Bob was, for nigh on 25 years, my mentor, collaborator, confidant, and friend. His articulations of radical social policy, on the contradictions of social policy in existing socialist societies and, most importantly, on pioneering the study of regional and global social policy, will continue to inspire future generations of activists, students and researchers. A true internationalist, Bob was a fighter for global social justice who combined a commitment to universal access to social protection, through global forms of rights, redistribution and regulation, with a deep commitment to hearing the voices of the ‘global South’. I came to know first hand the deep respect which progressive social policy scholars and dissident intellectuals in Eastern Europe had for Bob for being there before the fall of the Berlin wall and for not pretending to know better. I worked with him on many initiatives in the post-Yugoslav space as he built new collaborative connections concerned with ensuring that the social had its rightful place in post-conflict peace-building. His vision in writing the book Global Social Policy, in leading the Globalism and Social Policy Programme, and in establishing the Global Social Policy journal showed him to be ahead of his time, establishing effectively a new field of study, inextricably linked to advocacy efforts. His last book, Global Social Policy in the Making, is an intellectual tour de force and a unique detailed record of the establishment of the global social protection floor. I was proud to have co-edited, with Alexandra Kaasch a book in honour of Bob for his 70th birthday Transformations in Global and Regional Social Policy, which ends with a reflexive and important text by Bob himself. In one of his prefaces he writes to thank myself and others for “the many ideas stolen over glasses of wine and pints of beer”. He never stole anything whilst giving me so much. I would have loved to have shared ideas face to face with Bob for many years to come. I will join others in continuing to be inspired by his work, his life and the legacies he has left behind.
Paul Stubbs
Senior Research Fellow
The Institute of Economics, Zagreb, Croatia