Politics PhD

Staff in the Department of Politics are world-leading experts in their respective research fields and are happy to share and impart their knowledge through training and mentoring PhD researchers. They publish in high-impact academic journals, publish and edit books and collections, engage with national and international decisionmakers and policymakers in national governments and international organisations, and disseminate their views and analysis of current events through national and international media outlets. Join the programme as a PhD researcher in politics and you’ll be mentored to join this international and vibrant world of research, analysis, networking and knowledge exchange. Through regular events, workshops, training and conferences, you’ll be part of this community and learn to navigate and contribute to its production of knowledge. All Politics PhD researchers are assigned two supervisors, a primary and a secondary supervisor, who will mentor, train and guide you through regular meetings, readings of draft chapters, and support for endeavours like attending conferences or preparing publications. In your first year, you’ll also attend training sessions in research methods and research design. This grounding in essential research skills will ensure you develop the tools needed to undertake independent research successfully. Research topics PhD researchers are encouraged to develop their own proposals but ideally, they reflect and fit with the expertise The programme can offer for supervision. The below list indicates the core areas of staff expertise , but the list is not exclusive. The politics of security and terrorism Gender and sexuality Parties and elections Peace and conflict Refugees and migration International organisations Anti-slavery and human trafficking Anti-colonialism and race Development Populism and nationalism Identity and citizenship Political ideologies Democratisation and sovereignty Authoritarian politics International political economy Devolution and local government Global governance Rhetoric and communication Media Ethics Inequality and minorities Secularism and multiculturalism Public policy Mental health policies Environment Media and public opinion. Research culture The Department of Politics is a thriving community of academic staff that boast a wide range of specialisms mapped against four research clusters. Each member of staff and each PhD researcher is associated with at least one of these clusters: Government, Parties and Elections Peace and Conflict Human Rights and Social Justice Governance, Policy and Civil Society . The department also hosts a research centre and two research networks, which further support and focus the research. As with the clusters, staff and PhD researchers are encouraged to join and participate: Europe and the World Centre The Antislavery Knowledge Network Network for the Interface of Classics and Politics Middle Eastern and Northern Africa Network (MENA) . Staff research covers many aspects and themes of political life and most areas of the globe, ranging from China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, to Africa, the Caucasus, and Balkans. Closer to home, The programme also have expertise in local studies focused on scouse identity, Liverpool and Merseyside. 8th in the sector for research impact classified as ‘outstanding’ (4*) (Research Excellence Framework, 2021)