The Politics of Virtual States

1st Annual Durham International Affairs Conference

20th and 21st March  2008 

Key Note Speaker: Prof. Nick Rengger  University of St. Andrews

 There is no singular deinition of a 'virtual' state. The term is used here to refer to 'small' states, 'non' states and those various national and geographical complexes which to a greater or lesser extent look like states and sound like states to both the casual and professional observer, but which nonetheless still trouble the contemporary Westphalian orthodoxy.

As such, virtual states play an under-theorised role in international relations. Often only referred to as peripheral, marginal or anomalous to the character and functionaing of the international system, these areas and issues are frequently overlooked by researchers and practitioners alike. There has, however, been a recent reurgence of interest in the nature of these states and the possibilities inherent in them as sites of knowledge. It is precisely their size and individual circumstances which challenge commonly held perceptions of the origin, priorities and logic of state action.

The politics of virtual states is the politics of the unfamiliar. Do they confirm or disconfirm the general consensus which runs throughout international theory? Can they legitimately be labelled or grouped together in this way? Do they even merit special attention? Contemporary research into small states, including a dedicated BISA Working Group, strongly suggests that they do.

Conference Fees: Staff £20; Students £10.  This includes lunch, tea and coffeee. Link to conference programme and registration will be available shortly.