Ben O’Loughlin gives a talk at King’s College London at 6pm on 8 November 2022, on how ‘Strategic Competition’ brings geopolitics into universities

In the last decade Ben has observed how countries try to maximise their soft power. Countries want to be attractive to workers, tourists, culture and capital. But in the summer of 2022, Ben noticed a new focus by states to attract a certain kind of student and future worker.

Ben will talk about about how higher education and science education are being used in the struggle between great powers in world politics. In the US, President Biden has a new bill that seeks to steer the US visa process so that talented scientists who study for a masters or PhD in the US do not return to their home countries afterwards. This is underpinned by a concept, ‘Strategic Competition’. The motive is to put the US at the forefront of science. But this sends a signal: it openly acknowledges the US is vulnerable – vulnerable to being overtaken on science, which would then make it vulnerable on security and defence issues. What does this mean for a Pakistani or Spanish physicist who is doing an MSc or PhD in the US but wants to return home? Has anyone asked them? This topic speaks to the panel’s focus on new fractures in world politics. We should think about how countries try to redirect where people go.

Ben is on a panel who have been asked to tell us about Higher Education and Science Diplomacy in Times of Peace and War, as part of King’s College’s Education and Society Dialogues.

To register or see more details, a link to the event is here.

Ben O'Loughlin is Professor of International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is Director of the New Political Communication Unit. Ben's expertise is in the field of international political communication.