Professor Ruth Blakeley

Professor Ruth Blakeley, Vice-President for Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences 

Following a Masters and PhD in International Relations at the University of Bristol, Ruth has developed a reputation for excellent and impactful research which sees her focus on international security, terrorism and political violence, and human rights. 

Through successful collaboration with partners around the world, Ruth’s research has made a difference in how national policymakers and international human rights advocates approach issues of torture and rendition. 

As co-director of the Rendition Project, part of Ruth’s research focussed on the CIA’s Rendition, Detention and Interrogation programme, the findings of which provided evidence of the extent of US and UK collusion in torture in the War on Terror. Ruth’s research has been used in litigation on behalf of torture victims in the European Court of Human Rights, US Supreme Court and the Guantánamo Bay military commissions, and has opened up pressing questions about the global governance of human rights.

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Ruth reflects on the questions that have emerged from her research and the role of mentoring: 

“With my research, I’m driven by two intuitions. The first is that even if International Human Rights Law frameworks are flawed they are all we have to ensure human rights compliance and accountability. The second is that if countries are breaking laws we need to understand why they are breaking them. Both of these often lead to pressing questions about the global governance of human rights and what it means if those who champion those rights no longer uphold them. 

“The Rendition Project brought together those two intuitions and the research has been used in high-level international courts to show the extent of US and UK collusion in torture in the War on Terror. 

“In today’s climate, there is a real challenge in reinforcing the importance of human rights as states can be quite hypocritical when it comes to compliance. This can lead to people losing confidence in international human rights frameworks. For me this leads to bigger questions around how we get states, and private entities, to appreciate the value and significance of sustaining the human rights framework and how we can ensure the rights of all people are realised.  

“Alongside my research, I really enjoy working with people and the collaborative side of my leadership role. I really enjoy mentoring and paying forward the time that people have spent supporting me. It means I can work more collaboratively with others, build relationships and see people grow and flourish.  

“We know that mentoring and ensuring there is support available for all opens the doors for everyone to flourish and creates more equitable institutions. I’d encourage anyone considering becoming a mentor to get involved.”

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Thank you to all the women for taking the time to share their stories and reflections and for providing the information featured on these web pages.