A 'Global Civil War'?

The special research program for foreign and security policy at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs arranged an international conference in April 2002, on the implications of September 11 for the agenda of research in international relations. The conference highlighted a topic of particular importance for scholarship and for practice in the foreign and security policy field. It has often been noted that scholars of international relations failed to predict and have had difficulty in explaining the end of the Cold War. Less than one year after the tragic events of September 11, scholars of international politics asked how this event fits into knowledge in the field. Is there a need to revise the research agendas of International Relations in order to understand the consequences of 9/11? Scholarly interests are formed both by academic disciplinary developments and the changing tides of real world events. Often, the research agendas of international relations mirror the agendas of governments. At the same time, research can and should inform policy contribute to how foreign policy actors confront international issues. One conclusion from our stocktaking is that there must be synergy between the theory and the practices of foreign and security policy. Prominent scholars in the field of international relations have contributed to this volume. Authors include Barry Buzan, Ned Lebow, Janice Gross Stein, Michael Cox and Archie Brown. The authors all express their own opinions and engage in critical academic debate.