Russia Agrees to Help Landlocked Ethiopia Rebuild its Navy

An aging monument to the Ethiopian Navy, Addis Ababa (Dvermierre / CC BY SA 4.0)

Published Mar 16, 2025 2:40 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

With the ongoing push for Ethiopia’s seaport access, the country is also advancing in the reorganization of its navy. On Friday, a Russian Navy delegation led by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Vorobyev, visited Ethiopian Navy facilities and training center in Bishoftu town, around 30 miles south of Addis Ababa.

During the visit, the two sides signed a cooperation agreement on training and capacity building. Russia has pledged to work with Ethiopia in its efforts to modernize its navy, following an initial visit back in 2022. With a cooperation agreement now in place, “both sides will continue to work together to strengthen the naval rebuilding that Ethiopian navy has begun and to further strengthen its readiness to protect Ethiopia’s interests in the international waters,” said Deputy Commander in charge of operations in the Ethiopian Navy, Commodore Jamal Tufisa.

While Ethiopia’s navy was originally founded in the 1950s, it had to be dissolved following Eritrea’s independence in 1993, which left Ethiopia landlocked. However, after taking office in 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced he would revive the Ethiopian naval forces. At the time, Abiy said that France would assist Ethiopia in rebuilding its maritime capabilities. The following year, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Ethiopia, culminating in the signing of a defense cooperation agreement that provides a framework for France to support the reconstruction of the Ethiopian Navy.

In 2023, the Ethiopian Navy held a graduation ceremony for part of its personnel who had received training in navigation, engineering, communication and armament. The training had been delivered by foreign and domestic instructors. The agreement with Russia shows that Ethiopia is keen to expand the pool of foreigner partners available to train its navy.

The cooperation coincides with Russia’s new search for a permanent base in the India Ocean. Last month, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) foreign minister Ali Youssef Ahmed said that there were no obstacles for a Russian base in Port Sudan. Partly, this has been seen as a reprieve for the Russian Mediterranean flotilla, which was forced to leave Port of Tartus, Syria. But the ongoing civil war in Sudan could delay any constructive arrangements for a foreign naval base in the country.

Top image: An aging monument to the Ethiopian Navy, Addis Ababa (Dvermierre / CC BY SA 4.0)

 

Dozens of Abandoned Shipwrecks Pose Safety Risks in Fiji

Abandoned, half-sunken fishing vessel off Fiji (iStock)

Published Mar 16, 2025 6:39 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

A fire incident this week onboard a Chinese fishing vessel, Dae Jin, while berthed at Suva Harbor, Fiji has rekindled concerns on marine safety in the country. The 24-year-old Fiji flagged longliner is said to had just completed offloading its catch when the fire started in the engine room. Twelve crewmembers, including Chinese and Indonesian nationals were able to escape, although some reported minor injuries. Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) confirmed the incident and said an investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the fire. Fiji Ports Authority also dispatched a tug to tow the burnt vessel out of the port.

However, this incident comes hot on the heels of a growing push to clean up dozens of fishing shipwrecks abandoned near Suva Harbor. As operational costs for the fishing industry rise in the Pacific region, some companies are increasingly abandoning vessels in remote islands. In the case of Fiji, 25 vessels, mostly Chinese-owned, are now abandoned near Suva Harbor. This poses a significant environmental threat as well as a navigation risk to other passing vessels.

“The vessels started stacking up in the harbor during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the owners came forward and helped in the clean-up process. That is why the number has dropped from 44 to 25. For the remaining wrecks, owners have refused to comply with removal notices,” MSAF CEO Joeli Cawaki told BenarNews.

In addition, some of the abandoned vessels could have been illegally operating without licenses and salvage coverage, leaving the entire disposal and clean-up costs to local authorities. MSAF estimates that it requires $170,000 to dispose of all shipwrecks abandoned off Fiji.

With an expansive EEZ and an influx of foreign-owned fishing vessels (some operating without licenses), Fiji is likely to deal with more cases of abandoned vessels in future. Unfortunately, the country is yet to ratify the Nairobi Convention on the Removal of Wrecks. The convention, which was adopted in 2007 and came into force in 2015, provides a legal basis for states to remove shipwrecks that have potential threats to safety of lives, goods and the marine environment. The convention makes ship-owners financially liable for costs of wreck removal. If ratified by Pacific Island countries such as Fiji, it could give an impetus to their marine debris removal programs. So far, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Nauru are signatories to the convention.

Philippines' ICTSI Plans $580 Million in Port Upgrades in 2025

File image courtesy ICTSI

Published Mar 16, 2025 6:51 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

Philippine-based International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) has announced a major program of upgrades at key terminals around the world. After posting its most profitable year ever in 2024, with earnings of $850 million, it plans to invest $580 million in capital expenditures for 2025.  

“Our balance sheet remains strong, giving us the financial strength and flexibility to pursue new opportunities and invest in existing projects,” said ICTSI in a statement.

Some of the planned projects in this round of financing include the new ICTSI terminal in Bauan, Batangas in Philippines. The construction of the Luzon International Container Terminal (LICT) was announced in October. With the funding now available, construction could begin in the second quarter. The $800 million terminal is scheduled to be completed in 2028 and will become the Philippines’ largest privately funded maritime terminal investment.

Another project planned for expansion is ICTSI’s Matadi Gateway Terminal (MGT) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Last week, ICTSI said that it will be undertaking several key projects at the terminal this year, aimed at improving operational efficiency and customer service. One of the major initiatives is the construction of a 2.65-kilometer road linking the Port of Matadi to the national highway network. The first phase covering 1.75 kilometers was completed in June last year. The second phase began last month. Upon completion, the improved road access is expected to reduce container dwell times and streamline cargo deliveries to the port. Matadi is DRC’s main port serving the sprawling city of Kinshasa and the surrounding hinterland.

Other terminals ICTSI is targeting for upgrades include completing the Phase 3 expansion of Mexico’s Contecon Manzanillo terminal in Colima. In addition, ICTSI is also pursuing equipment upgrades in its Rio Brasil Terminal, Brazil.

Meanwhile, ICTSI is still battling with Maersk in a court case in South Africa over the operation of the Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 (DCT2). The hearing of the case proceeded in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court last week. Maersk, through its subsidiary APM Terminals, had moved to the court seeking review of Transnet’s decision to award ICTSI the concession for DCT2. APM Terminals cited irregularities in the awarding of the tender. While the case is nearing its conclusion, the terminal has been left without an operator for over one year. The concession is part of Transnet’s privatization initiative, aimed at resolving persistent port inefficiencies in Durban and other major ports across South Africa.

 

Second Shipload of Ballistic Missile Fuel Nears Iran

Containerized Zolfaghar missiles launches from the Shahid Mahdavi (Tasnim News / CC BY 4.0)

Published Mar 16, 2025 2:26 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

MV Jairan, the second of two Iranian cargo vessels which is believed to have loaded sodium perchlorate in China, was on Saturday morning passing through the Straits of Malacca en route to Bandar Abbas. Sodium perchlorate is the primary feedstock for making ammonium perchlorate, used by Iranian solid-fueled ballistic missiles. 

The vessel, which is owned by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and is subject to secondary US Treasury sanctions, is expected to dock in Bandar Abbas well before its scheduled arrival time on March 26, and is currently traveling with its Automatic Identification System switched on.

The 16,694 ton MV Jairan is believed to have taken on a cargo of 24 containers loaded with sodium perchlorate, enough to refine sufficient ammonium perchlorate to fuel about 250 medium range missiles of the types used by Iran to attack Israel in Operations True Promise-1 and 2.

In the form it is being shipped, sodium perchlorate is classified in the United States as a hazardous product, with explosive risks and the health risks of breathing difficulties and kidney failure from fume exposure. Besides being the feedstock for ammonium perchlorate, it can also be used as an oxidizing agent in engraving processes and in the manufacture of livestock fattening agents. But as a dual use product, and specifically because it is being conveyed by IRISL, the shipment should fall under the provisions of UN Security Resolution 1929, which cautions states to be aware of IRISL’s sanctions-breaking activities and its role in supporting Iran’s missile development, manufacture and maintenance activities.

Sodium perchlorate is processed and fashioned into ammonium perchlorate rocket fuel at the Iranian facilities at Parchin south of Tehran and Khojir. Ammonium perchlorate makes up 70% of the standard fuel load of most of Iran’s solid-fueled ballistic missiles. 

Iranian ballistic missiles which use ammonium perchlorate include medium range Khybar-Shikan and Fattah missiles, and the shorter range Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar missiles. In original and variant form, these have been widely exported to Russia and Axis of Resistance allies, and have been used to attack shipping at sea and targets in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel and Ukraine, as well as in the attacks causing injuries to American service personnel at Al Asad in Iraq.

Illustrative of the uses to which ammonium perchlorate is put to in its solid fuel missiles, and the threat which it poses, in February last year the Iranian news agency Tasnim showed video of two containerized solid-fuel Zolfaghar missiles being fired from the deck of the IRGC’s Shahid Mahdavi (Pennant 110-3) in the Gulf of Oman. 

This missile has also been used by the Houthis to attack Aramco oil facilities at Ras Tanura. From the Shahid Mahdavi and its sister ships, the Zolfaghar also has a mobile and wide-ranging anti-shipping capability.

Iran is likely to be seriously short of ammonium perchlorate at present, enough to take the risk of interdiction while shipping the material and the risk of causing political embarrassment to China - which currently is keen to protect its negotiating position with the United States over tariffs. Iran’s own ballistic missile domestic fuel production facilities have been damaged in Israeli attacks, and output demands are high because of the need to replace stocks expended in attacks on Israel and to meet increased exports to Russia.

The MV Jairan is believed to be travelling without escorts at present, and by traveling with its Automatic Identification System switched on, it clearly believes that nobody has the political will to intercept the ship - notwithstanding efforts by eight US senators to press the US Department of State into taking action. As it closes on Iran, the MV Jairan has passed through the Straits of Malacca where it was particularly vulnerable, and as it travels towards the northern Indian Ocean it will soon acquire cover from the regular Iranian navy, which has in recent months has increased its naval presence in this sea space.

 The Federal Maritime Commission

FMC Investigates "Unfavorable Conditions" at Maritime Choke Points

The sole foreign choke point operator with a large flag registry is Panama,

A U.S. Navy warship transits the Panama Canal (USN file image)

Published Mar 16, 2025 9:34 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The Federal Maritime Commission has launched an investigation to look for unfavorable conditions for U.S. shipping at most major overseas maritime chokepoints. 

In a Federal Registry notice, the commission said that it will investigate whether "constraints in global maritime chokepoints have created unfavorable shipping conditions caused by the laws, regulations or practices of foreign governments or the practices of foreign-flag vessel owners or operators." FMC noted that it has the power of "refusing entry to U.S. ports by vessels registered in countries responsible for creating unfavorable conditions."

The sole foreign choke point operator with a large flag registry is Panama, and it is named in the FMC announcement. The White House has repeatedly threatened to annex the Panama Canal. 

"The FMC notice suggests that any such [regulatory] measures would primarily affect vessels registered under Panama’s flag, of which there are currently more than 8,000," noted trade and shipping law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg in a client advisory. 

In addition to the Panama Canal, the named targets of investigation included the English Channel, the Malacca Strait, the Singapore Strait, the Russian-controlled Northern Sea Route, the Panama Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal.  

Possible subjects of investigation include foreign environmental regulations, geopolitical tensions, security risks, smuggling and illegal migration, border controls, customs checks, piracy, terrorism, military activity and traffic congestion. The early stage of the investigation is focused on fact-finding, and the commission is soliciting input from all shipping stakeholders, including shipowners, operators, and shippers. 

 

Destroyer USS Gravely Deploys to the Southern Border

to stop illegal migration and smuggling. 

Courtesy USN

Published Mar 16, 2025 10:08 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gravely has a well-known name after her fight against Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea last year. Her next mission will be less dangerous: she has deployed to waters near the southern border to assist with the whole-of-government effort to stop illegal migration and smuggling. 

Gravely sailed with a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment on board, as is typical for a counternarcotics or counter-trafficking mission. 

"Gravely’s sea-going capacity improves our ability to protect the United States’ territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security," said Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander of U.S. Northern Command.

The destroyer will operate within the Northern Command area of responsibility, which includes the Gulf of Mexico, Florida Strait, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On the Pacific side, Northern Command covers the west coasts of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. 

"Gravely strengthens our maritime presence and exemplifies the Navy’s commitment to national security and safeguarding our territorial integrity with professionalism and resolve," said Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command.

U.S. Navy warships often deploy to U.S. Southern Command to assist with multi-agency counternarcotics interdiction efforts in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific. In this role, the Navy provides extra vessel capacity for Coast Guard law enforcement interdiction teams, expanding the USCG's reach. U.S. Northern Command operational deployments are less common for the Navy's most capable surface combatants.

Last year, USS Gravely spent nine months in the Red Sea shooting down Houthi missiles, including one cruise missile that managed to get within a mile of the destroyer. Her crew also hit back with missile strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen. The operation has been described as the U.S. Navy's most intense mutual exchange of fire with an enemy force since WWII. 

 

Cambridge research uncovers powerful virtual reality treatment for speech anxiety

PEOPLE FEAR PUBLIC SPEAKING MORE THAN THEIR FEAR OF DEATH

Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge

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Woman practicing in front of audience in VR

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Credit: Lucy Cavendish College

As discussed in the paper, the fear of public speaking is widely cited as being the most common fear. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that the prevalence of social anxiety and a fear of public speaking are both on the rise. This is concerning when one considers the range of known subsequent negative impacts on mental health, physical health, academic attainment, and career progression.

To address this, Dr Chris Macdonald created an online platform where users transform into skilled and confident public speakers. On the platform, tailored course material develops key skills and life-like virtual reality training environments build confidence.

Dr Macdonald explains, “In physical reality, a user might be practising a presentation alone in their bedroom but on the new virtual reality platform, they can experience the sensation of presenting to a wide range of increasingly challenging photorealistic audiences.”

Today, World Speech Day, Dr Macdonald makes the platform free for public use.

The recent research paper outlines the steps taken to make the platform uniquely accessible and effective:

Impact at scale:
By developing a method that converts smartphones into VR headsets, Dr Macdonald has made sure that the platform is accessible to all. For reference, only 5% of UK households have a VR headset but 99% have smartphones. And while VR headsets can cost thousands, a device mount (pictured below) costs around £15. A device mount could be thought of as a low-cost ‘conversion kit’ that transforms a user’s smartphone into a functional VR headset. Importantly, the platform has been built in such a way that whether a participant is using the latest standalone VR headset or an old smartphone inserted into a device mount, they will get the same content and the same experience.

Impact at speed:
As recently revealed in the academic journal, Frontiers, the platform has been clinically proven to significantly increase levels of confidence for most users after a single 30-minute session. And, in the most recent trial with students from Cambridge and UCL, it was found that a week of self-guided use was beneficial to 100% of participants; the platform helped all users in one or more of the following ways: to feel more prepared, more adaptable, more resilient, more confident, to be better able to manage nerves, and to feel less anxious. Further findings will be revealed at the upcoming International Conference on Research in Psychology at Oxford.

User-centric design:
A user-centric iterative process ensured that the platform would work ‘in the wild’. In between each rebuild thus far, the platform has hosted over 50,000 practice presentations from remote beta users. To further stress test the software and hardware, in-person events were organised, one of which involved over 1000 members of the public using the platform in suboptimal conditions in a demo room in Cambridge. To further expand and deepen the participant pool, the lab went on tour. This included stops at the largest science and technology events such as New Scientist Live as well as less formal settings such as a local market, library, community centre, church, and even someone’s living room.

Dr Macdonald says, “I wanted to build something that is not only highly effective but that can and will be used by those who need it the most. As a result, it was essential to gather diverse user feedback from a variety of settings. The lab cannot develop in a silo, it needs to work closely with end users. Through constant public engagement, we can maximise our positive impact and ensure that we remain deeply grounded in public service.”

World firsts:
Multiple firsts were achieved to make the platform uniquely accessible and effective.

To increase accessibility, it was essential that the platform worked on both Android and iOS operating systems. To achieve this, a first-of-its-kind, dual-compatible VR player was created. As a result, not only is this the first time that this treatment is available for free worldwide, but it is also the first time it is accessible via multiple devices and multiple operating systems. In short, many firsts were completed to achieve impact at scale.

The efficacy is increased with Overexposure Therapy (the ability to repeatedly practice in extreme scenarios that one is unlikely to encounter in real life, such as hyper-distracting stadiums—a concept Dr Macdonald pioneered). It provides the psychological equivalent of running with weights or at high altitudes; it builds extra adaptability, grit, and resilience.

Dr Macdonald explains, “Prior to a presentation, most students tend to practice on their own, in a highly-controlled environment—normally in their bedrooms to an ‘audience’ of zero. As a result, it will feel like a significant ‘step up’ when they present to even a small group of people—and even a subtle audience gesture can throw them off. By contrast, students who use the VR platform can practice in a different venue every night to a wide range of highly distracting audiences and fear-inducing scenarios. They can, for example, practice in a stadium in front of 10,000 animated spectators, with loud noises, stadium lights, and flashing cameras. Accordingly, a subsequent presentation to a small group can feel like a significant ‘step down’. The data shows that this process not only increases confidence, adaptability, and resilience but also the enjoyment of public speaking. Students are enjoying the challenge of pushing themselves and progressing to each new level. This increased enjoyment is highly encouraging because we know that fear and anxiety are maintained or worsened through avoidance.”

“In addition to the range of presentation-style audiences, the platform also provides more specialised environments and challenges, such as reading a teleprompter in a virtual TV studio or responding to questions in a job or radio interview. To offer additional support on perfecting your scripts, I built and embedded an AI coach. And beyond the main platform that is now freely available via a dedicated website, I have created licensing plans and an app for healthcare providers. I am also collaborating with organisations that seek to support specific groups such as children who stammer; the goal is to create more targeted treatment options for those who need it the most.”

“Speech anxiety and the fear of public speaking impact most people, and it is becoming increasingly more common over time. This is concerning because we know that it is detrimental to mental health, physical health, academic attainment, and career progression. Therefore, the problem is prevalent, it is getting worse, it is causing harm, and ultimately, it is capping human potential. However, this no longer needs to be the case. If you or anyone you know would like to become a skilled and confident public speaker, there is now an effective and accessible solution—please do make use of it.”

“It is very promising to see how effective the platform is given that we already know ways to make it even more effective. However, to continue its development, expand it long-term, and launch additional features and platforms, we need funding. Therefore, I encourage philanthropists and sponsors to reach out. We are data-driven and uniquely committed to impact at scale. With the right funding, together, we could transform millions of lives.”

“The platform has immense potential to empower individuals to overcome their fear of public speaking, ultimately enhancing not only their quality of life but also their capacity to become a driving force of positive change in the world.”

“I set out with a simple but ambitious mission: make the most effective treatment for the most common fear and make it freely accessible to all. With the public launch of the free platform, I believe I have achieved that. Please do use it. It will transform your life and greatly expand your opportunities.”

To access related press images and videos, click here.

Dr Chris Macdonald established the multi-award-winning Immersive Technology Lab to investigate the transformative potential of emerging technologies for education and healthcare. Chris is a Fellow at Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge. Chris was recently crowned the winner of the 40 Under 40 Award in the Science and Innovation category.

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Journal

Frontiers

DOI

10.3389/frvir.2024.1506938 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Improving virtual reality exposure therapy with open access and overexposure: a single 30-minute session of overexposure therapy reduces public speaking anxiety

 

Ground breaking advances in construction robotics in extreme environments unveiled in review

Higher Education Press

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Construction robots in extreme environments encounter various application scenarios, including hazardous work environments, polluted and harmful environments, as well as extreme conditions in deep underground, deep sea, and deep space. These robots can be evaluated across four dimensions: mechanism, perception, planning, and control.

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Credit: Ke You, Cheng Zhou, Lieyun Ding, Yuxiang Wang

As the new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation progresses, scientific research is expanding towards the macroscopic, delving into the microscopic, and advancing into extreme conditions, which becoming the developmental trends at the forefront of global science and technology. With the implementation of national strategies such as the high-quality development of green and low-carbon, China faces a series of new scientific and technological challenges in the field of construction under extreme environments. Among these, construction robotics in extreme environments, which meets the needs for high-risk operations, highly repetitive labor, and high-precision tasks, improving construction efficiency and safety, has been identified as a key development direction in the robotics strategies of countries worldwide.

Construction robotics in extreme environments are defined as robots capable of performing complex engineering construction tasks autonomously in various extreme environments without human intervention. These include hazardous work environments such as blasting operations, demolition operations, post-disaster rescue operations, and confined space operations; polluted and harmful environments such as dust-polluted environments, solid waste-polluted environments, and nuclear-polluted environments; and harsh natural environments including deep underground, deep sea, and deep space environments. The key scientific and technological challenges of constructing robotics in extreme environments, and how to achieve biomimetic mechanism design, real-time environmental perception, autonomous motion planning, and intelligent decision control for these robots under extreme conditions, have garnered extensive attention and discussion within the academic community, becoming a frontier of research in the intersecting fields of construction and robotics.

This groundbreaking research systematically reviewed and summarized the key scientific technologies and research progress of construction robots in extreme environments from Earth to space. The research team analyzed the typical application scenarios faced by construction robots in extreme environments, such as hazardous work environments, polluted and harmful environments, and harsh natural environments. The team elucidated the four key technical performance aspects of construction robots in extreme environments, including mechanism, perception, planning, and control.

The implications of this research underscore the current critical scientific and technological challenges faced by construction robots in extreme environments, including how to ensure the effectiveness, safety, and reliability of robotic operations under conditions of unstructured environments, limited observational methods, and multi-objective constraints. Furthermore, they forecasted the future research directions of construction robotics in extreme environments, and proposed the frontier development trends in the interdisciplinary field of intelligent construction and intelligent robotics.

The paper "Construction Robotics in Extreme Environments: From Earth to Space" has been published in Engineering, authored by Ke You, Cheng Zhou, Lieyun Ding, Yuxiang Wang. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.11.037.

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Journal

Engineering

DOI

10.1016/j.eng.2024.11.037 

Article Title

Construction Robotics in Extreme Environments: From Earth to Space

 

Who does Darth Vader vote for? Not the same party as Harry Potter

Research reveals partisan projection onto heroes and villains

University of Southampton

People think that Harry Potter, Spiderman and Gandalf would vote the same way they do, whereas Darth Vader, Cruella de Vill and Joffrey Baratheon would vote for the rival party.

New research from the University of Southampton, published today [17 March] in the journal Political Science Research & Method, shows how people in the UK and USA believe that fictional characters they admire would share their voting preferences, while those they dislike would vote the other way.

The researchers also found that around one in six people recalled the party affiliation of a charitable or corrupt politician in a news story, despite it not being revealed. Again, people thought the ‘good’ politician was from their party, while the ‘bad’ one was from the party they oppose.

Researchers say this political projection could be fuelling polarisation in politics.

“If we see ‘villains’ as belonging to the other side, then we also tend to associate more and more negative attributes with that group,” says Dr Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte, lead of the study from the University of Southampton. “This is not only bad news for polarisation, but also makes us more easily susceptible to misinformation that confirms the existing biases we hold about the voters of certain parties.”

In the first of two studies, researchers from the University of Southampton and the University of Vienna surveyed 3,200 people in the UK and USA - 1,600 from each country.

In a series of questions, people were presented with two familiar characters from popular franchises including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Games of Thrones and Star Wars.

They were asked which character they thought was more likely to vote Labour or Conservative (in the UK), or Democrat or Republican (in the US). The answers were then cross-referenced with information about the respondents’ political leanings and affiliations.

People were 20 per cent more likely to project their own politics onto a hero than a villain. The effect was equally strong when assigning opposition politics to a villain, with respondents also 20 per cent more likely to say a villain would vote for the opposing party than their own.

In the second study, around 1,600 people in the UK were shown one of two contrasting news stories about a local councillor – one in which the councillor donated money to a local charity and another in which they’d stolen money from the charity.

Respondents were then asked some questions about the story they had read, including one about which party the councillor represented - information that was missing in both stories.

Around one in six people falsely ‘remembered’ which party the councillor represented, with a strong tendency to see the charitable donor as a member of their party, and the thief as a member of their rival party.

When people who said they didn’t know or didn’t recall seeing the information were asked to guess, they also did so along partisan lines.

Dr Turnbull-Dugarte said: “People believe heroes are more likely to belong to their group but can accept a proportion might not. Respondents were much more consistent when identifying a villain as belonging to the other group.

“In a context where polarisation is high, projection appears to be more about defining who we are not, than who we are.”

The tendency to see heroes on their side and villains on the other was greater amongst those with stronger political identities. Those on the political left were also more inclined to do so than those on the right.

Dr Turnbull-Dugarte added: “To overcome increasing political division, we need to recognise this tendency to project heroic and villainous traits along partisan lines and recognise that reality is always more complex and nuanced than our biases would have us believe.”

The paper Heroes and villains: motivated projection of political identities is published in Political Science Research & Method and is available online.

The research was supported by the University of Southampton’s Centre for Behavioural Experimental Action and Research. 

Ends

Contact

Steve Williams, Media Manager, University of Southampton, press@soton.ac.uk or 023 8059 3212.

Notes for editors

1. The paper Heroes and villains: motivated projection of political identities is published in Political Science Research & Method. An advanced copy is available upon request and will be published here: https://doi.org/10.1017/psrm.2025.10
2. For Interviews with Dr Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte please contact Steve Williams, Media Manager, University of Southampton press@soton.ac.uk or 023 8059 3212.
3. Image available here: https://safesend.soton.ac.uk/pickup?claimID=WtdFxUeCj9DdWC5K&claimPasscode=82pt3giinMDJeKhU Caption: Results from experiment showing voters in the USA and the UK are more inclined to think fictional heroes (blue) vote for their party and villains (purple) vote for the opposing party.

Additional information

The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world’s challenges. We are among the top 100 institutions globally (QS World University Rankings 2025). Our academics are leaders in their fields, forging links with high-profile international businesses and organisations, and inspiring a 22,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. Through our high-quality education, the University helps students on a journey of discovery to realise their potential and join our global network of over 200,000 alumni. www.southampton.ac.uk

www.southampton.ac.uk/news/contact-press-team.page

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Journal

Political Science Research and Methods

DOI

10.1017/psrm.2025.10 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Heroes and villains: motivated projection of political identities

Article Publication Date

17-Mar-2025