News Archive : Academic Year 2012-2013

The Department would like to invite former political science students to join us at a series of special events on 23-24 August 2013

The Polish President awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland to Trinity's Assistant Professor in Political Science Jacqueline Hayden.

In the 2013 QS Subject Rankings for 'Politics and International Studies' published in May 2013, Trinity College Dublin was rated number 31 in the world, number 8 in Europe, and number 1 in Ireland. Commenting on this achievement, head of department Prof Michael Gallagher said 'This is a tribute to the quality and commitment of the strong academic team in the department, and helps to explain why admission to our undergraduate, masters and PhD programmes is so competitive'.

The Department of Political Science is introducing a new masters programme beginning September 2013, an MSc in Politics and Public Policy. Admission deadline 1 June 2013. This complements the existing Masters in International Politics; the admission deadline is also 1 June.

The Department congratulates the 9 undergraduate students of Political Science elected to Scholarships on 8 April 2013: Catalina De La Sota Bouyssou (PPES), Alexander Conway (Political Science and Geography), William Dunne (PPES), Eamonn Fahey (Political Science and Geography), Clare Kelly (Law and Political Science), Henry Longden (Philosophy and Political Science), Aoife O'Reilly (Law and Political Science), James Rooney (Law and Political Science), Cormac Shine (History and Political Science)

Dr Jacqueline Hayden has been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland 'for outstanding services rendered to the promotion of Poland's transition to democracy, for acting as a truthful witness to the situation on the ground during the period of martial law and for accomplishments in your journalistic undertakings'. The ceremony at which the Order is to be awarded will take place at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on 4 June 2013.

At the end of December Dr Robert Thomson left Trinity College to take up a chair at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. In his seven years in Trinity College Robert was an excellent colleague, maintaining a high level of research output and supervising a number of doctoral theses to completion. We wish him well in his new role.

Tom Pegram, Assistant Professor in Political Science, has been appointed Director of the Policy Institute. Tom will lead development of the Institute's programme of activities which aims to highlight the contribution of philosophy and social science to current public issues.

Gail McElroy of the Political Science Department gave a talk entitled 'Waitress moms, soccer moms, security moms: why do women decide the US President?' at the US Embassy organised event at the Guinness Storehouse on US presidential election night.

The Political Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI) annual prize for teaching and learning aims to recognise political scientists whose disciplinary teaching incites intellectual curiosity in students, inspires departmental colleagues, integrates research and learning and increases student awareness of the significant relationships between politics as theory and politics as practice.

This workshop brought together an interdisciplinary research team from across Europe to consider the lottery as a democratic institution. The event was jointly organised by Peter and colleagues Gil Delannoi (Science Po) and Oliver Dowlen (UCL) in collaboration with Trinity's Policy Institute.

Paul Kenny will replace Prof McElroy while she is on sabbatical. Paul, who is completing a doctorate at Yale University, will be teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.