Governance, Policy and Regulation

The Future of Work

We are designing our extensive suite of undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes in the College to be relevant and future-focused and to embrace the implications for our students and our wider professional communities of an increasingly permeable and volatile working environment, changed through transformative new technologies, the use of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.

Our particular research expertise in understanding and utilising complex data in ever-changing social contexts through our Q-Step Centre, which specialises in the advancement of quantitative social science skills, and through Egenis, our interdisciplinary Centre for the study of the social and human implications of life sciences research, enhances the evidence base for our programmes. We will also be developing the next generation of lawyers, equipping them with academic and practical skills that will make them future leaders of their field through work placement module options.

For example, in 2020, in partnership with leading Law firm Reed Smith LLP, we are launching an exciting new four year LLB ‘Legal Placement’ degree programme designed to prepare students for significant growth in legal innovation and technology and how this will inevitably change the future role of judges and lawyers as well as how justice is accessed more generally by the public.

The programme includes an immersive year-long placement at Reed Smith’s London office, where students will work on active innovation projects which will focus on new and improved ways to deliver legal services.

Read more at exeter.ac.uk/reedsmith exeter.ac.uk/q-step exeter.ac.uk/egenis

We take a contemporary and interdisciplinary approach to our research, consultancy and teaching in the field of global securities and global strategy.

Our work focuses on how individuals and organisations deal with conflict, unrest, and crisis under intense pressure and how effective strategy is created and implemented. We have a range of research expertise across our Politics department, particularly in the field of International Relations, as well as our Strategy and Security Institute, Law School and the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies where a number of our world-leading Professors, who work closely with various government and international organisations, enable us to develop relevant professionally-focused programmes of study.

These include, for example a suite of Masters’ programmes in Applied Security Strategy; Conflict, Security and Development; International Relations; and Politics and International Relations of the Middle East. Supporting our work in global securities is an extensive network of affiliated honorary fellows from government, the military and related organisations who ensure that our work is connected in with relevant policy makers and practitioners. One example of our impact in this broad field can be found in the work of Professor Gareth Stansfield, Director of the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies. Following the US-led occupation of Iraq in 2003, research by Professor Stansfield into conflict management, political mobilisation, and the rebuilding of the Iraqi state went on to inform and underpin UK government and international policy. Professor Stansfield has regularly provided analysis and advice directly to the Director of Intelligence at the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), and was invited to give evidence at the Iraq Inquiry in 2009.

He continues to advise the UK government extensively and has chaired US Government events on this subject, briefing research analysts and ambassadors-designate of the FCO regularly. His book ‘Iraq’ has been recommended as essential reading to FCO staff beginning their work on Iraq, and as an ideal way of introducing them to a complex country in a detached, dispassionate fashion.

Read more at exeter.ac.uk/stansfield