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Andrew Dorman, King's College London, andrew.dorman@kcl.ac.uk

The International Security and Arms Control fields are in a state of flux. Constant change appears to be the norm rather than the exception. In a post-911 world, the War on Terror has not been brought to an end; US-led forces continue to engage in military operations in Iraq whilst NATO is currently overseeing operations in Afghanistan. At the same time the Chinese military is actively engaged in supporting recovery operations after the devastating earthquake whilst the Burmese military have frustrated the international community in their handling of the situation after a devastating cyclone struck their country. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council has approved the deployment of warships into Somali territorial waters to help combat growing piracy. In the background there are rising oil, raw material and food prices, the latter having led to food riots in a number of states whilst the need for all has led to greater Chinese engagement in the world, especially in Africa. At the same time we are witnessing a major change in the leadership of the world's leading states. France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia and Russia have new leaders with the United States set to inaugurate a new President in January 2009.

All this raises the question of whether we are genuinely seeing real changes within the international system accompanied by new security challenges or are we merely seeing variations on existing themes. Do we need to rethink our understanding and definition of security and arms control? What are the implications for the people of the world, individual states, non-governmental actors and international organizations? How can governments and individuals deal with the complexities of these challenges? Where does academia fit in? To what extent should we engage in transferring our knowledge beyond the narrow confines of academia?

The division seeks proposals for papers and panels relating to the themes noted above and any others addressing the major security issues drawing upon a variety of theoretical perspectives.