Cambridge activities (Julie Smith)

Local Cambridge activities

Talking politics with a colleague from the department

Julie is an academic and local activist.

She has taught at Cambridge University since 1997, first at the Centre of International Studies, serving as its Deputy Director for five years until merger with the Politics Department to form POLIS at the start of 2009. Her main teaching and research interests are in European politics. She has written extensively on European elections, EU enlargement and the UK's thorny relations with the EU. She has also published on immigration policy, an area where her academic and political interests coincide. Her current research projects include patterns of cooperation in the enlarged European Union, which links with the Cambridge part of a new European Commission-funded project, and the problem of Europe for UK political parties.

Julie is also Fellow in Politics at Robinson College, where she directs students in Politics, Psychology and Sociology (PPS - or what we used to call SPS). She is also a Graduate Tutor for around 60 students. In that capacity she works with the MCR (Middle Combination Room, or the shorthand for the graduate body in the College) to run research days twice a year at which Fellows and research students can exchange expertise.

Julie speaking at conference

A City Councillor for Newnham since 2003, Julie has served as Chair of the Community Services Scrutiny Committee and Chair of the Lib Dem Council Group. From 2006 to 2010 she was Executive Councillor for Arts and Recreation, with responsibility for parks and open spaces, sport and arts events in the City. She previously served on the Housing and Health Committee and Housing Management Board, as well as the Homelessness Appeals panel, which has since been superseded by external reviews, the Strategy Committee (now Strategy and Resources) and on the Employment Appeals Panel. She is currently Chair of the Licensing Committee and of the Area Joint Transport Committee, as well as a member of the West-Central Area Committee.