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Gordon Cumming

Yr Athro Gordon Cumming

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Ysgol Ieithoedd Modern

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My research interests focus on British, French and European foreign and development policies towards sub-Saharan Africa. They include a particular focus on policies to promote democracy and good governance as well as on the growing role of Northern Non-Governmental Organisations south of the Sahara.

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Ymchwil

My research over the past 25 years has been interdisciplinary to the core, bringing together concepts, methods and practices from fields as diverse as French Studies, international development, colonial history, conflict management and Area (particularly African) studies.

My research aims to reinvigorate language-based Area Studies (scholarship which typically concentrates on the society, politics, economics and culture of a specific country), by tackling head-on the criticisms (above all the lack of theory-building capacity) that have beset research in this field. I now head up the School's research group Global Language-Based Area studies which studies the politics, society, languages and cultures of areas (including Europe, Africa, China, and Latin America) and aims to 

  • rethink and ‘decolonise’ area studies
  • break down disciplinary barriers
  • incorporate innovative and creative research methods

My current research seeks to follow up on a large Leverhulme grant on which I was the Principal Investigator and which involved Professor Tony Chafer of the University of Portsmouth (as co-investigator), Dr Roel van der Velde (as research associate) and Chatham House in a consultative capacity.

So far, this project has delivered research specifically on France's Military Intervention in the Western Sahel and the extent to which it reflect a 'new' way of intervening and a change of trajectory/ a new path dependency in the case of French military policy. It has also led to Chatham House conferences, most notably a colloqium entitled 'Mobilizing Multinational Military Operations in Africa: Quick Fixes or Sustainable Solutions?'

Related to this, we are also working on the sustainability of France's military approach in the Sahel, and more specifically on the strengths and limitations of the strategic narratives used in support of French operations. 

Another strand to our research involves African peacekeeping coalitions (AMISOM, MNJTF and the G5 Sahel) and asks whether criticisms of these groupings is misguided and based erroneously on  Western military doctrines.

My other project focuses on French debt cancellation and NGO effectiveness.

Addysgu

I have developed the following courses: France and Africa; Business French (which prepares students for the new Paris Chamber of Commerce examination), second year translation course (revamped with translation workshops and computer-assisted learning programmes).

I have also prepared a lecture course on French and British African policies for Bordeaux IEP (Jan-Feb 2003); developed a series of lectures on British foreign policy for Bordeaux (Jan-Feb 2005) and offered a France and Africa option on the MA in European Studies (both the IR and the European Studies’ pathways).

I have, moreover, helped to oversee the development of the LLM: a Masters degree in Law and French (Marie-Laure Jones as coordinator); Modern France: lecture and seminar course for Cardiff-Bordeaux students; and both CAN-8 and Blackboard (electronic teaching resources).  I have put all of my courses (as well as all year abroad documentation) on Blackboard.

Bywgraffiad

I have held major administrative roles including Head of French, Chair of the Resources Committee and adviser on the Teaching Quality Assessment exercises.  I currently have the following duties:

  • Socrates representative for BA students
  • Socrates representative for incoming French students
  • Assistantships coordinator (second semester)
  • Second year translation coordinator
  • Library representative
  • French representative on Resources Committee
  • University Accreditations sub-Committee
  • University Programme Approval Panel
  • EGIPP- member of steering committee

Career profile

Having graduated in 1988 with a First Class Honours in French Language and Literature at Glasgow University, I joined the Foreign and Commonwealth as a graduate entrant.  In this capacity, I worked in Africa Research Department and was assistant desk officer in Southern African Department.  I also worked as a negotiator and rapporteur on the Economic and Financial Committee at the United Nations in New York.

I left the Foreign Office and worked in Barclays Bank as a special entrant on the Management Development Programme. I was trained primarily in risk assessment and was responsible for evaluating large corporate loans.

In 1992, I joined Cardiff University as a lecturer in French and am now a senior lecturer.  In this role, I have held a number of positions of responsibility, including Head of French, year abroad coordinator, and Chair of the Library, IT and Equipment Committee.  I am also the School representaive on the University Accreditations Sub-Committee and the teaching quality Progress Appraisal Panel.

Awards and prizes

In 2002, I secured approximately £13,000 for the School in research funding while undertaking a research management role in the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.  In this capacity, I oversaw a £1 million research budget which focused on crime prevention, security and economic development issues.

In 2003, I was awarded a grant of nearly £17,000 from the Leverhulme Trust to undertake research into French NGOs.

Aelodaethau proffesiynol

  • Visiting fellow at l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques (‘Sciences-Po’) in Bordeaux
  • Leverhulme Fellowship 2003-04
  • External Examiner for French section, Kingston University
  • Active member of Boston & Portsmouth University Francophone Africa Groups
  • Regularly invited to meetings of  BISA IR, Global Development Working Group and Algeria Working Group
  • Regular liaison with Research & Analysis Department of Foreign Office and Development Assistance Committee (OECD)
  • Founding member of the Cardiff University European Governance, Identity and Public Policy (EGIPP) Research group (Cardiff University)
  • Chair of numerous conference sessions for Association of Modern and Contemporary France

Meysydd goruchwyliaeth

I have recently co-supervised to completion three PhD students: Odile Bomba Nkolo (French aid to Cameroon), Jamie Lemon (the French Military Intervention and the Arab Spring) and Chris Hayes (Stereotypes in UK press reporting on Japan).

I am currently co-supervising an MPhil student, Madeleine Phillips, who plans to go on to do a PhD.

I have also overseen the successful procurement of a dozen ESRC studentships within Cardiff's School of Modern Languages and Department of Politics and International Relations.

I am available to supervise theses on French, UK and EU foreign, development and security policies as well as on Northern Non-Governmental Organisations and their African partners.

Contact Details

Email Cumming@caerdydd.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29208 75590
Campuses 66a Plas y Parc, Ystafell 1.47, Cathays, Caerdydd, CF10 3AS
Gweithio’n Fwy Effeithiol er Budd Eraill: Adnodd ar gyfer Mesur Cynnydd Cyrff Anllywodraethol

Gweithio’n Fwy Effeithiol er Budd Eraill: Adnodd ar gyfer Mesur Cynnydd Cyrff Anllywodraethol

31 October 2019

School of Modern Languages to play its part in flagship University project

School of Modern Languages to play its part in flagship University project

31 October 2014

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