A view of Singleton Campus including Singleton Park and the beach, with the sea stretching into the horizon.

Dr Emmanuel Siaw

Lecturer in International Relations, Politics, Philosophy and International Relations

e.k.siaw@swansea.ac.uk

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

Research Links

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4516-3754

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About

Dr Emmanuel Siaw is a Lecturer in International Relations. He holds a PhD in International Relations from Royal Holloway University of London and an MPhil degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana. Before joining Swansea University, he held teaching positions at the University of Ghana, Royal Holloway University of London, and Study Group, UK. He also served as a field research assistant and officer for civil society organizations in Ghana, including the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation, Ghana.

Emmanuel’s research primarily focuses on African agency in international relations, examining how variables such as ideologies, soft power, and cultural expressions shape the diplomatic relations, alliances, and international engagements of African states. While Africa’s international relations is Emmanuel’s core research focus, he also maintains an immense interest in Africa’s domestic political landscape. As such, parts of his research interests focus on how domestic politics shapes foreign policy and vice versa. He is currently embarking on an interdisciplinary research project into the politics of music in Africa.

Areas Of Expertise

Africa’s International Relations
Ideology and Foreign Policymaking
Soft Power and International Relations
Culture and Diplomacy
Music and Politics in Africa
Constructivism and Postcolonial International Relations Theory

Career Highlights

Teaching Interests

Emmanuel has extensive teaching experience in political science and international relations, covering a broad spectrum of subfields, including international relations theory, politics outside the West, development politics, electoral politics and democracy, politics of identity in Africa, post-conflict peacebuilding and transitional justice in Africa. He has taught in Higher Education Institutions in Ghana, the UK. Currently, he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate introduction to international relations modules. Emmanuel is always eager to engage in postgraduate research supervision within his teaching domains, welcoming students to discuss potential research projects and collaborations.

Research

Taught Modules

PO-126 Introduction to International Relations

This course offers an introduction to the study of International Relations (IR). The aim is to lay some of the conceptual and historical groundwork necessary for the study of politics at the global level, and to offer a systematic introductory overview of the field. Students will gain a broad understanding of the debates and issues that are key to IR. In addition to exploring fundamental concepts such as sovereignty, anarchy, power, and global governance, the module encourages students to take a critical look on world politics, and we will consider themes such as race, gender (in)equality, and colonialism. Students will learn to apply concepts, understand the history and evolution of international order and become familiar with some of the current global challenges related to human rights, climate change, and the rise of non-Western powers. They will also be introduced to the main theoretical approaches that are used to make sense of world politics. By the end of the module, students will have developed the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to further explore and analyse various aspects of IR. To develop students general research and study skills, the module will also include training sessions on library research and essay writing. For many students, this will be the first time engaging with the subject. IR is a diverse, complex, and exciting field of study, and we have sought to develop a course that is both accessible, engaging, and intellectually stimulating. We hope that you will enjoy the module, and that it will spark enthusiasm for the study of international relations.
PO-239 Moralities of War and Peace

This module considers the morality and ethics that shape war and peace. It takes as its starting point the inevitability of war and the realist assumption that war occupies a distinct category of human experience that even defies our moral concerns. It then considers the challenge to this and how it is possible both to think about war in moral terms and to possibly make a distinction between a `just¿ and `unjust¿ war. Taking the influential `Just War Theory¿ as its `guide¿ to the moralities of war and peace, it considers dilemmas concerning justice in the lead up to war, in the conduct of war, and the establishment of a `just¿ peace. It also considers the possible impact of international law in translating our moral concerns into practical steps, as well as recent challenges to Just War Theory, including the possibility of a truly humanitarian intervention as well as concerns over terrorism and new tactics and weaponry such as drones. This module concludes with a reflection on the inevitability of peace, and invites students to think how, if at all, we may attempt to limit and constrain the very worst aspects of war and make it `just¿.
PO-3328 Law, War and Empire in World Politics

The development and expansion of international law has been one of the most significant developments in the post-World War II era, penetrating all aspects of world politics, from the conduct of war to the protection of human rights. This module offers students a critical perspective on the role and origins of international law, exploring how laws and institutions have been entangled with structural inequalities and hierarchical cultural and political orders. It imagines international law as a product of both progressive moral development and practices of violence and domination. Starting with the role of international law in the construction and maintenance of Empire and colonialism in 19th, it traces and explore how legacies of exclusion feature in contemporary laws, institutions, and practices. This will provide students with the opportunity to explore how notions of culture and hierarchy have been generative forces in different issue areas, including international criminal justice, humanitarian intervention, and the war on terror.
PO-M35 Approaches to International Relations

The module explores a variety of approaches to the study of internation relations. It focuses on key issues which have become central to the sunject, notably the changing states system and the emergence of major non state actors, economic globalisation and security studies. It also examines key theoretical approaches, notably realism, liberalism and Marxism; Neo-realism and neo-Liberalism; and reflectivist critiques of rationalism, including constructivism, critical theory, post-structuralism and feminism.

Dr Emmanuel Siaw

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Research Links

About

Areas Of Expertise

Career Highlights

Taught Modules

PO-126 Introduction to International Relations

PO-239 Moralities of War and Peace

PO-3328 Law, War and Empire in World Politics

PO-M35 Approaches to International Relations