This interview was carried out by Elisabeth Nikolaishvili, an undergraduate student of International Politics at City, University of London, in the spring 2022.

It is part of a larger project to commemorate the life and work of Rosemary Hollis (1952-2020), Olive Tree Director and Professor of Middle East Policy at City during 2008-2018.

This extra curricular initiative, led by Dr Sara Silvestri (Department of International Politics), is also aimed at enhancing our students’ knowledge transfer and skills. Since conducting the interview Elisabeth has successfully completed her undergraduate degree at City.

Dr James Rodgers is Reader in International Journalism and Assistant Vice-President for Global Engagement at City, University of London. He has been a journalist for twenty years, spending fifteen years working for BBC, as a correspondent in Moscow and Gaza, among other things.

James has also written four books about International Affairs. His latest one, Assignment Moscow: reporting on Russia from Lenin to Putin, was released in 2020. His areas of interest in international journalism have mostly been about Russia, the former Soviet Union, and the Middle East.

The interview

  • James Rodgers

    How did you know Rosemary and what impressed you the most about her?

    I knew Rosemary by reputation before I came to teach here at City, ten years ago. I was really pleased to know that I was going to be a colleague of hers, as I had admired her work for a long time. I had seen her in the media, and I used to be a journalist, and I knew she was an expert, so it was a great feeling for me to think of Rosemary as a colleague, since I had admired her as a professional.

    I came to this University in 2012, so we worked together for a number of years: in my career, as a journalist, I had worked in the Middle East, in Gaza, I covered the Israelian and Palestinian conflict, and the war in Iraq for two years. When coming from journalism to working in this University, I appreciated the opportunity to have a conversation with someone like Rosemary.

    How would you describe Rosemary as a person?

    Rosemary was really funny, and caring. She was serious about her work and dedicated to it. I think Rosemary was one of those people who really wanted their work – as a researcher, as an academic – to make the world a better place. I really admired her for that, and I actually tried to be like her.

    You said you had been in the media for several years as a journalist, covering important news, and since the media is always seeking for analytical voices, what do you think the media is missing today in the absence of Rosemary?

    I think they are missing a lot because Rosemary did not look for easy solutions. For instance, when she was talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – which is a very complicated matter – she was very realistic and knew that any solutions would not leave everyone happy.

    The thing about Rosemary was that she was really good at listening, and she was also very good at talking to the students, and explaining to them that you do not necessary all need to be friends at the end of the day.

    For many years she led the programme called “The Olive Tree”, where she brought Palestinian and Israeli students at City to study and work together. In this project she was trying to promote understanding, even though she knew herself that some of this understanding would lead to difficult conclusions.

    Both you and Rosemary share work about a professional interest in Middle East diplomacy and foreign policy. Could you tell us what impact Rosemary´s work had in your field?

    Something that is forgotten in this country is the role that Britain had played when creating today’s situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And yet, if you go there, everybody will mention the British mandate that ended there in 1948.

    This is because this is one of the regions of the world where history really affects current affairs and current politics. It is something that is remembered by people in that region, and less by people in this country.

    Therefore, Rosemary’s work helped to keep that in mind, and she was really engaged and dedicated to learning as much as she could about it. For me, that is a sign of a great researcher and a great academic. She never behaved as she knew everything in her field, she was always seeking for more to learn.