How to Win an Argument?!
30. 1. 2017 Author: Kateřina Bartošová On 26 January 2017, the Department of International Relations and European Studies (IRES) organised a workshop that sought to explain rhetoric in current international relations.The workshop’s participants – mainly consisting of IRES students – carefully listened to the main speaker Dr Mitchell Belfer (Senior Lecturer at the IRES Department) who also teaches the course The Art of Rhetoric, Debate and Discussion in International Relations. Participants learned about the three main pillars of persuasive argumentation as developed by Aristotle: ethos – the ethical character of the speaker, pathos – an emotional connection to the audience, and logos - logical argumentation. Based on the theory, some current issues of international relations such as migration crisis and Brexit were analysed. It was pointed out that politicians often play to the emotional side of their audience, trying to create an unreasonable fear rather than outlining logical aspects. Consequently, discussion among participants focused on the speeches of American President, Donald Trump, and the unanswered question of how to argue with somebody who is not being logical.
Other items from the/this section
Final Workshop & Book Launch in Szeged
17. 9. 2025 Author: Ladislav Cabada
Metropolitan University Prague was represented by Professor Cabada, Vice-Rector of MUP, co-investigator of the project “Urban Post-COVID Recovery in the V4 Countries” and co-editor of the book “Urban Responses to the Covid-19 Pandemic” at a conference at the University of Szeged in Hungary on 11–12 September 2025.
Populism, Foreign Policy, and a Week of Intense Debate: PhD Summer School at MUP
9. 6. 2025 Author: Šárka Kolmašová
From June 2 to 6, the Center for Security Studies (C4SS) at Metropolitan University Prague hosted a week-long Doctoral Summer School under the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), taking on one of today’s most urgent political questions: How is populism reshaping foreign and security policy in Central and Eastern Europe? The event gathered PhD students from Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Portugal, and Bulgaria, each bringing fresh insights and case studies from their own regions. Across five packed days—and two preparatory online sessions—participants dissected narratives, analyzed media, pitched research, and explored publishing strategies with a lineup of top-tier scholars.
South Africa and Beyond – An International Student Trade Fair at MUP
19. 5. 2025 Author: Tereza Němečková
On Tuesday, 13 May 2025, we had the honour of welcoming students from the Tshwane School for Business and Society, our partner university in South Africa, who participated in an international student trade fair organized by the African Studies Centre and the Department of International Business.