Newsletter: June 2025

Welcome to the Justice & Violence Studies @ Exeter Research Network newsletter

Thank you for being a valued member of the Network! We'd love to hear about your latest projects, publications, events, or any support you need. Just email justice-violencestudies@exeter.ac.uk

Contents:

EVENTS | NEWS | OPPORTUNITIES

Keep reading to explore the latest on Network seminars, recent events, member publications, and upcoming happenings this month.
Thanks for staying connected—don’t forget to share your news with us!

EVENTS

J&VS Network Seminar: Professor David Tollerton- Invoking the Holocaust in Relation to Contemporary Issues of Justice and Violence

Friday, 13th June 14:00 – 15:00 via TEAMS LINK Meeting ID: 360 891 934 619 Passcode: jd6iE6HV

The Justice & Violence Studies @Exeter Research Network invites you to a seminar with Professor David Tollerton, Associate Professor in Memory Studies and Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Holocaust and Genocide Studies (CIHGS) at the University of Exeter.

In this seminar Professor Tollerton will explore how the Holocaust is a key reference for understanding genocide, but its remembrance creates tensions between drawing lessons for the present and avoiding inappropriate comparisons, leading to ambiguity in its relevance to contemporary justice and violence.

DWP DEATHS MAKE ME SICK Exhibition at Art Week Exeter!

Catch Vince Law’s shrouds, which were displayed during our Trauma-Informed Practice workshop, on display at this year’s Art Week in Exeter until Sunday 15^th June. If you’re passing through Paris Street, make sure to pop your head into the exhibitions. The exhibition was sponsored by the Network, with special thanks to Stuart Crewes for organising.

Voices of Resilience: Bridging Research, Teaching and Lived Experiences in HE for Sanctuary

Join this free, hybrid research forum on Monday 16^th June 9:30am–2:30pm online, exploring refugee studies through both academic research and lived experience. Presenters include refugee researchers and scholars focused on forced displacement. The keynote speaker brings powerful insight as both a researcher and former refugee. The event highlights the importance of amplifying refugee voices, fostering understanding, and driving policy change. Booking required – Sign up here

Making the Most of Security Funding – Limited Spaces!

Join the Exeter Defence Security and Resilience (DSR) Network on Tuesday 17^th June 09:00 – 16:00, for Making the Most of Security Funding (and Getting the UoE Help You Need!).

Held in the Knightley Building, Streatham Campus, this event brings together government and industry figures to share guidance on securing and managing defence-security funding. Expect practical tools, real-world success stories, and tips for avoiding common pitfalls and opportunities to network with DSR colleagues, all delivered in partnership with Research Services. Places are limited, so register soon to secure yours!

SCI Project Showcase: Dr Raawiyah Rifath – Brave New World

Join the Societies and Cultures Institute on Tuesday 17^th June 10–11:30am at Queen’s Building, Streatham Campus, for a conversation led by Dr Raawiyah Rifath. Her presentation, Brave New World: Sexual and Gender Diversity Asylum under the Shifting Sands of the New Plan for Immigration, examines how recent UK immigration laws disproportionately impact LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. With a unique transdisciplinary lens combining law and psychology, Dr Rifath will explore how changing legal standards intensify barriers for those seeking refuge based on sexual and gender identity. Register to attend via EventBrite

CYP Wellbeing Seminar: Dr Yinyin Zang on School-Based PTSD Interventions

Join the Children and Young People's Wellbeing @Exeter Research Network on Tuesday 17^th June, 11:00–12:30 in the EMS Building room G18, the St Luke’s campus or online (via TEAMS Meeting ID: 313 338 706 716, Passcode: to6qJ9g4) for a seminar with Dr Yinyin Zang, Senior Research Fellow in Clinical Psychology at Peking University.

Dr Zang will present her pioneering work on culturally informed, scalable PTSD interventions for adolescents in low-resource settings, including school-based group therapies in China. Her research addresses global disparities in mental health access through innovative, accessible, and context-sensitive approaches.
Open to staff and students from all disciplines, this seminar offers valuable insights into trauma care, implementation science, and cross-cultural psychological interventions.

Celebrate Refugee Week 2025 with Refugee Support Devon

Join Refugee Support Devon in Exeter for a vibrant week of celebrations from 17^th –23^rd June! This year’s theme, Community as a Superpower, highlights the strength of togetherness. Enjoy film screenings at Exeter Phoenix, a community dinner at St Sidwell’s Community Centre, and a creative Sewing for Refugee Week workshop at RAMM.

Take part to connect, learn, and celebrate the contributions of refugees in our communities.

All are welcome! The full programme is available on the Refugee Support Devon website.

Developing Business-Aware Academics Networking Workshops

Early-career researchers at Exeter are invited to a one-day networking workshop on 19th June from 10:30 – 15:30 at the Streatham Campus, hosted by the Developing Business-Aware Academics (DBAA) project. This mini-series includes interactive sessions on jargon-free communication for non-academic audiences and using the konfer platform to build business collaborations. Participants can also sign up for a one-to-one conversation simulation to practise networking in a supportive setting. Refreshments and lunch are included. Please note this opportunity is not open to doctoral students. To learn more and register visit https://business-aware-academics.org/category/researcher-events/.

Visual Literacy: How to Read and Construct Images

Monday 23rd June 10.30am – 12pm Online

In a world of 5 billion daily photos, how many truly tell a compelling story? This online session explores visual literacy—the ability to interpret and create powerful imagery. Learn how images communicate meaning, drawing on examples from historical art and modern advertising, then gain practical tips to enhance the storytelling power of your own visuals. Whether for research, presentations, or social media, this workshop will sharpen your visual communication skills.

For more information and to register, visit the learning and development site.

Upcoming Talk: “We Eat the Mines and the Mines Eat Us” – Sandra Rodríguez (UCL)

This talk by Sandra Rodríguez (UCL) is taking place on 25th June 1:00–2:30pm in Amory B316 or via Teams Meeting Meeting ID: 311 063 901 190 3 Passcode: 6RK3Jp9b. Sandra will explore the entanglements of reproduction and the environment in extractive zones. Drawing from her research in Cerro de Pasco, Peru, she will reflect on how life is governed and politicised in toxic geographies shaped by extractivism. The session will consider broader theoretical frameworks, including ecological exhaustion, and how these impact both productive and reproductive lives. Any questions, email c.freeman@exeter.ac.uk

West Country Association for Family Therapy – Training Day

Join the WCAFT on Monday 30th June for a dynamic training day: Explorations in Non-Violent Resistance (NVR), led by Erica Pavord, Systemic Psychotherapist and Course Lead at the University of Bath. Erica will deliver a keynote exploring NVR across diverse contexts, followed by a choice of local workshops led by experienced practitioners, including Dr Barbara McKay.

This interactive day runs from 9.45am–4.30pm at the Penny Brohn Centre, Bristol and includes a vegetarian lunch. Don’t miss this opportunity to refresh and deepen your NVR practice.

Booking essential, contact wcaftevent@gmail.com Workshop preferences taken at registration.

Remix and Recombine: Exploring Research Through Collage

Wednesday 9th July, 1:30–4:30pm, St Luke’s Campus

Join Dr Caitlin Kight for a hands-on workshop exploring collage as a creative research method. Collage brings together diverse elements into a unified whole—an approach that resonates deeply with the research process. Participants will experiment with collage individually and in groups, using the technique to reflect on their own work while discovering unexpected connections across disciplines. The session aims to spark fresh questions, perspectives, and collaborations. Dr Kight, co-lead of the Creative Toolkit project, brings her expertise in creativity, social justice, and care ethics to this engaging and imaginative event. Sign up to reserve your space.

Future J&VS Network Seminars- we are looking for volunteers to present their research at future seminars. If that's you, email justice-violencestudies@exeter.ac.uk

Share your events- we would love to share your events here- email justice-violencestudies@exeter.ac.uk

NEWS

Thanks for joining us at our J&VS Network Away Day

On Wednesday 4th June, we hosted an Away Day event at Exeter Phoenix for various network members and other interested attendees for an afternoon of sharing ideas and networking. This included a fascinating line up of speakers who each gave 5-minute presentations summarising some aspect of their recent or prospective research, followed by sparkling questions and discussion. With talks on Irish political arson, monster theory and Biblical reception, Holocaust memorialisation, the necessity for better understanding domestic violence both within the law and society, and legal activism. It was a valuable opportunity to forge or rediscover connections under the broad scope of ‘Justice and Violence Studies’. In addition, we welcomed feedback on the launch of our themes, in particular how different parties could better see their research represented under the auspices of the network in order to sustain and grow it into the next year.

Critical and Creative Approaches to Trauma-Informed Practice

On Thursday 5^th June we held our workshop on ‘critical and creative approaches to trauma-informed practice’ at CoLab in Exeter. The workshop hosted insightful and inspiring contributions by a number of speakers: Dr Natalie Ohana, University of Exeter; Hugh Macleod, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims; Moyra Samuels and Yara Nasrany, Grenfell NHS Health and Wellbeing Service; Samantha Knights KC, Matrix Chambers; Raawiyah Rifath, University of Exeter; Valentina Todino, Refugee Support Devon; Catherine Cartwright, CoLab; Siân Pearce, University of Exeter; Lexy Newbold, University of Exeter.

There was also a display of artwork by Vince Laws (‘DWP Deaths Make Me Sick’) (Available to view outside 21 Paris Street, Exeter, EX1 2JB until Sunday 15^th June) with an accompanying discussion hosted by Lucía Guerrero. We were joined by CoLab staff throughout the day, including Robin Jakob, who introduced the work of CoLab as it is an organisation that integrates a trauma-informed approach into its work. We are really grateful to all speakers and attendees for their contributions to the event, as well as to CoLab for hosting us.

Congratulations to Lucia Guerrero on New Publication

We’re proud to celebrate Lucia Guerrero, J&VS Network and Steering Group member, on the publication of the chapter “Pain Compliance, Disability, and State Accountability: Lessons from Chile and Colombia on the Form and Function of Less Lethal Weapons” in the Routledge International Handbook of Critical Policing Studies. She co-authored the chapter with Javier Velásquez Valenzuela, who visited Exeter to present an invited talk to the Network in 2023.

This groundbreaking collection brings together 65 contributors across 39 chapters, centring voices from the Global South and First Nations communities. Javier and Lucia’s work offers vital insights into state violence and disability rights in Latin America—an important addition to global conversations on policing, reform, and accountability. Read the full article here.

RefugEAP Programme Releases First Impact Report

The RefugEAP Programme have released their Impact Report 2022–25, marking three years of supporting refugee-background students across the UK. RefugEAP is a free online pre-university academic English skills programme, and the report highlights student progression, testimonials, and insights from volunteer tutors.

It also showcases collaborations with partner organisations and how they create meaningful educational opportunities. Download the full report and learn more here RefugEAP Programme Impact Report 2022-25

Exeter Academic Named Salzburg Global Fellow to Tackle Youth Violence

Professor Huw Williams from the University of Exeter has been named a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Academy, joining an international initiative focused on reducing violence against children and young people. Alongside colleagues Professor Stan Gilmour and Dr. Hope Kent, Professor Williams advocates for a public health approach to address the root causes of youth involvement in the criminal justice system. Their work highlights how trauma, poverty, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) often intersect to perpetuate cycles of disadvantage and incarceration.
Read the full article: Breaking the Cycle: Trauma, Poverty, Brain Injury, and the Criminal Justice System here.

New Book: The Pashtun Borderland by Jan-Peter Hartung

Jan-Peter Hartung’s latest book, The Pashtun Borderland: A Religious and Cultural History of the Taliban (CUP 2024), offers a historically layered approach to understanding the Taliban phenomenon. Rather than relying on dominant narratives from investigative journalism or security studies, Hartung examines the sociocultural and geopolitical contexts shaping the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Taḥrīk i Ṭālibān i Pākistān.

Hartung, a Senior Research Fellow at the Friedrich-Alexander University Research Centre for Islam and Law in Europe, presented his work at a recent J&VS Network seminar. The book is available from the Cambridge University Press website and a recording of the launch event is here. A recording of the seminar is available from the J&VS Network website here.

The Defence, Security, and Resilience Compendium

A collection of nine essays from researchers within the Exeter Defence, Security and Resilience @Exeter Research Network offers insights for UK policymakers on nuclear forces, Iran, and online radicalisation. Experts highlight concerns over the UK’s nuclear deterrence, the urgency of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the increasing threat of self-initiated terrorists and will help inform the ongoing Strategic Defence Review.

Topics include AI implementation, climate change’s impact on military operations, and the role of education in emerging technologies. The compendium launched at Royal United Services Institute is available here and there’s more information on the network’s website.

Research reveals how apartheid-era sexual violence has been ‘collectively unremembered’ by South African society

New research by J&VS Network member Dr. Emily Bridger and research associate Kefuoe Makena has uncovered a cultural phenomenon among a generation of South African women: the collective "unremembering" of sexual violence during apartheid. Many Black women interviewed in Thokoza and Katlehong, two townships deeply affected by political violence before the 1994 elections, asserted that rape was minimal or nonexistent during apartheid—despite some recounting personal experiences of assault.

The study, Published in the journal Past & Present has, the authors say, implications for the current focus on sexual violence in contemporary South Africa. More details on the research project South Africa’s Hidden War can be found on the project website.

OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Co-Lead: Routes Research Network

Routes: Migration, Mobility, Displacement Network is seeking a new co-lead to help shape and support this vibrant interdisciplinary research community. Based at the University of Exeter, Routes brings together academics and activists to explore human mobility in all its forms, influence policy, and share knowledge beyond academia.

The co-lead will help develop strategy, deliver events, and strengthen collaborations. A 0.2FTE workload allocation, admin support, and a small operating budget are provided.

Apply by Friday 20th June with a 200-word statement to: routes@exeter.ac.uk. Full role description available on request.

Calling All PGR Members!

Are you a PGR member of the J&VS Network? We want to hear from you! Let us know what you’d like to see from the Network and share any questions you have by filling this form or emailing Lucía Guerrero Rivière, PhD Student lg562@exeter.ac.uk

RefugEAP 2025/26 – Student Applications Now Open

Applications are now open for the RefugEAP Programme 2025/26, a free online pre-university academic English skills course for refugee-background students across the UK. Module 1 will run from 29^th September to 12^th December 2025.

If you know someone who could benefit—particularly those unable to access a sanctuary fee-waiver on a pre-sessional—please check the eligibility criteria on the RefugEAP webpages.

Places are limited and priority will be given to those who best meet the criteria.

The deadline for application Sunday 3^rd August. Early applications encouraged.

Please email refugeap@leeds.ac.uk with any questions.

Call for Expert Witness Support – Counter Terrorism Policing

Counter Terrorism Policing is seeking experts to provide expert witness support in areas including Al-Qaeda, radicalisation, terrorist financing, white nationalism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and conspiracy theories, among others.

If you have expertise in any of these fields, please submit your contact details, qualifications, and a 300-word expression of interest to expertwitness@ctpne.police.uk

Let the world know you're a member of the Justice & Violence Studies @Exeter Research Network

As a member of the J&VS network you can update your university profile to add a ‘label’ which shows that you are a member. Adding this label will provide you with increased visibility (internally and externally) as an Exeter Research Network member, as it will enable your profile to be shared on the network’s online membership lists and search tools.

Adding a network label is quick and easy and there are instructions here. Please note that this label is not linked to your communications preferences for the network and will not be removed if you unsubscribe from mailing lists. If you have any questions, please contact researchnetworks@exeter.ac.uk.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

2025 UKRI Policy Fellowships

UKRI has just launched the 2025 Policy Fellowship scheme. There are 42 fellowships available across 23 government departments and six What Works centres - they're a great opportunity to work within a government department, co-designing research to inform policy change and address pressing national and global challenges. Policy@Exeter are offering support and pre-award costings guidance for applicants. Please contact policyengagement@exeter.ac.uk if you intend to apply. All applicants must discuss their plans with their DORI, who will be required to confirm departmental support.

Here are some we think may be of particular interest to J&VS Network members:

The closing date for applications is 15^th July.

Research Funding Opportunity: Health Impacts of Serious Violence Policies

The NIHR Public Health Research Programme is inviting applications for projects exploring the health impacts of policies tackling serious violence. This includes areas such as youth violence in public spaces, homicide, and offences linked to county lines drug dealing. The deadline to apply is 12^th December 2025. For more information visit the NIHR website.

Explore Hundreds of Opportunities with Funding Finder

Dr Andrew Cunliffe’s Funding Finder platform signposts a wide range of funding opportunities for research, fieldwork, conferences, and exchanges. With awards from £100 to £10 million, it’s relevant to individuals at all levels—from undergraduates to senior academics. With searchable listings and awards ranging from £100 to £10 million, it's designed to support global collaboration and research engagement.

Explore Funding Finder and share with your networks. Over 6,000 users from 90 countries have already accessed the tool, and around 400 more awards are expected to be added by August.

Explore PIVOT-RP: get personalised alerts for research funding opportunities

In October 2024, the University transitioned to Pivot-RP, a powerful online database for finding research funding. Users can search for external and internal funding calls, set up tailored searches, receive funding alerts, track opportunities, and collaborate with colleagues. The platform also provides updates on conferences, paper calls, and research news.

To maximise benefits, users should create an account, claim their profile, and join public groups for bi-weekly funding alerts. Training guides and access information are available on the RIME SharePoint: Finding Funding Opportunities (PIVOT-RP).

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