Hamas surprised Israel by launching a large-scale attack on October 7, 2023. Israel, after losing more than 1,100 people in one day, responded with a massive offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel inflicted a major blow to Hamas but did not manage to destroy this group. The cost of the war, to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, has been enormous. Israel also has been paying heavily in blood and treasure. Overall, Israel carried out its offensive based on a half-baked strategy, neglecting key military, political, and economic factors.

Postgraduate students, fellows, staff and faculty from any discipline are welcome. This group aims to foster frequent interdisciplinary critical dialogue across Oxford and beyond about the political impacts of emerging technologies.

Central Asia is severely affected by climate change and water stress, a situation which is exacerbated by authoritarianism and lack of investment. Computerised modelling of water conflict risks can help identify potential flashpoints for intra- and international conflict, but is limited by a paucity of good quality data and by machines' inability to adequately assess qualitative factors affecting countries with weak governance and management systems.

Postgraduate students, fellows, staff and faculty from any discipline are welcome. This group aims to foster frequent interdisciplinary critical dialogue across Oxford and beyond about the political impacts of emerging technologies.
Please contact Elisabeth Siegel at elisabeth.siegel@politics.ox.ac.uk in advance to participate or with any questions. Remote attendance is possible, but in-person attendance is prioritized (and provided refreshment).

Why is the UK having another defence review? Following the comprehensive Integrated Review (2021) and its IR Refresh (2023), the Defence Command Paper (2021) and the Defence Command Paper Refresh (2023), this new Strategic Defence Review will represent the fifth such analysis and projection of policy in just four years. This does not include the spending reviews or capability reviews which have occurred alongside sometimes concurrently with these strategic evaluations. What is its rationale? Will the UK repeat the mistakes of some previous reviews?

"China Dream", "Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" or "Community with shared future for mankind" are not just Communist Party jargon, but integral elements of China's Grand Plan to establish a global order (global governance) that ensures the safety of the Communist Party regime in the future. This plan, often overlooked in the West, is a long-term strategy that aims to impact not only global security architectures but also the very fundamentals of democratic societies.