Conversations with Fellows: Dr Charles Jones on the 'The Global Architecture of Authority: Global Governance Through the Lens of History & International Law'

This event is part of the Wolfson College Research Network’s (WCRN) Conversation with Fellows series, which brings you research conducted by Wolfson College Fellows. Get to know what the Fellows publish, the research questions that keep them up at night, and join discussions that are topical and thought-provoking.In this conversation, we explore the global governance architecture with Dr Charles Jones, drawing on his expertise to examine key ideas shaping the field, including debates such as the North/South debate and its implications for contemporary international relations.Dr Charles Jones is a historian, Wolfson College Fellow, and Emeritus Reader in International Relations with interests in International Relations, war, Argentina, and Victorian radical feminism. He received his BA in Moral Sciences and History from Clare College, Cambridge, and completed his doctorate on Anglo-Argentine commercial relations before 1914. He later earned an MA in Philosophy from the University of Warwick, where he was a pioneer in teaching International Political Economy (IPE), particularly focusing on North-South relations. Upon returning to Cambridge in 1998, he taught International Relations Theory and lectured in the Centre of Latin American Studies, serving twice as the Centre's Director. Dr Jones helped develop the new field of international political economy by teaching and publishing on North-South relations and developing courses on the politics of international trade and transnational enterprise. Co-author, with Barry Buzan and Richard Little, of an influential critique of neorealism, The Logic of Anarchy (Columbia University Press, 1993), he went on to write E. H. Carr and International Relations (1998). Later Jones worked on the ethics and narratives of war. His most recent books are, American Civilization (University of London SAS, 2007) which explored hemispheric commonalities, More than Just War (Routledge, 2013), which offered a critique of contemporary just war discourse and a literary exploration of military ethics, and International Relations: A Beginner’s Guide (Oneword, 2013), which speaks for itself.  Prajakti Kalra is the Wolfson College Research Networks Manager and a Central Asianist. She plays a pivotal role in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing the College’s research initiatives. Her responsibilities include coordinating research activities, facilitating communication among scholars, and supporting the development of academic networks within the Wolfson community.Alongside her administrative work, Prajakti actively contributes to scholarly discourse. Her academic background spans history, political science, and psychology, informing her interdisciplinary approach to research. She is an alumna of Jesus College, University of Cambridge; the University of Chicago; and Indiana University Bloomington. She can be followed on LinkedIn and on X (Twitter) at @PrajaktiK.Visuals: Photo sourced from Unsplash.Music: “Treetone” by Airtone, used under Creative Commons license via CC Mixter. Mixer & Editor: Lily Tekseng