This book reflects on work done through the Managing Extreme Technological Risks (METR) project, a pioneering research programme within the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk. METR has been both an exercise in 'academic engineering' to address major global challenges, and a research programme that extends beyond traditional academic outputs, to methodological development, and innovative forms of expert engagement and outreach.Managing Extreme Technological Risks explores how the METR programme developed a model that is needed to effectively understand risks to the survival of humanity, as well as their management and mitigation. It reflects on the challenges faced and lessons learned in the process of building a research community focused on this aim. This book brings together findings and future considerations from a key formative phase, not just for the Centre, but for the field of existential risk research as a whole. It relates the story of this journey and outlines some of the programme's specific findings. There is a greater focus on what has been learnt for approaching the study of existential risks and how this can, and must, be taken forward by others, urgently and at scale.

Migration Narratives presents an ethnographic study of an American town that recently became home to thousands of Mexican migrants, with the Mexican population rising from 125 in 1990 to slightly under 10,000 in 2016. Through interviews with residents, the book focuses on key educational, religious, and civic institutions that shape and are shaped by the realities of Mexican immigrants. Focusing on African American, Mexican, Irish and Italian communities, the authors describe how interethnic relations played a central role in newcomers' pathways and draw links between the town's earlier cycles of migration. The town represents similar communities across the USA and around the world that have received large numbers of immigrants in a short time. The purpose of the book is to document the complexities that migrants and hosts experience and to suggest ways in which policy-makers, researchers, educators and communities can respond intelligently to politically-motivated stories that oversimplify migration across the contemporary world. This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. It is funded by Boston College.

The significant media coverage recently given to issues such as the international impacts of biofuel production policies, advances in synthetic biology, and the ethical implications of research involving embryonic stem cells, is indicative of the high-level of interest - among policy-makers, academics and the public - in the biotechnology revolution, its applications, impacts and control. There is also significant interest in international regulatory processes as a form of governance, and international regulation is a vital part of efforts to manage the impacts of the biotechnology revolution, since many of these are global in their nature. The book establishes the need for international regulation of biotechnology, identifying the roles it needs to play, and the issues it needs to cover. Having outlined the importance of coherence to the effective functioning of international regulatory sets, a model of coherent international regulation is established, against which the biotechnology regulations can be assessed. This book approaches the subject from an international relations perspective but also draws from, and will contribute to, literature in the fields of international law, global governance, technological governance, and science-society relations.

Governance of Genetic Resources maps out a landscape of the international governance of genetic resources. It shows what governance efforts currently exist, what is missing, which areas are problematic, and outlines what the international community should be aiming for in regard to its future development and implementation.The book begins by exploring the historical development of international genetic resources governance and considers why the area has become so significant and complex. It goes on to analyze the current situation and develop recommendations on what governance efforts should be achieving for the future. This timely study will be of interest to students and academics concerned with the management of genetic resources and its connection to issues such as intellectual property rights, biodiversity conservation and food security. It will appeal strongly to academic researchers in the fields of international relations, international law and global governance, environmental science, development studies, and the biosciences. The book will also appeal to policy-makers and practitioners, particularly those working in or with international organizations involved in genetic resources governance and to national decision makers seeking information on the international context for genetic resources management. Contents: 1. Introduction Part I: Resources and Issues for International Governance of Genetic Resources 2. Resources 3. Issues Part II: Current Landscape of Genetic Resources Governance . Actors 5. Rules 6. Emerging Trends and Initiatives 7. Problems and Implications Part III: Improved Governance 8. Improved Governance 9. Conclusion References Index

Migration Narratives presents an ethnographic study of an American town that recently became home to thousands of Mexican migrants, with the Mexican population rising from 125 in 1990 to slightly under 10,000 in 2016. Through interviews with residents, the book focuses on key educational, religious, and civic institutions that shape and are shaped by the realities of Mexican immigrants. Focusing on African American, Mexican, Irish and Italian communities, the authors describe how interethnic relations played a central role in newcomers’ pathways and draw links between the town’s earlier cycles of migration. The town represents similar communities across the USA and around the world that have received large numbers of immigrants in a short time. The purpose of the book is to document the complexities that migrants and hosts experience and to suggest ways in which policy-makers, researchers, educators and communities can respond intelligently to politically-motivated stories that oversimplify migration across the contemporary world. This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. It is funded by Boston College.