【Seminar Report】 Riceball Seminar Vol.12 (MALAI Andrei/Doctor Student at Graduate School of International Relations)

Andrei Malai is a Doctor Student at the Graduate School of International Relations here at Ritsumeikan University. He specializes his interdisciplinary research in International Relations Theory and Social Psychology with the supervisor Professor. Kenki Adachi (the photo below).

Andrei Malai gave a lecture on Critical Human Security Studies titled “Critical Human Security Studies & the Emancipation from Stress: The UN in Cambodia (1991-1993)” as part of the Riceball Seminar Series. This lecture consisted of an analysis of the United Nation’s peacekeeping mission in Cambodia from 1991 to 1993 (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia – UNTAC). Along with its liberal nature and focus on democratization and (Western) human rights, UNTAC is regarded as the first multidimensional PKO, as well as the most comprehensive one to date. The humanitarian situation in Cambodia has improved considerably in recent decades. Nonetheless, investigating the shortcomings of UNTAC and its consequences remains insightful both for Cambodian citizens as well as for Human Security Studies, more generally.

Andrei Malai’s research is a blend of International Relations Theory and Social Psychology through which he reconceptualized the narrative of human security and shifted the focus on psychological stress and traumata. Unlike liberal peace projects which treat democratization and negative peace as an end in itself, his proposed framework recommends treating those rather as means toward another end, namely the stress of victims of humanitarian crises. As such, his research functions not only as a complement to existing criticism of liberal peace, but also as an introduction of psychological variables for the analysis of human security.  

More generally, in his lecture, Andrei Malai highlighted the benefits of interdisciplinarity in research and the importance of not losing a certain degree of focus on practical applicability when engaging in theory-building research.  

Photos taken by Radesa Guntur Budipramono (Doctor Student at Graduate School of International Relations)