The new age of Politics and Social Science

How can science contribute positively to local and global development, and what are the pitfalls that need to be avoided? What can we learn from the collaboration of the University of Bristol and Somali social enterprise Transparency Solutions? These are the key questions that will be addressed by Eric Herring of the University of Bristol. He will argue that development occurs through complex and unpredictable long-term processes; that successes cannot be simply transferred or scaled up but must be regrown and adapted; that science must be linked to politics and accountability.

Human impact on the planet has reached such an extent that many believe it represents a new geological age, the Anthropocene or the age of humanity. My research explores what the Anthropocene means for political theory and international relations, focusing particularly on the problems of how to think about what is natural and who is responsible for the changes that have resulted in this new era.