title: Rejuvenating transatlantic strategic culture: Towards a new Atlanticism

authors: Burton, Joe

abstract: In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic new questions are being raised about how the transatlantic alliance can survive, adapt and evolve to meet the challenges of an increasingly turbulent century. NATO has initiated the NATO2030 process, a timely re-evaluation of its role in international affairs, and the European Union is implementing a range of new defence initiatives (EDF, PESCO, CARD) as well as developing a ‘Strategic Compass’, which aims to forge a common threat perception across the EU membership. A renewed focus on strategic culture undergirds these new initiatives. In 2017, President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to develop a common strategic culture underpinned by new capabilities.² More recently, HR/VP Josep Borrell has called for a “shared strategic culture and empathy to understand the different points of view” of EU member states,³ and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “I believe we also need a PESCO in foreign policy – and a common strategic culture. There is no military short-cut to a sustainable order of peace.”⁴ In the 2020 Annual Report on CSDP, the European Parliament (EP) argued that, in order to achieve strategic autonomy, the EU needed to forge “a genuine strategic culture” by developing “adaptable, modular instruments which help bring strategic cultures closer together.”⁵

text: Rejuvenating transatlantic strategic culture: Towards a new Atlanticism In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic new questions are being raised about how the transatlantic alliance can survive, adapt and evolve to meet the challenges of an increasingly turbulent century. NATO has initiated the NATO2030 process, a timely re-evaluation of its role in international affairs, and the European Union is implementing a range of new defence initiatives (EDF, PESCO, CARD) as well as developing a ‘Strategic Compass’, which aims to forge a common threat perception across the EU membership. A renewed focus on strategic culture undergirds these new initiatives. In 2017, President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to develop a common strategic culture underpinned by new capabilities.² More recently, HR/VP Josep Borrell has called for a “shared strategic culture and empathy to understand the different points of view” of EU member states,³ and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “I believe we also need a PESCO in foreign policy – and a common strategic culture. There is no military short-cut to a sustainable order of peace.”⁴ In the 2020 Annual Report on CSDP, the European Parliament (EP) argued that, in order to achieve strategic autonomy, the EU needed to forge “a genuine strategic culture” by developing “adaptable, modular instruments which help bring strategic cultures closer together.”⁵

year: 2020

title: Holocene carbon accumulation in the peatlands of northern Scotland

authors: Ratcliffe, Joshua Lee

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: The response of peatland carbon accumulation to climate can be complex, with internal feedbacks and processes that can dampen or amplify responses to external forcing. Records of carbon accumulation from peat cores provide a record of carbon which persists as peat over long periods of time, demonstrating the long-term response of peatland carbon stocks to climatic events. Numerous records of long-term carbon accumulation exist globally. However, peatlands from oceanic climates, and particularly blanket bog, remain underrepresented. Scottish bogs, which collectively have more than 475 separate palaeoecological records, may prove to be a valuable resource for studying the impact of environmental change on past rates of carbon accumulation. Here we present 12 records of carbon accumulation from the north of Scotland. We support these results with a further 43 records where potential carbon accumulation is inferred from published ages. These reveal a trend of high carbon accumulation in the early Holocene, declining in the mid-to-late Holocene. The trend is consistent with accumulation profiles from other northern peatlands and is likely to have been caused by climatic cooling. Considerable variability in carbon accumulation rates between locations is apparent for the mid-to-late Holocene. We attribute to hydrologically induced changes in carbon accumulation which are likely to be inconsistent between sites.

text: Holocene carbon accumulation in the peatlands of northern Scotland The response of peatland carbon accumulation to climate can be complex, with internal feedbacks and processes that can dampen or amplify responses to external forcing. Records of carbon accumulation from peat cores provide a record of carbon which persists as peat over long periods of time, demonstrating the long-term response of peatland carbon stocks to climatic events. Numerous records of long-term carbon accumulation exist globally. However, peatlands from oceanic climates, and particularly blanket bog, remain underrepresented. Scottish bogs, which collectively have more than 475 separate palaeoecological records, may prove to be a valuable resource for studying the impact of environmental change on past rates of carbon accumulation. Here we present 12 records of carbon accumulation from the north of Scotland. We support these results with a further 43 records where potential carbon accumulation is inferred from published ages. These reveal a trend of high carbon accumulation in the early Holocene, declining in the mid-to-late Holocene. The trend is consistent with accumulation profiles from other northern peatlands and is likely to have been caused by climatic cooling. Considerable variability in carbon accumulation rates between locations is apparent for the mid-to-late Holocene. We attribute to hydrologically induced changes in carbon accumulation which are likely to be inconsistent between sites.

year: 2019

title: Kia tata mai te pae tāwhiti: Nurturing success in psychology for Māori and Pasifika

authors: Bidois, Devyn

abstract: Embarking on the university education journey is commonly perceived as a pathway to success and enhanced career prospects. However, for Māori and Pasifika students in psychology, this trajectory is distinctly burdened with challenges beyond their control, particularly concerning low clinician representation and educational achievement. This thesis thus explores the experiences, barriers, and aspirations of Māori and Pasifika students engaged in psychology studies in Tauranga Moana. Guided by the principles of Kaupapa Māori, the overarching goal of this thesis is to empower and advocate for students, shedding light on their unique journeys and fostering a platform for meaningful change within the academic landscape. Two group interviews with undergraduate students and two individual interviews with postgraduate students were conducted to explore the research topic. These were then analysed using inductive thematic analysis, and a social constructionist epistemology within a Kaupapa Māori paradigm, to contextualise participant experiences. Three core themes are identified in this analysis. The first theme, the Western Educational Environment, underscores the challenges students face within a system shaped by Western norms. A monocultural, individualistic approach to curriculum, assessments, and teaching methods impacts the diverse cultural perspectives of students, shaping their overall study experiences. The second theme, Pathways, explores the nuanced journeys of tauira navigating various options related to papers, qualifications, and future career prospects. The third theme, Equity, critically examines the (lack of) equity in relation to facilities and services at the Tauranga campus compared to those in Hamilton. Recommendations for the School of Psychology focus on improving discipline relevance for Māori and Pasifika students through methods integrating Kaupapa Māori content and strategies as well as addressing historical issues aims to empower, retain, and support students to higher positions in psychology.

text: Kia tata mai te pae tāwhiti: Nurturing success in psychology for Māori and Pasifika Embarking on the university education journey is commonly perceived as a pathway to success and enhanced career prospects. However, for Māori and Pasifika students in psychology, this trajectory is distinctly burdened with challenges beyond their control, particularly concerning low clinician representation and educational achievement. This thesis thus explores the experiences, barriers, and aspirations of Māori and Pasifika students engaged in psychology studies in Tauranga Moana. Guided by the principles of Kaupapa Māori, the overarching goal of this thesis is to empower and advocate for students, shedding light on their unique journeys and fostering a platform for meaningful change within the academic landscape. Two group interviews with undergraduate students and two individual interviews with postgraduate students were conducted to explore the research topic. These were then analysed using inductive thematic analysis, and a social constructionist epistemology within a Kaupapa Māori paradigm, to contextualise participant experiences. Three core themes are identified in this analysis. The first theme, the Western Educational Environment, underscores the challenges students face within a system shaped by Western norms. A monocultural, individualistic approach to curriculum, assessments, and teaching methods impacts the diverse cultural perspectives of students, shaping their overall study experiences. The second theme, Pathways, explores the nuanced journeys of tauira navigating various options related to papers, qualifications, and future career prospects. The third theme, Equity, critically examines the (lack of) equity in relation to facilities and services at the Tauranga campus compared to those in Hamilton. Recommendations for the School of Psychology focus on improving discipline relevance for Māori and Pasifika students through methods integrating Kaupapa Māori content and strategies as well as addressing historical issues aims to empower, retain, and support students to higher positions in psychology.

year: 2024