicts and always encouraged my students to be open-minded to the experience of “Others” while grasping grey areas and concepts, including the pressing issues shaped and spurred by transgenerational traumas and populist nationalism.
A useful method of developing and practising this multi-layered perspective is to involve students in a conflict resolution simulation. At the end of my conflict-focused modules, I divide my class into five parties which are expected to hold the reconciliation talks in an imagined country – a country that has just reached a ceasefire between the warring sides and is ready to mend its fractured society after three decades of brutal civil war. Each of these stakeholders has distinct and at times seemingly incompatible end goals. These interests echo themselves at the parties’ various solution agendas. Some, for example, the rebel group representatives, seek to pursue the sides on the “forgive and forget” approach and call for the establishment of the truth commission, while the victims’ families groups advocate for retributive measures, i.e., the criminal tribunal.
Over the years of my simulation activities, one thing did not change: the students have powerfully realised how quickly they adopt their “given” roles and discuss critical issues of an “imagined” country in a serious manner. This, in turn, has helped them better comprehend the fact that reaching a consensus agreement over the solution of violent conflict is not an easy task. It not only requires empathy and understanding of the “Others” grievances but also recognition and embracement of “their” concerns, feelings, and imaginations as part of a healthy functioning society.
* Umut Can Adisonmez received his PhD in International Relations from the University of Kent, UK. He is an Assistant Professor at the Political Science and International Relations Department of Izmir University of Economics, Türkiye. Prior to joining the Izmir University of Economics in 2021, he worked as a Visiting Lecturer at the City, University of London (2019-2021). Adisonmez has taught core modules at all levels, including International Relations Theories and Foreign Policy Analysis.
Adisonmez’s main research areas are emotions in International Relations; political psychology; ethnicity and identity; conflict analysis; and Middle Eastern politics. His works have been published in various edited volumes and international peer-reviewed journals, including Political Psychology, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, Alternatives: Global, Local, Political, Middle East Critique, Uluslararası İlişkiler/International Relations, and Asian Politics & Policy. He is an Editorial Board member of Alternatives: Global, Local, Political and Mülkiye journals.
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Professional Military Education: Why It Matters
by Dr Chris Morris*
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Though I have predominantly taught in professional education, I have still accrued enough experience in mainstream higher education to understand the key differences and similarities between the two. For instance, in my current role within professional military education (PME), I find myself approaching teaching differently, though I have been able to observe several practices I feel are relevant to higher education.
PME generally refers to military career training with an academic component. Most academics working outside of military training establishments will be unaware of the practice, despite its importance. PME often take place alongside more technical and skills-based training to partner knowledge with a range of positive attributes; the ability to think critically and to understand different sources of evidence, for instance. Amongst today’s officers and NCOs, these qualities are just as important as technical know-how.
There are many similarities between university qualifications and military training, though there are certainly differences to consider as well. The most visible variation is that PME is often delivered in a military setting rather than a conventional university. Whilst the range of subjects covered by professional military education has varied over time, the objective has remained relativity consistent; to help prepare military professionals for operations.
Mainstream academia reflects many of the subjects covered in PME, with international relations, security studies, and history all apparent. Knowing about these things is useful. Just as important, the process of learning and understanding these subjects contributes to the forces' intellectual edge, cognitive ability, and moral principles. In my opinion, this is the most important distinction. PME is not just about getting across a range of facts and details, but additionally cultivating vital skills and intellectual attributes amongst military learners.
The nature of PME and its position in the military learning environment lends the practice a clear connection with outcomes. For instance, reflection on how the war on terror unfolded has led many nations to revisit how they approach education. The conflict made clear that something wasn’t working. In the years since, nations like the US and the UK have renovated their approach to education, with debates emerging as to how best to train decision-makers.
What can educators working in the university context take away from PME? Firstly, a focus on student needs. This is explicit in military learning, with the need to conduct military operations driving curriculum development. In other higher education contexts, this might be more challenging, but course design should always factor in what students will do after their course ends. Secondly, they need to cultivate intellectual skills alongside formal knowledge. Finally, the importance of maintaining relevance in a changing world. Is a university education working for graduates, or is something going wrong?
To conclude, it is worth mentioning that time is running out. Collectively, we are facing massive global challenges, and there is no space left for useless education. This is true in military contexts, with today’s military learners preparing to play a role in uncertain and tumultuous future. It is also true of students enrolled on undergraduate programmes at colleges and universities around the world. The drive to improve instruction and teaching quality is universal, and represents a small but important component of this wider picture.
*Dr Chris Morris is a Teaching Fellow at the University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth Military Education Team.
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Reflections on Working in Professional Military Education
by Veronika Poniscjakova
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I have experience working in "traditional" higher education as well as in professional military education. Whilst I was completing my PhD at the University of Nottingham, I worked as a teaching associate, and over a three-year period, I taught several modules.
But then, before even completing my PhD, I got my first full-time teaching job at Portsmouth Military Education (PME), University of Portsmouth. At first, I was based at RAF College Cranwell, where I taught officer cadets. After a year at Cranwell, I got another position within the PME, at RAF Halton, where I have been working for over three years now.
Whilst I certainly enjoyed some aspects of teaching in traditional HE, I can, upon some reflection, conclude that I definitely prefer professional military education.
When I worked at Cranwell, I truly enjoyed teaching officer cadets, I think that every group that I taught was really good, very polite, and very keen to participate in discussions despite often being tired due to the physical aspect of their training.
My current job involves teaching NCOs - corporals, sergeants, flight sergeants and warrant officers, and I think I like this job even more than the one I had in Cranwell. All of the people I teach have plenty of real-life experience, and some of them have been in the RAF for decades. So many of the people I teach have a lot of experience to share, and I think there's a lot I can learn from them too. They are not afraid to speak up, and we can have candid discussions. Overall, the people I teach, as well as the people I work with, are genuinely lovely.
There are, of course, some downsides to this job too. Most people I teach at Halton are on short promotion courses, which means that I cannot build as strong a rapport with them as I did with students at Cranwell or Nottingham. Also, on average, per year, I teach roughly 800 people - so that means I never remember people's names or faces!
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Teaching resources
Edited by Baris Celik and Marshall Gerbrandt
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News from our committee
Edited by Tegan Harrison
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Our Chair, Hannah West, has been in Belfast sharing her research. Hannah West is a former ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Cardiff University and Hannah Richards, a current PhD student also at Cardiff, was Co-Investigator on this project.
The Troubles: 25 Years on
The last weekend in September saw Cardiff University researchers get together for a research showcase at the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum in Belfast. Thank you to everyone who joined us in the audience, we were delighted to have to find additional chairs, such was the turn out!
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Over the course of the afternoon we launched our virtual exhibition, ‘Petticoat Patrols’ (named after a newspaper headline we had found), inviting the audiences to reflect on how servicewomen of the Ulster Defence Regiment, known as ‘Greenfinches’, complied with the expectations of the time but also how they defied them. The exhibition was based on a research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through which Hannah W and Hannah R explored the archives of the Ulster Defence Regiment in collaboration with Laura Patrick, Heritage Officer for the Royal Irish Regiment. The team leafed through boxes of artefacts and Regimental scrapbooks filled with photographs that gave us a sense of the family feel, fun and humour of a unit that was operating under the weight of significant personal threat every time they stepped out of their door.
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We wanted to convey the juxtaposition between the ‘front line’ operational role of the Greenfinches and how their non-combatant status was reinforced by decisions for them to remain unarmed and wearing skirts. The virtual exhibition was produced in collaboration with Nifty Fox Creative who were adept at helping us to communicate the narrative of our findings and their amazing reinterpretation of photographs in illustrated form brings to life these stories. Alongside the opportunity to access the virtual exhibition on Ipads, a physical exhibition shared photographs, media coverage and uniforms to spark continued conversation and reflection amongst attendees.
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For Hannah W personally, this showcase marked the culmination of her postdoctoral fellowship at Cardiff University, and as such she screened two documentary films based on her research. One film is available now and the second will be made available in due course via her website where you can find out more about her work on Northern Ireland and her wider research portfolio.
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The first of these, ‘You’se are so brave’, presents a feminist retelling of women’s military history as ‘front line’ combatants in Northern Ireland, decades before the British Army’s lifting of the ban on women in ground close combat. It showcases the ‘front line’ stories of women veterans of the Troubles, from the Ulster Defence Regiment, Royal Irish Regiment, Women’s Royal Army Corps and Royal Ulster Constabulary, in their own words. It is a collaboration with the veteran artist and actor, Jordan Holland, videographer, Simon Wharf and director/musician, Tim West with drone camera work by Gabriel Gilson.
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The second film, ‘The “front line”: Women’s voices’, reflects on what the ‘front line’ meant to servicewomen during the Troubles and how they navigated their identity as unarmed when out on patrol. Employing participatory film-making techniques, the film includes visuals from a tour of Belfast by a former servicewomen and from workshops, with audio reflections by women veterans of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Ulster Defence Regiment and Women’s Royal Army Corps.
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The afternoon culminated in a panel, ‘New directions in research – The Troubles 25 years on’, which brought together Dr Huw Bennett, Dr Eleanor Leah Williams, Dan Chesse and David Crabbe (formerly of the Ulster Defence Regiment) and was co-chaired by Hannah W and Hannah R. Speakers reflected on the different dimensions of the conflict that their research brings to light and the challenges they faced before considering the future direction of research in relation to the Troubles. We had some great interaction in the Q&A as attendees talked about the legacies of their Regiments.
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This was followed by the launch of Dr Huw Bennett’s new book, Uncivil War. Huw talked to us about his archival findings, in the face of considerable official obstruction form the Ministry of Defence, in particular the army’s inability to repress loyalist violence undermining the potential for peace and alienating the Catholic community. Attendees engaged enthusiastically with Huw during a lively Q&A, with much interest in buying copies. You can buy yours here!
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Hannah W is indebted to the amazing former servicewomen who shared their stories with her and to their bravery in sharing these in the public domain. Both Hannah’s are extremely grateful to the amazing vision and awesome skills of Laura Evans and Simona Hodonova from Nifty Fox Creative and to Laura Patrick, Regimental Heritage Officer for the Royal Irish Regiment, for her enthusiasm and hard work in support of this project. It has been a joy to work with them all.
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Female Engagement Teams: Informing Operations Today
Hannah also held the virtual launch of her policy brief in late September and has now set up a virtual hub where you can catch up on the recording of the launch and Q&A as well as read the policy brief itself. She would love to hear from you if this is relevant to you as a practitioner, policy-maker or researcher. You can email her at Hannah.West@newcastle.ac.uk.
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Here you can take a look at the executive summary of the policy brief.
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Veronika Poniscjakova continues her work with the media. She has offered commentary for BBC World Service, the TVP, the Atlantic Dispatch, the Conversation, Heart FM, France 24, Le Parisien and the i. To see, hear and read Veronika in action see her most recent work below!
- Panel guest, BBC World Service Radio Weekend programme 15/10/23, https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w172z37gdfyylv9
- The Conversation, ‘Slovakia may be about to elect a government which plans to halt aid to Kyiv’, https://theconversation.com/slovakia-may-be-about-to-elect-a-government-which-plans-to-halt-aid-to-kyiv-214452
- TVP World, ‘Fico’s Victory in elections - What Does It Mean for Ukraine and Europe?, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmPV7tgNDas
- The Atlantic Dispatch, ‘WHAT THE SLOVAKIAN ELECTION MEANS FOR EUROPE AND THE WAR IN UKRAINE’, https://theatlanticdispatch.com/2023/10/01/what-the-slovakian-election-means-for-europe-and-the-war-in-ukraine/
- TVP World, ‘South America: Beijing's strategic vision’, 06/10/23, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uXIcEKIjxU
- Radio interviews for Heart FM, Wave 105, BBC Radio Solent, BBC Radio Scotland
- France 24,‘From Gaza to Lebanon, Israel faces threats on multiple fronts’, https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231013-from-gaza-to-lebanon-israel-faces-threats-on-multiple-fronts
- The Conversation, ‘Hamas: what you need to know about the group that attacked Israel’, https://theconversation.com/hamas-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-group-that-attacked-israel-215288
- Le Parisien, ‘Échanges de tirs avec le Hezbollah libanais : Israël peut-il tenir deux fronts ?’, https://www.leparisien.fr/international/echanges-de-tirs-avec-le-hezbollah-libanais-israel-peut-il-tenir-deux-fronts-17-10-2023-VKCO6QQN3VFT5PQCI33JBAZCUM.php
- TVP World, ‘Egypt to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza’, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdTPDVGslM0
- The i, ‘Gaza will need new nation to step in after Israel’s three-phase war, analysts say’, https://inews.co.uk/news/gaza-need-new-nation-step-in-israel-cuts-ties-war-2701036
- BBC News, ‘Israel Gaza live news - Is Hamas stockpiling fuel in Gaza?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67201465/page/2
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News from our community
Edited by Lucy Robinson
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Several members from our community attended the CIMVHR Forum this month, held in Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada (#CIMVHRForum on Twitter/X).
"Each year, CIMVHR works to engage existing academic and government research resources, facilitate new research, increase research capacity and foster knowledge translation. This work is showcased each year, when thought leaders from government, academia, industry and philanthropic sectors gather at Forum to present new research, exchange ideas, share insight, learn and collaborate (CIMVHR, 2023)."
Below, we share the reflections from Dr Tom Kersey - a postdoctoral researcher at the Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research (VFI) at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford – researching chronic pain and acquired disability in UK armed forces veterans - who attended and presented at the conference.
"This was my second time at CIMVHR. It’s a real pleasure to be afforded the opportunity to attend international conferences and CIMVHR is probably the biggest in this field. This year I submitted an abstract and was invited to give a podium presentation overviewing the findings of my PhD thesis – Narratives of Chronic Pain from Armed Forces Veterans. The opportunity to present my findings on an international stage is such a privilege and opens up your research and your profile as a researcher to a huge audience. The attendees are a mixture of academics, healthcare professionals, serving military personnel and veterans. The opportunities this presents in terms of networking is huge and I have already begun discussions with contacts I made at this year’s conference. It was really interesting see and hear all the work from Canada and the United States which linked with completed or ongoing research in the VFI. Beyond the academic side of the conference, CIMVHR builds a community around the conference by staging several social events throughout the conference including a welcome evening on the Sunday, an ECR only event on Monday and a big social event on the Tuesday evening which are great fun and an opportunity to unwind and network further. CIMVHR is a well-rounded conference and I recommend it to anyone in veteran/armed forces/emergency services fields. It’s being held in Winnipeg next year and I’m hoping to be there!"
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Ellie Grigsby's PhD research is about the impact destruction of the faces of First World War veterans had on the brain, nervous system and body. Merging psychological theory with history, Ellie's research will bring us the closest we have ever been to ‘understanding’ the history of these lost men.
Ellie is undertaking oral histories with descendants, sharing their perspective, their experiences, and their memories of a loved one, or friend/family member that had facial disfigurement after the First World War. If you know of someone who might be able to take part, whether it be one short anecdote or could speak for hours, please get in contact so Ellie can arrange an interview.
*Extracted from the IWM Institute newsletter with Ellie's permission. You can sign up for their newsletter here.
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Dr Amy Johnson from Central Queensland University, Australia has been in touch to share her latest with Dr Marg Rogers from the University of New England.
'In this work we take a look at how Defence (military) families use digital communication tools to help facilitate connections between ADF parents and their children during military absences. We found that families are really drawn to social media because they offer lots of practical and useful features - like the ability to tag in photos and videos which might otherwise be blocked by Defence e-mail. We also examine how this connection relies on the effort of the non-military, at-home parent. Overall, we consider the challenges and benefits of digital and social media for Defence families.'
You can read their open access article here.
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What we have been listening to
Edited by Veronika Poniscjakova
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Air Power and International Security podcast by Portsmouth Military Education Team
War on the Rocks
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Do get in touch if you have heard a fascinating podcast or you have been involved in one, we'd love to include it in a future newsletter.
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October Twitter Hour: Teaching Defence, Military and Security Studies
Edited by Lucy Robinson
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October's #TwitterHour on the theme of 'Teaching Defence, Military and Security Studies' happened on Wednesday 18th October. Thank you very much to all those who engaged with the four questions. We had some great discussions! #DefResChat
Q1: What are the key challenges of teaching topics about defence, military and security in a university classroom?
- The sensitive content (personally, culturally, geopolitically) can be a challenge. I find it important to find a balance between objectivity and normative/ethical dilemmas.
- How do you manage to find the balance? Is it about providing a space to discuss the ethical sensitivities and dilemmas?
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It is in my experience. I seek to foster an environment where students critically engage with research-informed insights. This promotes respectful debates among students, where they acknowledge ethical dilemmas of the topic without endorsing a specific position between "sides".
- I’m working in professional military education, and I don’t think I have experienced any challenges to be honest, people I teach have some real life experience so I guess that makes it much easier! I definitely invite people to share their experiences, and always feel like I can learn from them!
- I have found that topics such as gender or Women, Peace and Security can be contained to the 'gender week' and it is important to work with other lecturers (if team teaching) to find ways to bring out these themes across a whole course to engage the cohort.
- I teach the sociology of militarism and I think the biggest challenge is around encouraging students to recognise their own positionality, and critically engage with how this may impact their learning and responses to the issues we discuss in the module.
- This is great. It’s hard to recognize that your experience is not the same as everyone else and depending upon positionally that gap could be huge.
- For sure! It's amazing to see how students from different backgrounds approach the different topics and the groups I have taught so far have been amazing at carefully navigating the resulting discussions with real care, consideration and empathy.
- Have you found any techniques/activities that help your students to recognise and discuss their positionality? I encourage students to think about their positionality right from the beginning. I have created pictures boards for each block of topics and ask them to make notes on their reactions before and after the teaching. We also coproduce zines towards the end of the module which provides the opportunity to embed their political voice with their learnings. Finally, part of their assessment asks them to reflect on their relationship with the military and security, tracing this before, during, and after the module - leads to v interesting conversations!
Q2: Within the context of teaching topics about defence, military and security, can you share some examples of how you've created an inclusive and diverse classroom environment?
- I aim to make as much space as possible for students to bring in their own case studies they have noticed in their everyday for us to explore. This helps to widen discussions and build awareness of the ways people encounter the military differently.
- Are any/many of your students linked to the military through employment and/or life experiences? Very few! But one of the main aims is for students to recognise that even if they have not served, or do not have family members in service, they have lived experience of the military through their everyday encounters.
- When it's a group across rank/service doing it in civilian clothing rather than uniform and only using first names can remove some of the barriers that rank/badges can put up.
- In a workshop on ‘intelligence here and elsewhere’, students explore any country’s intelligence system/culture - and we discuss similarities and differences, also re priority settings. Had New Z, China, Israel, Germany this week. Helps to reflect on AngloAmer. focus in lit too.
- Getting creative! Working in teams to create visual representations of case studies in gender and counterinsurgency followed by a gallery walk to engage with others work. Appealing to different types of learners and encouraging engagement through group work. Inspired by @smashfascism and his fantastic piece in @CritMilStudies: Full article: Living war, writing war, teaching war (ox.ac.uk)
- I always try to make everyone involved, no matter what people’s ranks are.
- - Used case studies from different regions, and encouraged open discussions - Invited guest speakers with diverse experiences - Incorporated the perspectives of historically silenced voices. This was key for me to promote a more complete understanding of security & defence topics
- Yes, and this also involves paying careful attention to reading lists too which can be challenging.
- Agreed! Diversifying the reading list essential, however challenging. And admittedly this is an area I can still improve on. I am, though, lucky enough to work with some leading colleagues on efforts such as decolonising the curriculum.
- Same! It's really challenging, not least as it brings into stark reality the inequalities around 'doing research' and academia. I encourage students to think about this throughout the module and dedicate a week to discussing the politics of doing/being able to do mil res.
- These are some fantastic examples. It's definitely very important to be less Anglo/Euro-centric when using case studies. In your opinion, who are the 'historically silenced voices' in this field? I think they are the countries/regions/societies that a Euro-Atlantic West works around, helps, intervenes, cooperates with. In mainstream geopolitical debates they are seen as "objects" that need to be intervened when necessary, co-opted when convenient.
- We open all the windows so everyone can feel Mother Nature's equity and provide a sense of parity. This allows an inclusive diverse experience of the many environments that the military person can be forecasted to face and develops a sense of team and challenge.
Q3: How can technology be leveraged to enhance the teaching and learning experience? Are there any examples of innovative methods that you use in the classroom?
- I may be a bit old fashioned here, and not a huge fan of blended learning - I think nothing can quite replace old fashioned lectures (especially the ones that are interactive) as people can ask questions right away if there’s anything they are don’t understand.
- Am hoping to get lots of tips here - I have used google jamboards or similar in workshops but havent even used a poll in lectures yet.
- I think tools like jamboard and padlet are a great way to make online learning interactive. I’m hoping to incorporate this type of visual collaboration in the physical classroom as a way to engage more students or those less likely to speak out.
- We've noticed the rise of Whova as a platform for online conferences. It's got lots of built in features like polls, Q&A and even 'ice breakers'! Perhaps some of these features would also work well in a classroom setting?
- This term I am increasingly using Kahoot (upon the advice from a colleague). It is an online gamified learning platform. I use quizzes (they have funny animations and music effects) to kickstart my seminars. It works very well for students to revise the readings & lectures.
- Padlet can work well with everyone working on the same page adding in their own thoughts/ideas in identifiable colours to then discuss around the group.
- As the co-director for @digitech we are evaluating novel methods for teaching and training using VR, XR and 360-degree technologies. We aim to innovate & lead on immersive and digital technologies to support and benefit the future of our policing, defence & security services.
Q4: Can you recommend any good resources (blogs, journal articles, podcasts etc.) for someone who'd like to find out more about teaching methods?
- Teaching Military History
- Teaching Peace and War: Pedagogy and Curricula - 1st Edition - Annick (routledge.com)
- @Victor_Asal, an expert in terrorism and insurgency has published numerous articles on pedagogy.
- A Shot Not Taken: Teaching About the Ethics of Political Violence by Victor Asal & Marcus Schulzke (Victor Asal, Marcus Schulzke, A Shot Not Taken: Teaching About the Ethics of Political Violence,, International Studies Perspectives, Volume 13, Issue 4, November 2012, Pages 408–422)
- The Dalig and Vadan Exercise: Teaching Students about Strategy and the Challenges of Friction and Fog ByVictor Asal, Lewis Griffith & Marcus Schulzke (Victor Asal, Lewis Griffith, Marcus Schulzke, The Dalig and Vadan Exercise: Teaching Students about Strategy and the Challenges of Friction and Fog, International Studies Perspectives, Volume 15, Issue 4, November 2014, Pages 477–490)
- Playing Games with International Relations By Victor Asal (Asal, V. (2005). Playing Games with International Relations. International Studies Perspectives, 6(3), 359–373.)
- Asal, V., Willis, C., Linebarger, C., & Jahanbani, N. (2021). Teaching about Oppression and Rebellion: The “Peasants Are Revolting” Game. PS: Political Science & Politics, 54(2), 331-335. doi:10.1017/S1049096520001675
- My book, #ResearchingWar might also be of interest: Researching War: Feminist Methods, Ethics and Politics - 1st Edition - (routledge.com)
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What we're reading
Edited by Veronika Poniscjakova
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The Lecturer’s Survival Guide: An Introduction to Successful Teaching in Higher Education
Ann Marie Mealey
Given this month’s theme focuses on teaching, this new book is rather topical. It can be of particular use to those new to teaching in higher education, as it looks at the challenges of transitioning from student to lecturer. The book covers different theories and pedagogical approaches and gives advice on how to support the students. Lastly, it also gives advice on staying well and maintaining a healthy work-life balance whilst teaching successfully.
You can get a copy here.
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Rethinking Problem-based Learning for the Digital Age: A Practical Guide for Online Settings
Maggi Savin-Baden, Heather Fraser
This new book will be of interest to both those new to teaching as well as those who have been in higher education for longer, and particularly those who are changing their problem-based learning modules from face-to-face to online. The book presents innovative problem-based learning practices, and it constructs active, highly motivating, learner-centred experiences using simulations, games, virtual reality, multimedia and other complex innovations.
You can get a copy here.
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Events...
Edited by Lucy Robinson
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Click on the images below to find out more about these upcoming events.
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The James Lind Alliance team have now released the Veterans Top 10 Health Priorities and therefore the Office for Veterans' Affairs are holding a couple of drop-in sessions to find out more. The remaining session is on Monday 6th November (1600-1630). This is a great opportunity if you are currently framing a new research project, dissertation or thesis. To attend, please email nikil.patel@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
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Opportunities...
If you would like to advertise any upcoming opportunities, please let us know via email.
Edited by Lucy Robinson
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Click on the images below to find out more about these opportunities.
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Call for Papers: Narratives of Moral Injury in European and International Contexts
An interdisciplinary conference taking place in person in Durham, UK
8-10 April 2024
Moral injury refers to the experience of sustained and enduring negative moral emotions - guilt, shame, contempt and anger - that results from the betrayal, violation or suppression of deeply held or shared moral values. It was first observed in military members who experienced ongoing negative moral emotions such as shame, guilt, anger, contempt and disgust after serving in combat environments. It is now being recognised in non-combat military roles and in civilians caught up in conflict as well.
We at the International Centre for Moral Injury, Durham University, are pleased to share the Call for Papers for our 2024 conference. We welcome paper proposals from all academic disciplines.
If you are not in a position to submit a paper proposal but would like to consider attending the conference or would like to receive occasional updates about moral injury-related events and resource, you can register for our mailing list.
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As always, keep an eye on our Twitter for new events and opportunities posted/retweeted every day!
Planning a future event?
If you are planning a defence-related event and you would like to reach an audience of like-minded researchers, we'd love to come along! Drop us an email and we can include it in our next newsletter.
If you are interested in any of our events but don't want to go alone, or simply want to expand your network, please reach out on Twitter or drop us an email and we can connect you with fellow DRN members who may be planning to attend.
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We hope you've enjoyed our news, tips and recommendations so far. In case you missed our previous newsletter editions, check out our archive section here!
As usual, we will be looking to showcase some early-career researchers in research spotlights in the newsletter so don't be shy! And we welcome any suggestions for 'in conversation with' pieces with more established academics. And let us know about any relevant events, from book launches to webinars. We'll keep an eye on our Twitter account to keep you posted!
Keep an eye on @DefenceResNet for more information and check out the website for a preview of the questions for the next #DefResChat. You can also find all our previous #DefResChats on the Archive section of our website. Make sure to tag @DefenceResNet and hashtag #DefResChat to join the conversation.
See you soon and many thanks for being part of our network!
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Do you have a blog or publication you would like to promote? Don't hesitate to share it with us via email and we can add it to our newlsetter.
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Thank you so much for joining our network.
Have you recently won an award, had your paper published, launched a book or are you organising an event? We want to hear from you! We are always looking for new content for our newsletter and would love to showcase the great work of our members.
For queries, more information, or just to tell us about yourself, don't hesitate to contact us on Twitter @DefenceResNet or at defenceresearchnetwork@gmail.com
The DRN team
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