Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Doug Specht

Dr. Doug Specht is a Chartered Geographer, a Reader in Cultural Geography and Communication, and Head of the School of Media and Communication at the University of Westminster.

His research explores themes related to environmental justice, human rights, and access to education, with a focus on the production and codification of knowledge though cartographic artefacts and in educational settings.

Dr. Specht has authored numerous articles and books, including Mapping Crisis, the Routledge Handbook of Geospatial Technology and Society, and Imagining Apocalyptic Politics in the Anthropocene. He writes regularly on ethics, environmental and human rights, education, and mapping practices in such publications as WonkHE, The Conversation, Geographical, and for Times Higher Education. Dr Specht is a member of the editorial board of the European Journal of Geography and is Chair of the Environmental Network for Central America.

When the spy chief praises the press

4 minutes

Can journalism serve national security without losing its independence? When the Director General of MI5 stood up at Thames House on 13 October to deliver his annual threat update, most of the attention that followed went, understandably, to Iran, Russia and artificial intelligence. Tucked into the speech, however, was something that deserves rather more scrutiny … [Read more...] about When the spy chief praises the press

The execution that failed, and what it tells us about the right to life

4 minutes

As the world moves towards abolishing the death penalty, executions continue to expose deep divisions over human rights and justice When the State of Tennessee strapped Christa Pike to a gurney at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution on the evening of 30 September, it did so having been warned by her lawyers about collapsing veins, degraded drugs and an … [Read more...] about The execution that failed, and what it tells us about the right to life

How Britain’s student visa crackdown could limit opportunities at home

5 minutes

Falling international recruitment could leave some universities with fewer courses, limiting opportunities for UK students who cannot simply study elsewhere The number of international students in the UK is falling fast. Tougher immigration and tighter regulatory frameworks are making both prospective students and university leaders question how viable this route now … [Read more...] about How Britain’s student visa crackdown could limit opportunities at home

The world between borders

4 minutes

At the UN General Assembly, governments speak for individual nations. Who takes responsibility for the relationships that connect them? At the United Nations General Assembly, the world takes the form of a succession of national statements. Governments explain what threatens their security, what their economies require and what they expect from others. The … [Read more...] about The world between borders

Who owns the AI alarm?

4 minutes

How warnings over AI became a market-moving battle between tech bosses, investors and politicians On the afternoon of Monday 14 September, at a technology conference called the All-In Summit, Nvidia's chief executive Jensen Huang took a phone call and put it on speaker for the room. It was Donald Trump. For five minutes the president told an audience of … [Read more...] about Who owns the AI alarm?