Simon Sweeney


Simon Sweeney is an English author and lecturer in international political economy and business based at the University of York.

Lecturing

Dr Simon Sweeney is Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy and Business at the York Management School, University of York where he was Director of Postgraduate Programmes from 2012 to 2019. He is a member of the University Learning and Teaching Forum. He was formerly at Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University, and York St. John University.

Writing

Sweeney's writing includes work in different disciplines. He has written a politics text book for Longman, 'Europe, the State and Globalisation', as well as chapters in edited collections. He has also worked as both an author and co-author, producing text books in English language teaching, with a particular interest in communication skills for adult learners working in business and professional environments. These include works on management, marketing and finance for business management students and professionals.
On 12 January 2013 a letter from Sweeney was published by the Guardian newspaper containing data relating to benefits arising from the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union, and the former European Communities, constituting an ingredient for debate over the forthcoming referendum on the nature of Britain's membership of the EU. This letter was subsequently quoted in a speech by Olli Rehn, then Vice-President of the European Commission. The letter re-surfaced during the 2016 referendum campaign on UK membership of the European Union and went viral with over 100,000 shares.
He has written a number of articles on the EU/UK/Brexit issue on the academic current affairs website the conversation. These can be found at:
The Conversation.
He has written reports on the internationalisation of higher education, especially in relation to the European Higher Education Area and the Bologna Process. These reports are available from the Higher Education Academy.

Other work

Between 2006-13 Simon Sweeney was one of 14 UK Bologna Experts. The Bologna Process aims to create the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe.
He obtained his PhD at the University of Leeds, with a thesis on 'EU Common Security and Defence Policy: Power, bureaucratic politics and Grand Strategy'. He has longstanding research interests in the European Union and the integration process, including the European Single Market.
He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, with specialist expertise in the internationalisation of higher education, internationalisation strategy, and the Bologna Process. He is available for consultancy work in these areas. He is also a Certified Management and Business Educator through the Chartered Association of Business Schools.

Fellowships and projects

Sweeney, S. ‘The internal security implications of Brexit’ UK in a Changing Europe. 12 February.
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/the-internal-security-implications-of-brexit/
Sweeney, S. ‘Security, defence and Brexit: shared collateral damage for the UK and the EU’ UK in a Changing Europe. 2 December. https://ukandeu.ac.uk/security-defence-and-brexit-shared-collateral-damage-for-the-uk-and-the-eu/
Sweeney, S. ‘Europeanisation and the transformation of EU security policy: post-cold war developments in the common security and defence policy’ European Security. Book Review. DOI: 10.1080/09662839.2019.1656608
Sweeney, S. ‘The European Union and EUFOR Althea’s contribution to a dysfunctional peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina: bureaucratic politics, emergent strategy? Journal of Regional Security 13 3-38.
Sweeney, S. and Winn, N. ‘CSDP and the Open Method of Coordination: Developing the EU’s Comprehensive Approach to Security’ Journal of Regional Security. 12 95-121.
Sweeney, S. Europe, the State and Globalisation London: Routledge
Sweeney, S. 'Making European Monetary Union Work' Book Review International Affairs 89 May
Wickham, M., Dunn, A., & Sweeney, S. 'Analysis of the leading tourism journals 1999-2008' Annals of Tourism Research, 39 1714-18
Sweeney, S. 'Reconstructing Spain: cultural heritage and memory after civil war' International Journal of Heritage Studies, 17 629-631.
Sweeney, S. ‘9/11 disorder and the European response: the values of international society’, in U. Beitter, Reflections on Europe in Transition Peter Lang Publishing, New York
Sweeney, S. ‘Globalization, Multiple threats and the weakness of international institutions: a community-based response’ in C. Clay, M. Madden and L. Potts Towards understanding community: People and places Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.
Sweeney, S. Europe, the State and Globalisation Longman, Harlow.
Conference papers – European Union: security and defence
Sweeney, S. ‘EU NAVFOR MED Sophia - Is the 'Comprehensive Approach' to Security in Deep Water?’ UACES Annual Conference, Belfast, September.
Sweeney, S. and Winn, N. Critiquing the effectiveness of EU NAVFOR MED Sophia - an example of the Comprehensive Approach to security? BISA SWG, Birmingham City University, 16-17 January and BISA Annual Conference Newcastle.
Sweeney, S. EU security and defence cooperation in times of dissent: analysing PESCO, the European Defence Fund and the European Intervention Initiative in the shadow of Brexit. UACES Annual Conference 2-4 September, Lisbon, Portugal.
Sweeney, S. and Winn, N. EU security and defence cooperation in times of dissent: analysing PESCO, the European Defence Fund and the European Intervention Initiative in the shadow of Brexit. BISA Security Working Group, Newcastle University, January.
Sweeney, S. and Winn, N. ‘CSDP and the Open Method of Coordination: Developing the EU’s Comprehensive Approach to Security’ Belgrade Security Forum, Belgrade, Serbia. 11 October.
Sweeney, S. ‘The security implications of the UK quitting the EU: How will Brexit affect EU strategic ambitions and CSDP?’ UACES Annual Conference, Krakow, Poland. 4-6 September.
Sweeney, S. ‘EU Global Strategy after the UK Referendum on EU membership: Does Brexit scupper EU ambitions?’ BISA Annual Conference Brighton 14-16 June.
Sweeney, S. ‘Brexit: Does the referendum scupper EU ambitions for common security and defence policy?’ BISA Security Research Network, Canterbury Christ Church University, 19-20 January.
Sweeney, S. ‘European Union: Quo Vadis?’ 17 January. Lightning Rods, University of York.
Sweeney, S. ‘The Council call to arms, Mogherini to the rescue? Are statements of intent a sign of Grand Strategy or does CSDP remain hamstrung by state inertia and bureaucratic incrementalism?’ BISA Annual Conference Edinburgh 15-18 June.
Sweeney, S. 'Analysing the impact of CSDP in the Western Balkans: EU strategic success or bureaucratic politics?' UACES Annual Conference, Bilbao. 7-9 September.
Sweeney, S. 'Bureaucratic incrementalism versus Grand Strategy: Common Security and Defence Policy and the triumph of modest achievement over substance' British International Studies Association Conference, London. 16 June.
Sweeney, S. ‘Common Security and Defence Policy: the permanence of bureaucratic politics in EU security dynamics’ PSA Annual Conference 30 March-1 April. Sheffield.
Sweeney, S. ‘More rhetoric, or substance at last: The European Council’s capability promise and the future of CSDP, a potential ‘tipping point’?’ UACES CRN Security. Brussels. 23 January.
Sweeney, S. ‘Explaining ESDP since St Malo: bureaucratic politics and the lack of Grand Strategy’ UACES Annual Conference. University College Cork, Ireland. 1-3 September.
Sweeney, S. ‘Bureaucratic politics: explaining the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union’ CEGBI Summer Conference York Management School, York 30 June – 1 July.
Sweeney, S. ‘The EU and security: anxiety-austerity and the absence of Grand Strategy – a bureaucratic explanation of Common Security and Defence Policy ’ Politics in Times of Anxiety University of Manchester 9-11 June.
Sweeney, S. ‘CSDP and bureaucratic politics: the apparent submergence of strategy and the implications for defence policy integration’ UACES CRN Strategy. Maastricht University 31 January.
Sweeney, S. 'Emergent strategic culture and coexistence: can a CSDP based on lowest common denominator agreement be strategic?' UACES Annual Conference, University of Leeds 2-4 September.
Sweeney, S. ‘The Evolution of an EU ‘institution’: Common Security and Defence Policy ’ CEGBI/CSWL Annual Conference, York Management School, University of York 13-14 June.
Sweeney, S. ‘Legitimacy and the EU Common Security and Defence Policy: credibility gap between rhetoric and results’ EUSA Biennial Conference, Baltimore, Maryland. 9-11 May.
Sweeney, S. ‘Common Security and Defence Policy after Lisbon: executivization marginalising foreign policy?’ PSA Annual Conference, Cardiff 25-7 March.
Sweeney, S. 'Emergence and coexistence: European and member state strategic cultures, cooperation or competition?' UACES CRN on CSDP and Strategy University of Surrey, 1 February.

Publications: HE internationalisation and pedagogy

Sweeney, S. ‘Adapting conventional delivery to cope with large cohorts: turning seminars into workshops and changing assessment’ 5th International Conference on Higher Education Advances Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Valencia. http://www.headconf.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/9505.pdf
Sweeney, S. ‘Student engagement: Key Skills, Social Capital, and Encouraging Learner Contributions to Module Resources’ Journal of Contemporary European Research. 14: 253-272. https://doi.org/10.30950/jcer.v14i3.899
Sweeney, S. Engaging international students in content contribution to the teaching and learning process. Innovative Pedagogies York: Higher Education Academy. https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/simon_sweeney.pdf
Sweeney, S. ‘Internationalisation and the use of electronic media in teaching and assessment: live webinars and audio feedback, some apparent benefits and drawbacks’ Enhancing e-Learning in the Social Sciences. C-SAP On-line Journal. HEA. July http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.11120/elss.2009.02010009
Sweeney, S. Going Mobile: Internationalisation, mobility and the European Higher Education Area http://www.ucml.ac.uk/sites/default/files/shapingthefuture/102/Going_Mobile.pdf; British Council/European Commission/HEA.
Sweeney, S. ‘Writing Learning Outcomes in Higher Education’ pp.171-5 in Learning Together: towards enhancing the co-creation of higher education. Aalto University: Helsinki, Finland.
Sweeney, S. Bologna Process: responding to the post-2010 challenge Higher Education Academy, York https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/simon_sweeney_bologna_workshop.pdfBritish Council/European Commission/HEA.
Sweeney, S. ‘Globalisation, economic development and the role of English’ Development Education Journal, June, pp.16-18. Development Education Association, London.
Sweeney, S. ‘European integration and the construction of purpose: building partnerships for the global good’ at IX Congreso ‘Cultura Europea’ Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona. 23-25 October.
Sweeney, S. Work-life balance – the changing perception of adult English teaching in English Teaching Professional, Issue 41, November.
Sweeney, S. ‘Globalisation, economic development and the role of English’ Development Education Journal 13.3, June.
Sweeney, S. ‘Culture of International English’, English Teaching Professional, Issue 47, November.
Sweeney, S. ‘Authentic materials: how to achieve a sense of authenticity in a course book’, Business English Special Interest Group Newsletter, IATEFL. Summer.

Footnotes