Law and Politics of the Syrian Conflict
Symposium on Syria

A Symposium with invited panellists discussing the ongoing conflict in Syria.
- From: Friday 4 May 2018, 9.30 am
- To: Friday 4 May 2018, 6.30 pm
- Registration: 9.30 am
- Location: Lecture Theatre 7, Newton building, Nottingham Trent University, City Campus, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ
- Booking deadline: Friday 4 May 2018, 10.00 am
- Download this event to your calendar
Event details
The conflict in Syria is generally seen as having started towards the end of the Arab Spring in 2011 and continues to date with few signs of ending.
It has involved the Syrian government, rebels, insurgents and terrorists groups, as well as Russia, the United States, Turkey, Iran, the United Kingdom, France and other states. It has cost up to half a million lives; has led to over 12 million refugees and displaced persons, fuelling a refugee crisis in neighbouring countries and in Europe; and has destroyed Syrian infrastructure. It is one of the most devastating conflicts of our time, with allegations of chemical attacks on civilians and other war crimes, yet it appears as if the international community is incapable of doing anything to stop or even alleviate this bitterest of wars that clearly involves the violation of humanity’s most basic norms.
This symposium on Syria aims to provide an inter-disciplinary forum for informed discussion and to increase the level of knowledge and debate on this important, pressing and relevant subject.
Programme
Registration – 9.30 am
Session 1 (10 am) – Syria in Context
Panel discussing the historical and political context of Syria as a state and the global context for the ongoing conflict.
- Aidan Hehir (University of Westminster)
- Janka Skrzypek (NTU)
- Shaza Alsalmoni (Syrian Legal Development Programme)
Session 2 (12 noon) – International Action and Responses to the Conflict
Panel discussing the military considerations, collective security failures, IHL failures and interventions.
- Nigel White (University of Nottingham)
- Yasmine Nahlawi (Rethink Rebuild Society)
- Richard Jones (NTU)
Film Screening (2.30 pm) – ‘Syria’s Disappeared’ (dir. Sara Afshar)
Session 3 (4 pm) – The Impact of International and National Action
Panel discussing the issues raised by the documentary, the humanitarian considerations of the conflict and the obligations of the international community.
- Helen O’Nions (NTU)
- Lydia Davies-Bright (NTU)
- Ben Hudson (University of Lincoln)
Round-table concluding discussion (5.30 pm) on:
- Prospects for the end of the conflict.
- The wider humanitarian obligation post-conflict.
End – 6.30 pm
Location details
Room/Building:
Address:
Nottingham Trent University
City Campus
Nottingham
NG1 4FQ
Parking:
Nottingham has plenty of Park and Ride services, a number of which are run alongside the city’s tram service - the parking provision is always generous, and you can expect a tram every ten minutes. We recommend using them, as parking in the centre can quickly become expensive. Visit the NET site for more information on the city’s Park and Ride services.
If you’re intending to park in the city centre, the closest (and largest) facilities to our City Campus are:
- Trinity Square (NG1 4BT): £4.30 - £13.00
- Talbot Street (NG1 5GG): £2.00 - £12.00
- The Victoria Centre (NG1 3QN): £3.50 - £15.00
Travel Info:
Visit our travel pages for detailed information on how to get to our City Campus.
Past event