Event Date: October 16
Reception 5:30 p.m.; Dinner 6:15 p.m.; Program 7:30 p.m.
Program: Brookens Auditorium, University of Illinois at Springfield
Dinner: Public Affairs Restaurant ,University of Illinois at Springfield
All programs are free and open to the public. Dinners require a reservation.
Professor Chris McDonald will present this program on Brexit.
In this presentation and discussion, Dr. Chris McDonald will examine several aspects of the chaotic “Brexit” situation. He will start with a review of the origins of Britain’s decision to break away from the European Union (EU) and a consideration of the referendum campaign and results, and then identify some of the key moments since the vote as the various actors have struggled to come to terms with the outcome. Finally, he will consider the current situation and sketch out some alternative paths that EU- GB relations may follow, and what the consequences may be.
Chris McDonald joined the Political Science faculty at Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) in 1998 after completing his doctorate in Political Science at the University of Georgia. McDonald has conducted research into the nature of European institutions including the European Union in cooperation with a colleague in the Netherlands, publishing several articles examining the attitude of European labor unions toward EU immigration policy and also the status of Turkey regarding the EU. For many years McDonald spoke in the World A airs Council’s “Great Decisions” series and continues to be active in examining international issues with his Model UN students.
More recently McDonald’s focus has shifted towards a more historical consideration of broader patterns of conflict within Europe and globally. Much of McDonald’s teaching at LLCC is in entry level political science classes; however, he has had a number of opportunities to teach about the EU and has, on four occasions, led student groups to visit European countries. McDonald lives in Rochester with his wife, pianist Maria Horvath, and their son.
