The prize winners with Kyle Grayson and Juliet Dryden

Announcing the winners of the New Voices in Cultural Relations Prize 2024

We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the New Voices in Cultural Relations Prize 2024. This brand new joint BISA and British Council prize is for a Master’s dissertation which provides new scholarly insight and/or offers a new policy direction that makes an original contribution to international relations.

Winner

Louise Sherry (University of Warwick) for The Politics of Expendability: Decolonial Reflections on the State of Climate Justice at COP27

The judging panel noted:

“This dissertation explains the disappointments of 'market environmentalism' and exposes the inadequacies of the current approach to climate justice stemming from an unrecognised politics of expendability. Not only does the dissertation tackle a subject of crucial global importance, it also exposes the scandalous contradictions of the present direction of travel. In doing so, it has the clear potential to transform thinking on this topic, even for those who might be sceptical, and, one would hope, policy. It is well written with a clear structure that presents a fresh argument that needs to be heard more widely!”

Special commendations

The judging panel also chose four papers to award special commendations.

Jessica Russell (University of Bath): Navigating the Chemical Weapons Taboo: Russia’s Response to the OPCW Investigations in Syria, 2013 – 2022

This dissertation presents a clear, coherent, well researched, and well-structured account of Russia’s response to investigations into the use of chemical weapons in Syria. In doing so, it advances valid and important arguments about the role of information warfare in the global system.

Htet Lynn Oo (University of Manchester): Dynamics of 21st-Century Anti-Coup Resistance in Myanmar: Triangle Model of Resistance in Myanmar

This dissertation offers a well-written exploration of resistance in Myanmar, showcasing deep knowledge and effectively engaging with literature. It introduces a valuable 'triangle model of resistance' which contributes to resistance studies more generally. The study’s in-depth engagement with documents enriches the analysis of the case study.

Joe Murphy (Leeds Beckett University): Coloniality, Neo-Orientalism, Culture, and Death: Why it is Time to Move Away from the “War on Terror” Narrative

The dissertation provides a compelling critique of the 'war on terror', uncovering Western Orientalist discourse and expressing rightful frustration at its impacts. It reveals the dark side of self and other dynamics and how these connect to violence. It delivers a strong argument with impactful potential.

Joanna Enu Obeng (University of Westminster):  Discrimination in Europe from a Black European Perspective: A framework for inclusion and anti-discrimination based on qualitative expert interviews with Black politicians in Europe.

The dissertation ambitiously tackles anti-Black racism in the EU, offering an insightful framework for addressing racism in Europe. It incorporates narrative interviewing and grounded theory to generate valuable empirical findings that contribute meaningfully to the discipline. 

All five winners mentioned above will have their essays compiled into a publication. The British Council will also generate a DOI for the winning essays, which will help their work being found and cited by other researchers and readers.

Christine Wilson, Director of Research and Insight at the British Council said:

“We were delighted to partner with BISA on the New Voices in Cultural Relations prize. This award highlights our commitment to knowledge and to inclusivity by giving recognition to new or previously unheard voices in international studies. Through this, we not only support the professional development of researchers, we also enable our wide network of stakeholders internationally to read and engage with new thinking in the field. We will be publishing the winning and commended essays on our webpages, and hosting an event later this year in which our "new voices" can share their research with a global audience.”

Prize panel

The prize panel for 2024 was made up of:

Chair

  • Professor Kyle Grayson (Chair of BISA and Newcastle University)

Esteemed Judges

  • Dr Nancy Annan (Coventry University and Co-Convener of the Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding Working Group)
  • Dr Yoav Galai (Royal Holloway, University of London)
  • Dr Victoria Hudson (King’s College London and Co-Convener of the Russian and Eurasian Security Working Group)
Find out more about the New Voices in Cultural Relations Prize
Access research from across the British Council

Research also forms the basis of the British Council podcast Our World, Connected, in which they explore with guests from around the world the links between culture, education and sustainable development. Episodes include the role of cultural heritage in addressing climate change, the future of English in a multilingual world, language learning as a tool of empowerment for refugees, and why culture remains a necessity even in times of conflict.