Contributor(s): Chris Gilson, Kimberley S. Johnson | In July 2025 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Kimberley S. Johnson, Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University and the John G. Winant Visiting Professor of American Government at the University of Oxford, about the recent history of the US administrative state and racial representation in the US government and administration They also discussed the second Trump administration’s moves to dismantle Diversity, Equity and

Contributor(s): Professor Tim Bale, Dr Marta Lorimer, Dr Michael Vaughan, Imam Adam Kelwick | How is the far right shaping our future? Across the world, far right ideas, once confined to the political fringe, have entered the mainstream. They spread through social media feeds and dominate tabloid headlines. Many fear they’re transforming politics, threatening democracy and tearing at the fabric of society. Joanna Bale meets Imam Adam Kelwick, whose Liverpool mosque was surrounded by an angry mob

Far-right ideas once on the fringe now dominate feeds and headlines, reshaping politics and threatening democracy worldwide.

In an article in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, “Beware the Europe You Wish For, The Downsides and Dangers of Allied Independence”,

In July 2025 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Kimberley S. Johnson about the recent history of the US administrative state and racial representation in the US government and administration

Contributor(s): Sir Jeremy Hunt | Join us for this talk by Jeremy Hunt in which he will talk about his new book, Can We Be Great Again?: Why a Dangerous World Needs Britain.Since the global financial crisis, Britain has been through a difficult period, leading many to conclude the country is doomed to inevitable decline. Jeremy Hunt was at the top of government as both Foreign Secretary and Chancellor. In Can We Be Great Again? he rebuts those who think Britain is no longer capable of shaping the

Congratulations to the class of 2025, we're so proud of everything you've achieved!

Contributor(s): Chris Gilson, Dr Lauren Sukin | In response to what the US sees as potential growing threats from China and North Korea, nuclear weapons are becoming a more and more important part of US alliance commitments and partnerships in East Asia. But what does this focus on nuclear weapons for both deterrence and reassurance mean for US foreign policy and for the security of the region? And could there be an alternative which puts a greater focus on conventional armed forces?To discuss

Join us for this talk by Jeremy Hunt in which he will talk about his new book, Can We Be Great Again?: Why a Dangerous World Needs Britain.

In response to what the US sees as potential growing threats from China and North Korea, nuclear weapons are becoming a more and more important part of US alliance commitments and partnerships in East Asia

Contributor(s): Philip Coggan | In this event, former Economist and Financial Times journalist Philip Coggan will talk about his new book, The Economic Consequences of Mr Trump: What the Trade War Means for the World.In the book Coggan argues that Donald Trump has upended the system of global economic and financial cooperation that helped to bring prosperity after World War Two. His rationale is based on a foolish misunderstanding of corporate supply chains, tariffs and the decline in manufacturing

In this event, former Economist and Financial Times journalist Philip Coggan will talk about his new book, The Economic Consequences of Mr Trump: What the Trade War Means for the World.

Contributor(s): | How did the transatlantic slave trade and British colonial rule shape modern race relations in the UK?This film explores the deep and often overlooked ties between Britain and the Anglophone Caribbean—and how centuries of empire, slavery, systemic racism, and neglect laid the foundations for the racial inequalities we see in Britain today. Focusing on Britain’s colonial legacy in the British West Indies—including Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad—Dr Imaobong Umoren traces the

How did the transatlantic slave trade and British colonial rule shape modern race relations in the UK?

Contributor(s): | Could artificial intelligence already be conscious? Are today’s AI systems truly aware — or are we just projecting human qualities onto machines? We speak to Professor Jonathan Birch to explore the science and ethics of AI sentience. As machine learning systems like ChatGPT become more advanced, questions about consciousness in AI are becoming impossible to ignore. From unexplained emergent behaviours to the possibility of strange new forms of awareness, could we be facing a moral

Could artificial intelligence already be conscious? Are today’s AI systems truly aware — or are we just projecting human qualities onto machines?

Contributor(s): Ben Chu | Join us for this conversation between journalist and author Ben Chu and LSE's Richard Davies about Ben's new book Exile Economics: What Happens if Globalisation Fails.In Exile Economics Ben Chu argues that nations are turning away from each other. Faith in globalisation has been fatally undermined by the pandemic, the energy crisis, surging trade frictions and swelling great power rivalry. A new vision is vying to replace what we’ve known for many decades. This vision –

Join us for this conversation between journalist and author Ben Chu and LSE's Richard Davies about Ben's new book Exile Economics: What Happens if Globalisation Fails.

Contributor(s): Chris Gilson, Angela Zhang | In January 2025, the release of a new model and chatbot by Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company, DeepSeek, sent shockwaves through the tech industry in the US and elsewhere. DeepSeek’s launch was only one milestone in the ongoing AI competition between China and the US which has seen the US try to restrict the exports of key components used in AI development to other countries.In the second episode of The Ballpark’s miniseries on AI and the US,

Contributor(s): Professor Alan Taylor | Join us for a special lecture by Alan Taylor, the newest member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, on monetary policy. He will discuss the natural rate of interest, also known as r*, including empirical estimates. He will also talk about the current economic situation, and the outlook for inflation and interest rates.