Karen Smith
A South African IR scholar, I currently teach in the MA International Relations programme at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, and am a research fellow at the Centre for International and Comparative Studies at Stellenbosch University. Between 2000 and 2017, I taught at the Universities of Stellenbosch, the Western Cape, and Cape Town. In recent years, I have been a visiting scholar at Sciences Po Paris and the University of Vienna. My research focuses on understanding International Relations from the perspective of the global South. From 2019 to 2021 I served as assistant secretary-general and special adviser to the UN Sceretary-General on the responsibility to protect.
Selected publications:
(2022) “Challenging the illusion of theoretical ‘internationalness’ in Allan Layug and John Hobson (eds) Globalizing International Theory: The Problem with Western IR Theory and How to Overcome It. London and New York: Routledge.
(2022) “R2P at the UN: the Problem of Selective History and Incomplete Narratives” in a Special Forum on The History and Future of Intervention, Global Responsibility to Protect, 14: 273–276.
(2021) with Vineet Thakur, “Introduction to the Special Issue: The multiple births of International Relations”, Review of International Studies, 47: 5, 571–579.
(2021) “Challenging IR’s conceptual Constraints: The International and Everyday Life across Borders in Southern Africa” in Uluslararasi Iliskiler (Turkish Journal of International Relations), Vol. 18, No. 70: 121-134.
(2020) with Arlene Tickner (eds) International Relations from the Global South: Worlds of Difference. London and New York: Routledge.
(2018) "South Africa: still an ambivalent (sub)regional power?" in H. Ebert and D. Flemes (eds) Contested Regional Powers. London: Palgrave.
(2018) "Reshaping International Relations: Theoretical Innovations from Africa" in All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace, vol.7, no.2: 81-92.
(2016) with Carl Death, Julia Gallagher and Meera Sabaratnam “Introduction to special issue on teaching Africa in International Studies” in Politics, vol.36, no.3: 1-12.
(2016) “South Africa and the responsibility to protect: from champion to sceptic” in International Relations, vol.30, no.3.
(2016) “South Africa in Africa and the world: the foreign policy strategies of a global regional power” in Jacqueline Braveboy-Wagner (ed.) Diplomatic Strategies of Leading Nations in the Global South. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
(2016) “South Africa’s past, present and future foreign human rights policy and diplomacy” in Doutjie Lettinga (ed.) Shifting Power and Human Rights Diplomacy: South Africa. Amsterdam; Amnesty International. Available online at: https://www.amnesty.nl/sites/default/files/public/risingpowersouth_africa.pdf
(2015) with J. van der Westhuizen. “Pragmatic internationalism: public opinion on South Africa’s role in the world” in Journal of Contemporary African Studies, vol.33, no.3: 318-347.(2014) “International Relations in South Africa: a case of ‘add Africa and stir
(2015) “South Africa, the BRICS and human rights: in bad company?” in Gilbert Khadiagala, Prishani Naidoo, Devan Pillay and Roger Southall (eds) New South African Review 5. Johannesburg: Wits University Press.
(2015) with T. Mandrup, “South Africa’s ‘diplomacy of ubuntu’: an African approach to coexistence?” in C. de Coning, T. Mandrup and L. Odgaard (eds) The BRICS and Coexistence: An Alternative Vision of World Order. London and New York: Routledge.
(2013) “International Relations in South Africa: a case of ‘add Africa and stir’?” in Politikon, vol.40, no.3: 533-544.
(2012) “India’s Identity and its Global Aspirations” in Global Society, vol.26, no.3: 369-385.
(2012) “Soft Power: the Essence of South Africa’s Foreign Policy” in South African Foreign Policy Review Volume 1. Pretoria: Africa Institute of South Africa.
(2012) “Africa as an agent of International Relations knowledge: a preliminary investigation” in Fantu, C., Shaw, T.M. and Cornelissen, S. (eds) Africa and International Relations in the Twenty-First Century. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
(2012) "Contrived boundaries, kinship and ubuntu: a (South) African view of the 'international”, in Tickner, A. & Blaney, D. (eds) Thinking International Relations Differently. London: Routledge.
Selected publications:
(2022) “Challenging the illusion of theoretical ‘internationalness’ in Allan Layug and John Hobson (eds) Globalizing International Theory: The Problem with Western IR Theory and How to Overcome It. London and New York: Routledge.
(2022) “R2P at the UN: the Problem of Selective History and Incomplete Narratives” in a Special Forum on The History and Future of Intervention, Global Responsibility to Protect, 14: 273–276.
(2021) with Vineet Thakur, “Introduction to the Special Issue: The multiple births of International Relations”, Review of International Studies, 47: 5, 571–579.
(2021) “Challenging IR’s conceptual Constraints: The International and Everyday Life across Borders in Southern Africa” in Uluslararasi Iliskiler (Turkish Journal of International Relations), Vol. 18, No. 70: 121-134.
(2020) with Arlene Tickner (eds) International Relations from the Global South: Worlds of Difference. London and New York: Routledge.
(2018) "South Africa: still an ambivalent (sub)regional power?" in H. Ebert and D. Flemes (eds) Contested Regional Powers. London: Palgrave.
(2018) "Reshaping International Relations: Theoretical Innovations from Africa" in All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace, vol.7, no.2: 81-92.
(2016) with Carl Death, Julia Gallagher and Meera Sabaratnam “Introduction to special issue on teaching Africa in International Studies” in Politics, vol.36, no.3: 1-12.
(2016) “South Africa and the responsibility to protect: from champion to sceptic” in International Relations, vol.30, no.3.
(2016) “South Africa in Africa and the world: the foreign policy strategies of a global regional power” in Jacqueline Braveboy-Wagner (ed.) Diplomatic Strategies of Leading Nations in the Global South. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
(2016) “South Africa’s past, present and future foreign human rights policy and diplomacy” in Doutjie Lettinga (ed.) Shifting Power and Human Rights Diplomacy: South Africa. Amsterdam; Amnesty International. Available online at: https://www.amnesty.nl/sites/default/files/public/risingpowersouth_africa.pdf
(2015) with J. van der Westhuizen. “Pragmatic internationalism: public opinion on South Africa’s role in the world” in Journal of Contemporary African Studies, vol.33, no.3: 318-347.(2014) “International Relations in South Africa: a case of ‘add Africa and stir
(2015) “South Africa, the BRICS and human rights: in bad company?” in Gilbert Khadiagala, Prishani Naidoo, Devan Pillay and Roger Southall (eds) New South African Review 5. Johannesburg: Wits University Press.
(2015) with T. Mandrup, “South Africa’s ‘diplomacy of ubuntu’: an African approach to coexistence?” in C. de Coning, T. Mandrup and L. Odgaard (eds) The BRICS and Coexistence: An Alternative Vision of World Order. London and New York: Routledge.
(2013) “International Relations in South Africa: a case of ‘add Africa and stir’?” in Politikon, vol.40, no.3: 533-544.
(2012) “India’s Identity and its Global Aspirations” in Global Society, vol.26, no.3: 369-385.
(2012) “Soft Power: the Essence of South Africa’s Foreign Policy” in South African Foreign Policy Review Volume 1. Pretoria: Africa Institute of South Africa.
(2012) “Africa as an agent of International Relations knowledge: a preliminary investigation” in Fantu, C., Shaw, T.M. and Cornelissen, S. (eds) Africa and International Relations in the Twenty-First Century. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
(2012) "Contrived boundaries, kinship and ubuntu: a (South) African view of the 'international”, in Tickner, A. & Blaney, D. (eds) Thinking International Relations Differently. London: Routledge.
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