BISA Emotions in Politics and IR
I'm a co-covener of the British International Studies Association (BISA) Emotions in Politics and IR Working Group. We seek to actively develop and expand this relatively young field by providing a constructive research space. I organised a virtual reading group on The Affect Theory Reader 2 (edited by Gregory J. Seigworth and Carolyn Pedwell, 2023).
Memory and Trauma Research
I've been working as a researh assistant and project coordinator for "Mapping the Empire: The Contemporary Legacy of Historical Trauma and Forced Displacement" with Prof Karin Fierke at the University of St Andrews since 2020. This collective project explores affective resonace of and legacies of historical traumas, which emerged from mass atrocities, forced displacementon, and war, and examines how they shape contemporary political practices and discourses.
You could find latest research outputs below.
Fierke, K. M., & Mackay, N. (2023). The Safety Paradox: Unknown Knowns, Ungrieved Grief, and Collective Agreements not to Know. International Relations, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00471178231187499
Fierke, K. M., & Mackay, N. (2022). Those Who Left/Are Left Behind: Schrödinger's Refugee and the Ethics of Complementarity, Global Studies Quarterly, Volume 2, Issue 3, ksac045, https://doi.org/10.1093/isagsq/ksac045
Fierke, K. M., & Mackay, N. (2020). To ‘see’ is to break an entanglement: Quantum measurement, trauma and security. Security Dialogue, 51(5), 450-466. https://doi.org/10.1177/0967010620901909
Global IR and Theory-building from East Asia
I am a member of the Cricle of the Fish, a research group of junior scholars from South Korea who seek to globalise and decolonise IR through historical exploration of East Asian international order and practices.
I am participating in Research Group on Korean Diplomatic History, a monthly seminar group on diplomatic history of Korea and East Asia.
From 2012 to 2016, I worked as a research assistant for East Asian International Relations Theory (EAIRT) Project. This project sought to develop and elaborate theories and concepts by embracing the history, thought, and practice of East Asia.
Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) Faculty Survey for South Korea with Prof Yong-soo Eun
As a country partner, I co-designed the Faculty Survey in collaboration with the TRIP team at William & Mary's Global Research Institute and created new data set of IR researchers in South Korea in 2017 and 2022.