The Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and Rule of Law

University of Aberdeen

The Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and Rule of Law (CISRUL) studies life in the world of political concepts. Our interdisciplinary centre examines how political principles function within and beyond the contemporary west. Concepts such as citizenship, civil society, and the rule of law are used as often by policy makers as by scholars. Core to CISRUL’s mission is informing academic and public debate on how they are used, and to what effect. Headed by Trevor Stack (Spanish and Latin American Studies, Anthropology), CISRUL’s membership reaches across 8 disciplines to house a vibrant, diverse debate about the political concepts which underpin our modern world. It brings to bear expertise in anthropology, education, history, law, philosophy, politics, sociology and theology. CISRUL brings together an extraordinary range of researchers, including PhD students, to study these and other political principles, including democracy, human rights and pluralism. We consider how they have been fostered historically, debated philosophically and in politics, fought over by social movements, codified in law, transmitted through education and the media, and lived out in everyday life.

One of CISRUL’s core aims is to engage with scholars throughout the world and across disciplines. To this end, we host visiting scholars throughout our annual seminar series, and we invite at least one prestigious scholar a year to come to Aberdeen and give a series of Guest Lectures. We also offer annual PhD Scholarships for interdisciplinary study with the Centre.