Hundreds of academics from all over Europe are in Dublin today for a major conference entitled The Future of Politics.
The event, which takes place at Dublin City University from today until Wednesday, is expected to attract 500 delegates from all over Europe.
DCU said two world-renowned scholars will speak at the conference.
Prof Michael Cox of the London School of Economics will deliver an address entitled The Coming Crisis of the West tomorrow night.
Prof Cox has written more than 20 books including Rise and Fall of the American Empire, The United States and World Order, US Foreign Policy After the Cold War and the Rethinking World Politics series.
This evening, Prof Philippe Schmitter of the European Union Institute, Florence, will give a lecture entitled The Micro-foundations of the Sciences of Politics.
The conference organisers said it will cover "a wide range of contentious political issues", including Islamic terrorism, women in post-conflict reconstruction, human rights, immigration, interest groups in world politics and impact of the media.
It is the third graduate conference of the European Consortium for Political Research, which supports the training and co-operation of political scientists.