Dr Samuel Jarvis

Teaching

My teaching philosophy is built around the encouragement of students to think critically and engage in reflexive practices, which I believe to be essential in helping to facilitate active and engaged participation in lectures and seminars. I have experience in the development, design and delivery of teaching in International Relations at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I convene the following modules:

• IRL4001M Understanding World Politics
• IRL4003M International Security
• 2PT011 International Relations: Theory and Practice
• 3PT009 Global Governance
• 3PT015 The Politics of Global Health

Research

My research mainly focuses on the complex interaction between politics, morality and law at the global level, with particular emphasis on the UN Security Council and international peace and security. I am passionate about exploring both the normative and practical challenges of motivating international collective action, in specific regard to issues such as humanitarian intervention, human rights protection, climate change and global pandemics.

My previous research has included working as part of a British Academy funded project to explore the UK's role and reputation as a permanent member of the UN Security Council after the decision to leave the European Union. The project built on an interdisciplinary approach to explore how the UK’s status and diplomacy as a permanent member is perceived by other members of the UN Security Council. This research fed into broader debates concerning the UK’s role in peacekeeping, international development and international security, following the decision to leave the EU.

For my latest research, I am exploring the UN Security Council's response to new and emerging security threats linked to climate change and global pandemics. I examine in particular, the rise of informal practices to specifically address these new security challenges in order to spotlight both the current limitations and constraints of the Security Council’s formal rules and practices, whilst also highlighting the creative ways in which states have already begun to adapt practices in more informal settings to try and alleviate these constraints.

Research Interests:

• Responsibility to Protect (R2P)
• The Politics of Humanity
• UN Security Council
• International Peace and Security
• Intervention and Peacekeeping
• Global Governance
• UK Foreign Policy
• International Relations Theory
• Security and Climate Change
• Global Health

Professional Activities

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I am also a member of the European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (ECR2P), Academic Council of the United Nations System, International Studies Association, British International Studies Association, European International Studies Association and convenor of the Intervention and Responsibility to Protect Working Group.

In addition, I have also acted as a peer reviewer for publishers such as Oxford University Press, Palgrave Macmillan, Routledge and Edward Elgar Publishing.

Publications

Monograph

Jarvis, S. (2022) ‘The Limits of Common Humanity: Motivating the Responsibility to Protect in a Changing Global Order’, McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Journal Articles 

Jarvis, S. (2023) ‘The R2P and Atrocity Prevention: Contesting Human Rights as a Threat to International Peace and Security’, European Journal of International Security, 8(2), pp. 243–261.

Ralph, J. Gifkins, J. and Jarvis, S. (2020) ‘The United Kingdom’s Special Responsibilities at the United Nations: Diplomatic Practice in Normative Context’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 22(2):164-181.

Gifkins, J. Jarvis, S. and Ralph, J. (2019) ‘Brexit and the UN Security Council: Declining British Influence?’, International Affairs, 95(6): 1349-1368.

Jarvis, S. (2018) ‘Assessing the Responsibility to Protect’s Motivational Capacity: The Role of Humanity’, Journal of International Political Theory, 14(1): 107-124.

Book Chapters

Brown, G.W. and Jarvis, S. (2019) ‘Motivating Cosmopolitanism and the Responsibility for the Health of Others’ in R. Beardsworth, G.W. Brown & R. Shapcott (eds.) The State and Cosmopolitan Responsibilities (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

Jarvis, S. (2017) A Critical Examination of “Humanity” in Aidan Hehir and Robert Murray, (eds.) Protecting Human Rights in the 21st Century (London: Routledge).

Policy Reports

Gifkins, J. Jarvis, S. and Ralph, J. (2019) ‘Global Britain in the United Nations’. UNA-UK Report.

Published Evidence to Government

Jarvis, S. (2019) Written Evidence ‘Autocracies and UK Foreign Policy inquiry’ Foreign Affairs Committee, May 2019.

Blogs

“Mass Atrocity Prevention and the UN Security Council: What Role for Human Rights?” European Journal of International Security Blog, November 8, 2022.

“Humanity and the Responsibility to Protect: Rethinking a Complex Relationship” European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (ECR2P) Blog, April 20, 2022.

“Responding to the war in Ukraine: What role for the United Nations?” Centre for Religion in Society, York St. John University.

“The Responsibility to Protect in 2020: Thinking Beyond the UN Security Council” E-International Relations, June 19, 2020.

“From Rallying Cry to Quiet Diplomacy: The Evolution of the R2P’s Purpose and Function” European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (ECR2P) Blog, April, 21, 2020.

“Diplomats reveal concerns over UK’s waning influence on UN Security Council” The Conversation, September 26, 2018. (With Gifkins, J and Ralph, J.)

“Global Britain’: have we lost our marbles?” LSE Brexit Blog, (With Gifkins, J and Ralph, J.)

“Global Britain: Influence after Brexit” The UK in a Changing Europe, (With Gifkins, J and Ralph, J.)

“How Will Britain’s Role Change in the UN as Brexit Brews?” Passblue (With Gifkins, J and Ralph, J.)

Book Review 

“Debating Humanitarian Intervention: Should We Try to Save Strangers?” by Fernando Tesón and Bas van der Vossen, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017 E-International Relations, November 12, 2018. (With Garrett Brown)

Media Coverage of Research

“Brexit causing ‘palpable decline’ in UK influence at the UN”, article in The Guardian on ‘Global Britain in the United Nations’ report.

“Brexit weakens Britain’s influence at the UN”, article in The Economist drawing on ‘Global Britain in the United Nations’ report.

“Brexit already weakening UK’s global influence, says study”, article in The Hindustan Times on ‘Global Britain in the United Nations’ report.

Selected Conference Presentations

Jarvis, S. (2023) Informal Practices and The Future of Mass Atrocity Prevention: Exploring The Function of Arria Formula Meetings. European International Studies Association, Potsdam, Germany.

Jarvis, S. (2022) Addressing New Threats in a Pluralist International Order: The UN Security Council’s Response to Health and Climate-related Security Challenges. British International Studies Association, Newcastle UK.

Jarvis, S. (2021) The Evolution of the R2P in a Changing World Order: Rethinking Mass Atrocity Prevention and the Role of the UN Security Council. British International Studies Association, Online.

Jarvis, S. (2021) From Rallying Cry to Quiet Diplomacy: The Evolution of the Responsibility to Protect’s Purpose and Function, International Studies Association, Online.

Jarvis, S. (2021) Redefining Threats to International Peace and Security: Exploring Evolving UN Security Council Practice, International Studies Association, Online.

Jarvis, S. (2019) Contesting International Peace and Security: Sovereignty, Human Rights and The Future of the R2P, International Studies Association, Toronto, Canada.

Jarvis, S. and J. Gifkins (2019) Brexit and the United Nations Security Council: Declining British Influence? International Studies Association, Toronto, Canada.

Jarvis, S. (2019) Competing Accountabilities in R2P Implementation: Rethinking the Interaction Between Morality, Politics and Law. BISA Intervention and R2P Annual Workshop, Leeds, UK

Jarvis, S. and Gifkins, J. (2018) ‘The Special Responsibilities of a Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council: A Framework for Analysing the UK’s Role and Reputation After its Decision to Leave the EU’. ACUNS Annual Conference, Rome, Italy

Jarvis, S. (2017) ‘Rallying Cry or Policy Agenda? Re-evaluating R2P’s Motivational Capacity for Change. British International Studies Association, Brighton, UK. 

Jarvis, S. (2017) ‘Assessing the Responsibility to Protect’s Motivational Capacity: The Role of Humanity’. International Studies Association, Baltimore, USA.

Jarvis, S. (2017) ‘The Scope of Humanity’s Reach: Re-Evaluating the R2P as a Moral Call to Action’. ECR2P Conference University of Leeds, UK.

Jarvis, S. (2016) ‘Reframing State Responsibility to Humanity: Beyond a Threat to Peace and Security’. International Studies Association, Atlanta, USA. 

Jarvis, S. (2015) ‘Reframing the R2P Debate: The Role of Common Humanity’. British International Studies Association, London, UK. 

Jarvis, S. (2015) ‘International Legitimacy and R2P: The Challenges to Liberal Progress’ International Studies Association, New Orleans, USA.