1976 Graduate Conference
| Published date | 01 June 1977 |
| Date | 01 June 1977 |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-9248.1977.tb01180.x |
| Subject Matter | News and Note |
NEWS
AND
NOTES
1976 GRADUATE CONFERENCE
As
usual
the P.S.A. graduate conference was held during the Christmas vacation (14-16
December) at the London School of Economics. Due to early publicity and
a
grant from the
S.S.R.C. the conference was the best attended in the Association’s history with some forty-three
U.K.-based and twenty-two Norwegian graduate students from the Institute of Political
Science, University of Oslo. The Norwegian group was accompanied by Tore Hansen on behalf
of the Institute. The visitors added a new and extremely effective dimension to the conference
and there is a possibility of a return visit by British graduates to
a
Norwegian conference.
Much greater emphasis than in previous years was put
on
the presentation of papers by the
graduate students themselves
as
well
as
structuring the other conference sessions around the
academic problems and major interests of graduate students. There were also more papers than
in the past.
There was a widespread expression of approval
of
the conference by participants both from
home and abroad and the steering committee for the conference (Robert Dowse, Tom Nossiter
and L.
J.
Sharpe) are pleased to report that
at
a
short
plenary session
a
couple of resolutions from
the
floor
were passed, one of which commended the initiative of the P.S.A. in holding the
conference and urged the Executive Committee of the Association to consider fostering more
frequent contacts between graduate students. There are various other possibilities for improving
the conference still further including a more comprehensive register of politics graduate
students and this suggestion formed the basis of the second resolution. Despite the much greater
efforts that were made in circularizing graduates including personal letters and an advertise-
ment in
The
Times
Higher E&ation Supplement,
some graduates apparently are still not aware
of the existence of the conference. Given the larger attendance there may also
be
a case for
breaking up future conferences into sections. There was
a
very strong feeling among participants
that the overseas dimension should
be
maintained
in
the future. These and other possibilities
for the improvement and development of the graduate conference are under active consideration
by the P.S.A. Executive.
The programme for the conference
was
as
follows:
1.
‘Research Problems and
Needs
of the Graduate: the Norwegian Experience’ (introduced
2.
‘Research Problems and
Needs
of the Graduate: the British Experience’
(introduced
by
3.
‘Numbercrunching:
An
Apologia
Pro
Vita Sua’ (T. Nossiter, L.S.E.)
4.
‘Economic Performance and Democracy’
(L.
J.
Sharpe, NufEeld College)
5.
‘Britain in Crisis’
(F.
Longstreth, Graduate Student, L.S.E.)
6. ‘Studying Social Democracy: the Swedish Case’
(F.
Castles, Open University)
7.
‘The Development of the Liberal State in the Nineteenth Century’
(F.
Poggi, Edinburgh)
8.
‘Ideology and Party’
(B.
D. Graham, Sussex)
9.
‘The Essex S.S.R.C.
Data
Archive’
(I.
Crewe, Essex)
by
H.
Stokkeland and
K.
Mikaelsen and chaired by
J.
Blondel)
M.
Prince and chaired by
J.
Blondel)
10.
‘Political Socialization: an Epitaph’ (R. E. Dowse, Exeter)
PROPOSED BRITISH AND IRISH
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES ASSOCIATION
It is proposed to establish a Development Studies Association, whose main role will be to
promote interdisciplinary development studies through meetings, conferences, the circulation
of information, and the discussion of underlying theoretical and methodological issues.
In
addition, the Association may
also
be
involved
in
the dissemination ofresearch results and with
the discussion of course curricula and training facilities.
Amongst
the initial activities,
it
is
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