Mid-Career Fellowship awarded to International Relations Reader

The national body for humanities and social sciences in the UK has awarded a School of Law and Politics academic with a prestigious Mid-Career Fellowship.

Dr Huw Bennett, Reader in International Relations, is one of 47 mid-career researchers who will begin a fellowship with the British Academy this September.

Mid-Career Fellowships allow academics to focus on a major piece of research and to communicate their work to a wider audience, by obtaining time away from teaching and administration commitments.

The Mid-Career Fellows are recognised as excellent communicators and ‘champions’ in their field, as well as for their distinguished publication record. Award holders are typically within 15 years of their doctorate.

Dr Bennett’s research focuses on the experiences of the British Army since 1945, in the contexts of British politics, the Cold War, the end of empire, and the War on Terror.

However, his research funded by the British Academy will concentrate specifically on The British Army's War in Northern Ireland, 1966-1979. The project aims to explain how military strategy was created and changed in Northern Ireland during this time and will argue that ‘The Troubles’ is the defining conflict in Britain's post-war history.

Speaking of his Fellowship, Dr Bennett said, “This is an important time to be studying the Northern Ireland conflict, which is still a live issue in British and Irish politics. Over 3,500 people died in the conflict and at least 40,000 received injuries, so understanding the violence in the 1970s means a great deal to many who lived through those times. Cardiff is the ideal place to explore this topic as we build a strong reputation for research in Politics and International Relations that considers the human costs of conflict.”