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David Hastings Dunn

Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham
I am Professor of International Politics in the department of Political Science and International Studies and Director of Internationalisation for the College of Social Sciences at the University of Birmingham. During my career at Birmingham I have been Director of Graduate Studies within POLSIS, Postgraduate Tutor to the School of Social Sciences, and Assistant Dean for Postgraduate Admissions for the Faculty of Commerce and Social Science. Between 1997 and 2000 I was also an elected member of the British International Studies Association and through that the BISA representative on the Political Studies Association Executive. Since 1992 I have been a member of the West Midlands Military Education Committee and since 2000 its chairman.

My research interests are diverse and have evolved and broadened over my career. They fit largely within the areas of US Foreign and Security Policy, Strategic and Security Studies and, Diplomacy and Statecraft.

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine war: US military support for Kyiv has been very cautious – here’s how a Harris presidency could change that

Aug 29, 2024 11:12 am UTC| Insights & Views

Russias recent military advances and ferocious bombardment of Ukraine have led the country to renew calls for western allies to lift their ban on the use of their long-range missiles to hit military targets in Russia. But...

Project 2025: what is it and why does Trump say he knows nothing about it?

Aug 26, 2024 23:59 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Think-tank policy proposals rarely make the headlines, but 2024 is no ordinary year and Project 2025 is no usual set of plans for government. This is a not-very-secret set of plans that Republicans have put together in...

US under Trump Series

US election 2024: Trump victory in Iowa caucus not as big as he may have hoped

Jan 17, 2024 03:43 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

News headlines reporting Donald Trumps victory in the Iowa caucus on January 15 give the impression of a much larger victory than should sensibly be drawn from this first expression of American electoral opinion in 2024....

Moscow drone attacks are a morale booster for Ukraine and a warning for Russia – here's why

Jun 03, 2023 03:28 am UTC| Politics

A wave of approximately 30 drones appeared in skies around the Russian capital, Moscow, on May 30. Though widely sensationalised as a major attack against the heart of the Russian government, they caused only minor damage,...

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine war: drone 'attack' on Kremlin – logic suggests a false flag to distract Russians ahead of Victory Day on May 9

May 05, 2023 12:38 pm UTC| Politics

Whether the alleged drone assassination attempt on the Russian president in the Kremlin was an audacious attack by Ukraine or a clumsy attempt at a false flag operation by Moscow may never be known. But from the Kremlins...

Ukraine war: this conflict is just further evidence that Putin's Russia is now a rogue power

Oct 21, 2022 06:13 am UTC| Politics

Given where most of the fighting and dying is taking place it is easy to think that the current European security crisis is primarily about Ukraine. This tendency is reinforced by the fact that Russia and the west are keen...

Economy

China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook

Chinas factory activity contracted at the start of the year, highlighting persistent pressure from weak domestic demand despite continued policy support from Beijing. An official survey released on Saturday showed that...

U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal

The United States government was on track for a partial shutdown early Saturday after Congress failed to finalize a funding agreement before the midnight deadline. Although the U.S. Senate ultimately passed a bipartisan...

Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair

Gold and silver prices suffered a dramatic selloff on Friday after President Donald Trump nominated former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair, easing fears about the central banks...

Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets

Wall Street ended Friday on a weaker note as risk-off sentiment dominated trading, driven by hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data, a dramatic sell-off in precious metals, and major political developments surrounding...

Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes

Asian currencies traded in a narrow range on Friday as the U.S. dollar rebounded modestly from a near four-year low, following comments from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would announce his nominee for the next...

Politics

Venezuela Proposes Amnesty Law and Plans to Transform Helicoide Prison

Venezuelas interim president Delcy Rodríguez announced on Friday a proposed amnesty law aimed at releasing hundreds of prisoners and easing political tensions in the country. Speaking at an event held at the Supreme...

U.S. Approves Over $6.5 Billion in Military Sales to Israel Across Three Defense Contracts

The United States has approved more than $6.5 billion in potential military sales to Israel through three separate defense contracts, according to announcements released by the Pentagon on Friday. The approvals, granted by...

Syria-Kurdish Ceasefire Marks Historic Step Toward National Unity

The Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces have reached a landmark ceasefire agreement that sets out a phased integration of Kurdish fighters into state institutions, easing fears of a major military confrontation in...

Putin Envoy Kirill Dmitriev to Visit Miami for Talks With Trump Administration Officials

Russian President Vladimir Putins special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is expected to travel to Miami on Saturday for meetings with members of U.S. President Donald Trumps administration, according to two sources familiar with...

Kevin Warsh’s Fed Nomination Raises Questions Over Corporate Ties and U.S.–South Korea Trade Tensions

Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trumps nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, is drawing renewed scrutiny over his corporate affiliations as trade tensions between the United States and South Korea escalate. Warsh, a former...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Elon Musk’s Empire: SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI Merger Talks Spark Investor Debate

Speculation around a potential Musk Inc has resurfaced as Elon Musks companiesSpaceX, Tesla, and xAIexplore closer ties amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence and automation. With SpaceX expected to go public later...

SpaceX Reports $8 Billion Profit as IPO Plans and Starlink Growth Fuel Valuation Buzz

SpaceX delivered a strong financial performance last year, generating an estimated $8 billion in profit on revenues between $15 billion and $16 billion, according to people familiar with the companys results. The figures,...

SpaceX Updates Starlink Privacy Policy to Allow AI Training as xAI Merger Talks and IPO Loom

SpaceX has revised its Starlink privacy policy to allow customer data to be used for artificial intelligence training, a move that could significantly support Elon Musks broader AI ambitions. The policy change comes as...

Nvidia’s $100 Billion OpenAI Investment Faces Internal Doubts, Report Says

Nvidias ambitious plan to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI, aimed at supporting the training and operation of next-generation artificial intelligence models, has reportedly hit a roadblock. According to a report...

Federal Judge Signals Possible Dismissal of xAI Lawsuit Against OpenAI

A U.S. federal judge has signaled she may dismiss a high-profile lawsuit filed by Elon Musks artificial intelligence startup, xAI, against rival OpenAI, dealing a potential setback to Musk in an escalating legal battle...