A brief visit establishes long-lasting ties
13-05-2024
Associate Professor of International Security at the London School of Economics Milli Lake talks about her CIVICA Faculty Short Visit to the Hertie School.
Last month, Milli Lake, Associate Professor of International Security at the London School of Economics, visited the Hertie School thanks to the CIVICA Faculty Short Visits Scheme. As part of her visit, she networked with faculty and students at the Centre for International Security and presented her research on gendered constructions of innocence in post-war accountability efforts in Colombia and Nepal at the centre’s International Security Research Colloquium.
Prof. Lake, what is the focus of your research?
My research focusses on continuities of violence. I predominantly work on questions related to state-society relations in conflict-affected settings. I am interested in the gendered, classed and racialised ways that violence is experienced, as well as the ways in which institutions seeking to rebuild after war can reproduce the same dynamics of exclusion and oppression from which violence first stemmed. Most recently, I have explored how hierarchies of violence and remedy emerge in the aftermath of war.
Why did you choose to do a CIVICA Faculty Short Visit at the Hertie School?
I was excited to visit the Hertie School because of the dynamic faculty and students at the Centre for International Security. Given my research on state violence, the centre was the ideal forum for me to present some of my ongoing work. As part of my visit, I met with faculty and PhD Researchers, and I presented both an article in progress and my broader research agenda on Women’s Rights After War. I received outstanding feedback and had insightful conversations with both master’s students and PhD Researchers.
Why was your CIVICA Short Faculty Visit important for your research?
The visit came at a crucial time in my development of multiple projects. In addition to having the opportunity to present an article draft-in-progress, I was also able to connect with faculty about a new project. I received important feedback on the article, which has helped me to refine and revise its focus towards publication. Most importantly, I was able to connect with Professor of International and Cyber Security Anita Gohdes, one of the world’s preeminent experts on repression, human rights abuse and state violence. This was an invaluable opportunity for me, as I was able to explore ideas for my new book project with her and gain feedback and advice. I am hopeful that the CIVICA-funded short visit will lead to a longer visit to the Hertie School in the future, where I am now eager to spend at least part of my sabbatical as a visiting scholar!
Hertie School Assistant Professor of International Relations Shubha Kamala Prasad also did a short visit at the London School of Economics. See what she had to say about her experience.
Written by Clay Johnson (Hertie School).
Photo credits: Hertie School.