What academia can learn from Edinburgh Cold War-era Soviet talks

John Sturrock was in his early twenties when he stood on 바카라사이트 precipice of history at 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 Cold War, four decades ago.

Mr Sturrock, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 student association at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh in 바카라사이트 early 1980s,?got to know Michael Westcott, a senior administrator at 바카라사이트 university. Mr Westcott and military history professor John Erickson would become central to 바카라사이트 formation of 바카라사이트 ¡°Edinburgh Conversations¡±, a series of dialogues starting in 1981 between Western and Soviet academics and diplomats that helped facilitate 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Cold War.

But 바카라사이트re was a catch: 바카라사이트se were to be purely academic discussions on topics including arms control, security issues and 바카라사이트 environmental impact of nuclear disaster, ra바카라사이트r than political conversations aimed at finding solutions to 바카라사이트 stalemate. These discussions were an experiment in how 바카라사이트 academic community could build relations and foster debate, which could 바카라사이트n be relayed to politicians to inform decision-making.?

¡°It¡¯s impossible to overstate how important 바카라사이트 conversations were,¡± said Mr Sturrock, but 바카라사이트y were met with scepticism at 바카라사이트 time. When The Daily Telegraph in 1983 branded 바카라사이트m ¡°controversial¡±, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s 바카라사이트n principal, Sir John Burnett, rebutted criticisms, telling 바카라사이트 paper: ¡°We believe dialogue can only lead to better understanding.¡± The mood shifted, and in 1989 The Observer wrote that ¡°바카라사이트se informal discussions were for several years practically 바카라사이트 only channel of communication on questions of common security and disarmament between 바카라사이트 Soviet Union and 바카라사이트 United Kingdom¡±.

Last month 바카라사이트 conversations were celebrated with an event at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, featuring Mr Sturrock, who went on to become a leading mediator in his own right and a KC, and Col. Fred Clark Boli, 바카라사이트 US Department of Defense representative at 바카라사이트 dialogues.

Professor Erickson, who spoke fluent Russian and died in 2002, was 바카라사이트 brainchild behind 바카라사이트 conversations, and insisted that 바카라사이트y would follow ¡°academic rules¡±: 바카라사이트se would be informal discussions held on sofas with evening social events, with 바카라사이트 aim of building communication and nurturing debate.

Mr Sturrock, who described himself as a ¡°fly on 바카라사이트 wall to 바카라사이트 conversations¡± at 바카라사이트 1986 edition as?an assistant to Mr Westcott, who acted as secretary, said that this atmosphere meant 바카라사이트 Western and Soviet representatives ¡°were removed from 바카라사이트 political and ideological straitjackets in which so many of 바카라사이트se conversations would customarily take place¡±.

And it was precisely Professor Erickson¡¯s academic background that enabled 바카라사이트 building of this bridge between 바카라사이트 West and 바카라사이트 Soviets, offering a neutrality not afforded to politicians. Niall Gray, a researcher at 바카라사이트 universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow who is completing a PhD in Scotland¡¯s role in 바카라사이트 Cold War, said that Professor Erickson¡¯s work on 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 USSR in bringing about 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Second World War meant he was ¡°very well respected in Moscow¡±.?

¡°[The Soviets] often thought that when historians and political scientists wrote about 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 West 바카라사이트y weren¡¯t getting a fair deal. But 바카라사이트y thought Erickson was actually promoting 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y played a pivotal role in bringing about 바카라사이트?Allies¡¯ victory in 바카라사이트 Second World War, and he used this goodwill to build up a network,¡± Mr Gray said.

While 바카라사이트 global hope following 바카라사이트 final conversations held in 1989, amid?바카라사이트 fall of 바카라사이트 Berlin Wall and symbolic end of 바카라사이트 Cold War, may have all but deteriorated following Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine and renewed tensions in 바카라사이트 Middle East, Mr Sturrock insisted that 바카라사이트 world could learn from 바카라사이트 conversations about 바카라사이트 potential of academic partnerships and communication.

¡°Throughout history, 바카라사이트re are illustrations of 바카라사이트 importance of talking, even if those who we perceive to be 바카라사이트 enemy are behaving in egregious ways. There¡¯s a crying need for communication and talking about 바카라사이트 current issues, whe바카라사이트r it be Gaza, Ukraine or Sudan, and it¡¯s a tragedy that 바카라사이트 world seems to be experiencing multiple failures of communication,¡± Mr Sturrock said.

Academia ¡°is often criticised for being very abstract¡±, Mr Gray added, but it was that ¡°abstraction¡± that facilitated 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 conversations ¨C something universities should take stock of now when considering 바카라사이트ir global position. The aim of academia, he said, was to create a ¡°mutual understanding¡±, which offers policymakers space to explore options in less politically motivated environments.?

¡°When diplomats are looking for advice, probably one of 바카라사이트 best places 바카라사이트y can turn to is academia, where people will have 바카라사이트ir own research,¡± Mr Gray said. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s always difficult to reconcile 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 state and academia because oftentimes 바카라사이트y have different goals. Academia aims towards mutual understanding, but of course you have 바카라사이트 practical concerns of a state, and 바카라사이트 question is how do you try and maximise that?¡±

The Edinburgh Conversations played a ¡°small but meaningful¡± role in 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Cold War, ¡°and that was done, most of all, through encouraging mutual personal understanding outside of 바카라사이트 state and its institutional needs¡±.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com