Staff

Dr Karen Smith

E-mail: Karen.smith@uct.ac.za

Qualifications:

BA (Hons), MA, DPhil (Stellenbosch)

Teaching specialisation:

International Relations; International Relations Theory; International Organisation; Foreign Policy Analysis; South Africa's Political History

Research interests:

International Relations theory; the developing world (Africa in particular) as an object of IR study and an agent of IR knowledge; South Africa and India as regional powers in the global South.

Selected publications:

(forthcoming 2011) “Africa as an agent of International Relations knowledge: a preliminary investigation” in Fantu, C., Shaw, T.M. and Cornelissen, S. (eds) Africa and International Relations in the Twenty-First Century: Still Challenging Theory? Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

(forthcoming 2011) "South Africa and India as Regional Leaders: Gaining Acceptance and Legitimacy Through the Use of Soft Power" in Modi, R. (ed.) Redefining South-South Cooperation: Africa on the Centre Stage. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

(forthcoming 2011) "Contrived boundaries, kinship and ubuntu: a (South) African view of the 'international”, in  Tickner, A. & Blaney, D. (eds) Thinking the International Differently. London: Routledge.

Smith, K (forthcoming 2011) “Soft Power: the Essence of South Africa’s Foreign Policy” in South Africa’s International Relations: a 15 Year Audit. Midrand: Institute for Global Dialogue.

Smith, K. (2010) “Obstacles to the Development of IR Theory in the Developing World: the Case of South Africa” in Africa Review, vol.2, no.1: 65-80.

Smith, K. (2010) “Acceptance and Legitimacy through Soft Power” in Closing the gap between Domestic and Foreign Policy. Conference proceedings of the 2009 DIRCO Annual Conference. Pretoria: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Smith, K. (2010) “What has happened to the Bandung spirit?” in The Thinker, volume 14: 32-33.

(2009) "Has Africa got anything to say? African contributions to the theoretical development of International Relations" in Round Table, vol.98, issue 402 (June): 269-284.

Smith, K. (2009) “Balancing International Recognition and Regional Acceptance” in The Thinker (Oct): 58-60.

(2007) with Ian Taylor. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Global Institutions Series). London: Routledge.

Other:

Research associate, Institute for Global Dialogue, South Africa

Board member: Africana Journal

Committee member, International Sociology (IPS) Section, International Studies Association (ISA)

Contact details:

• Physical Address: in the process of moving - refer to main office in the interim (5.33, Robert Leslie Building, Upper Campus)
• Postal Address: Department of Political Studies, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7700.
• Tel.: +27 21 650 3350, 6503799 (fax)
• Email: karen.smith@uct.ac.za