Leaving my supervision with Dr. Hurrell today, I felt quite happy with how it went. He had good things to say about the paper and we had a good conversation about several aspects of it, as well as how it relates to contemporary China. We also worked out what I should do over the inter-term break: namely, edit the fish paper for resubmission to a different journal, as well as some background reading for the theory course. I was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t assign me a paper to write, but that may well change before the term actually ends.
I am quite pleased with how working with Dr. Hurrell is going; all this, however, is just a prelude to what will happen once the original research portion of the program begins. I was wrong earlier when I assumed that the two ‘optional papers’ are actually research papers. Here, ‘papers’ just means courses, and these are more or less along the lines of our core seminar this year. As described in the Notes of Guidance, there are quite a number of possibilities. The ones that seem most interesting to me, in decreasing order, are:
- The Function of Law in the International Community
- International Normative Theory
- The International Relations of the Developing World
- Strategic Studies
That said, I will need to see the syllabus for each, and get a sense of who is teaching it, before I decide. The courses won’t take place until next year, anyhow. It makes sense to choose topics that will ultimately contribute to my thesis: another thing I should have decided on the overall structure of and question for by the end of this academic year. Comments about what I’ve written so far about it would be very welcome.
Later tonight, I am meant to meet Margaret to watch Spirited Away, but I’ve not spoken with her since I saw her in Manor Road by chance about six hours ago.
PS. Wychwood Hobgoblin is a very fine ale indeed. My thanks to Tony for introducing us.
I suddenly remembered my Charlemagne. Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky.
Last crusade…
A fine film, but irrelevant. Unless you care to elaborate?
I found your site through Technorati. You seem to be a talented writer and photographer. I hope you don’t end up trapped in academia, where hardly anyone will see what you do.
If I were you, I would take the International Law one. British International Law profs have tended to be the best, in my limited experience with the species.
F