AIUB and University of Reading host online book talk
The Department of Social Science at American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) and the Politics and International Relations (IR) Department of the University of Reading (UoR), United Kingdom, jointly organised an online book talk on "Causal Inquiry in International Relations" on 4 July 2025.
The event was part of AIUB's research collaboration and internationalisation efforts, aligned with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two universities.
The session was chaired by Dr Zahidul Islam Khan, AIUB's Registrar and a Research Fellow at Reading's Politics and IR department. The virtual session was attended by readers, researchers, and enthusiasts of geopolitics and IR from the region and beyond.
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The book, authored by Professor Adam R. C. Humphreys and Professor Emeritus Hidemi Suganami, challenges conventional views on causal inquiry in international relations. Prof Humphreys, Head of Reading's Department of Politics and IR, presented the key arguments of the book. He explained that the need for the book arose from the view that "generating causal knowledge is a key task in the study of world politics." However, Prof Humphreys noted that most causal claims rely on the "regularity view" and are often based on "deep (and often hidden!) assumptions." He emphasised that clarifying these 'hidden assumptions' and their 'methodological implications' is crucial to producing new knowledge.
Prof Aminul Karim of Bangladesh University of Professionals described the talk as 'fascinating and excellent', adding that the book opens a new dimension in the existing literature on the methods and processes of causal inquiry for IR scholars and beyond.
Dr Mahmud Hussain, a distinguished expert from Aviation and Aerospace University-Bangladesh, called the book 'profoundly insightful.' Drawing relevance from Thomas Kuhn's idea of 'paradigm construction' and Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, built upon the work of David Hume as discussed in the book, Dr Hussain stated that the book advances our understanding of the 'theory of knowledge' and is a must-read.
IR scholar Dr Naser of the National Defence University, Pakistan, recalled that 'correlation is not causation' and stressed that the method and process for causal inquiry outlined in the book are essential for arriving at correct policy prescriptions.
The talk concluded with a vote of thanks from the Chair, followed by congratulations to Professor Humphreys on his new role as Head of the School of Philosophy, Politics & Economics at the University of Reading.
