I am an American living in Europe taking advantage of the "outsider" perspective in order to understand my country's political system and how members of society interact within the United States. I received my BA in History from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine in 2002 and my MA in Political Science from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts in 2004. Afterwards, I worked in international education in London, specifically helping American students adjust to life in the UK, and in the finance industry in Luxembourg. My research focuses on three essential questions: what is "populism," how does one define the Tea Party and Occupy organisations, and how are they all related? Concerning "populism," I argue that a dichotomy exists regarding how this label is conceived today that appeared after the emergence of the Populist Movement of the late nineteenth century. For the Tea Party and Occupy organisations, I maintain that they are more complex than many originally imagined and do not conform to the general anti-government and anti-capitalist activism respectively applied to them. To conclude, I postulate that the elements within the Tea Party and Occupy organizations have inherited the role of the Populist Movement and are developing a new way to view populism in America.
Andrew Wilson is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology. Andrew's research interests include: drugs (all aspects), subcultures and gangs, violence (all aspects including terrorism, state sponsored and genocide), inequality and crime, criminological theory, young people, crime and justice, social control and policing. His book Northern soul: music, drugs and subcultural identity was published in 2007.
I am Deputy Director (Academic) of the International Development Office at the OU, with oversight across all our programmes which deal with teacher training, child rights, higher education capacity building and more. Issues like trafficking are part of a broader theory of change around education – for example teacher training is an essential element in supporting children to be aware of their own rights. I have been on the board of a school in Kathmandu for about 15 years, and visit Nepal about twice a year on average. I have edited 3 books, written 12 chapters and delivered a large number of papers, conference presentations etc. My early research area (most of which is published under Anna Peachey) was in online presence and student community, which transitioned into innovation in education for development. My last keynote was at a conference on Higher Education for Development in Ethiopia last summer, and I will soon deliver a keynote at Nepal's National Conference on Science and Technology, an event that takes place every 4 years and is inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Nepal. The theme for 2016 is Science, Technology and Innovation for Nepal’s Graduation to Developing Country Status. I support the Director of International Development at The Open University in the strategic direction of project activity. Drawing on over fifteen years of experience in project design, management and evaluation, I also provide support for Project Academic Directors. Along with delivering academic support for the International Development Office’s (IDO) current projects and for the development of new IDO projects, I guide and advise academics in the Faculties when developing bids and proposals for international development projects and research activity. Having won The Open University Teaching Award for my work with distance learning in 2005, one of my projects was also shortlisted for The Times Education Award for Outstanding Innovation in ICT in 2008. I have been an expert speaker at over 25 global and UK conferences.
Associate Professor Antoine Hermens is the Head of the Management Discipline Group at the UTS Business School. His career at UTS demonstrates his commitment to innovation, focus on high quality education and outcomes. Antoine was awarded a UTS Teaching and Leaning citation in 2010. Antoine proactively engages in building strong institutional relations with business and stakeholders’ communities in line with the mission of the University. Antoine has significant senior management experience both in academe and industry and is a key member of various industry and academic networks. Antoine has extensive experience as advisor, researcher and consultant; his focus is on strategic analyses, dynamic capabilities and business modelling. Antoine regularly consults and advises to international and national organisations on turnaround strategies, restructuring, strategy planning, alliance formation, mergers and acquisitions and demergers. As an academic researcher his particular interests are in shaping strategies, strategic alliances, and additive manufacturing / digital technologies. As an international visiting professor Antoine presents courses and regularly interacts with academics and administrators in New York, Ottawa, Paris, Toulouse, Reims, and Hong Kong from leading AACSB accredited business schools and consequently he also has considerable understanding of international policy and best practice in business education.
