SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
MPHIL/PHD RESEARCH HANDBOOK
2008-9
PhD Research Handbook 2008-9
2
Contents
Introduction to the PhD Programme
3
Entry Requirements
3
Members of the Department
4
Supervisory Structure
10
Supervisor
10
Associate Supervisor and Supervisory
11
Committee
Tutor(s) for Research Students
11
Monitoring of Progress
12
Department Staff-Student Forum
13
Research Training Year 1
13
Introduction
to
Quantitative
and
Qualitative
13
Research
Lunch-time seminar in research design
14
MSc-Level Coursework
14
Departmental Seminar
14
First Year Assignments
14
School statement on plagiarism
15
Written Report on Upgrade Paper
16
Fieldwork Procedures
16
Research Training Beyond Year 1
17
Professional Associations
18
Academic Discussion Lists
18
Timelines for Years 2-4
18
Thesis Submission
19
Research Support
20
ESRC Training Guidelines
21
University of London PhD Requirements
25
Staff Contact Details
26
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PhD Research Handbook 2008-9
INTRODUCTION TO THE PHD PROGRAMME
The primary aim of the PhD programme is to train research students of Politics to design,
research and write a successful doctorate within a maximum of four years. Those who have
completed the doctorate should be qualified as experts in their sub-field. They should also
be familiar with the conceptual and methodological aspects of political research. As a result
they should be equipped to enter the academic or other field of advanced political research if
they so choose. The PhD degree follows a four-year model. This consists of research
training and coursework in the first year followed by primary research and writing up in the
subsequent three years. Students are expected to be ready for submission by the end of the
fourth year.
A large collection of very good “how-to” books located in the library under the classmark
A378 (esp. A378.194) discuss the process of doctoral research. Some are general guides
(e.g. The Research Student’s Guide to Success or The Postgraduate Research Handbook),
while others address more specific themes such as coping mechanisms, writing etc.
Entry Requirements
Students would be considered if they possess a good advanced degree in Politics equivalent
in level and content to the Department's MSc, although applications from individuals with
related degrees in cognate disciplines will also be considered. Applicants should include a
synopsis (of at least five pages) of their proposed research topic. This synopsis should:
• begin with a concise (75 word) summary of the central intellectual problem to be addressed
by the proposed research;
• explain the relevance of the proposed research to the advancement of current debates in
one of the sub-field of politics (for example, political economy, political sociology, political
theory, foreign policy analysis);
• defend the choice of case study in light of the existing theoretical and empirical knowledge
in the sub-field of interest;
• specify the methodological approach (i.e. research design and technique) of the project,
and justify why such an approach is chosen over alternative approaches extant in the subfield;
• and provide a bibliography of relevant theoretical, comparative and case literature.
For guidance on research proposal writing, see Earl Babbie (2004) The Practice of Social
Research, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, pp. 106-14.
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Members of the Department
Fiona Adamson (BA Stanford; PhD Columbia)
Dr Fiona Adamson is a Senior Lecturer in International Politics with interests in international
relations, international security, transnational and non-state actors, migration and diaspora
politics, and globalisation and governance. Her publications have appeared in a number of
edited book volumes and in journals such as International Security, European Journal of
International Relations, Political Science Quarterly, International Studies Review and
Cambridge Review of International Affairs. She is a co-editor of the book series Security and
Governance (Routledge) and member of the editorial board for the journal Ethnopolitics. In
addition, she co-chairs the London Migration Research Group (LMRG) and is co-convenor of
the Security Issues standing group for the European Consortium for Political Research
(ECPR).
Arshin Adib-Moghaddam (Diplom Politologe University of Hamburg; MPhil and PhD
Cambridge)
Dr Arshin Adib-Moghaddam is the author of The International Politics of the Persian Gulf: A
Cultural Genealogy (Routledge, 2006), Iran in World Politics: The Question of the Islamic
Republic (Hurst/ Columbia University Press, 2007/2008) and A Metahistory of the Clash of
Civilisations (forthcoming, 2009). He is a frequent commentator for national and international
news channels and newspapers. He writes about Iran, western Asia, and other subjects for
The Daily Star (Beirut), bitterlemons-international (Jerusalem), The Guardian (London) and
contributes a monthly column to the safe-democracy foundation in Madrid which is also
available in Spanish and circulated throughout Latin America. Educated at the Universities of
Hamburg, American (Washington DC) and Cambridge, Adib-Moghaddam convenes the MSc
course in the ‘International Politics of the Middle East’ and a postgraduate seminar on
‘Islamic Political Ideologies’.
Rochana Bajpai (BA, Maharaja Sayajirao; MA, Jawaharlal Nehru University; MPhil and
DPhil, Oxford) (On leave Terms 1 and 3)
Dr. Rochana Bajpai's research interests are in political theory, particularly multiculturalism;
political ideologies, particularly approaches; and Indian politics, with specific reference to the
politics of caste, religion and democracy in India. Her publications appear in several edited
books and in journals such as Modern Asian Studies, Journal of Political Ideologies,
Economic and Political Weekly and Seminar. She is currently completing a book Debating
Difference: Group Rights and Democracy in India (forthcoming Oxford University Press,
2009), and starting a new project comparing discourses of affirmative action in India and
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PhD Research Handbook 2008-9
Malaysia. She convenes the undergraduate core course in political theory ‘Introduction to
Political Study’ and the postgraduate course ‘Government and Politics of Modern South
Asia’.
Stephen Chan (BA, MA, Auckland; MA, London; PhD, Kent)
Research Tutor, MPhil, Faculty Research Committee, pastoral issues (Term 1)
Stephen Chan is Professor of International Relations with special interests in Southern
Africa and in the multicultural composition of ethics. He is the co-author of The Zen of
International Relations (Palgrave, 2001), and the author of Robert Mugabe: A Life of Power
and Violence (University of Michigan Press, 2002), Out of Evil (University of Michigan Press,
2004), and Grasping Africa (I.B. Tauris, 2006).
His next book, entitled The End
of Certainty, is forthcoming with Zed Press in 2009.
Bhavna Davé (BA, MA Bombay; MA and PhD, Syracuse, New York)
Dr Davé has conducted extensive research and field work in Central Asia, mainly in
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. She teaches a postgraduate course ‘Politics and Society in
Central Asia’ and undergraduate courses ‘Nationalism and Ethnicity’ (available to final year
Politics students only) and ‘Political Sociology of Asia and Africa’. Her research interests are
in issues of democratization, elections and political transition; language, ethnicity and
migration in the post-Soviet countries. She is the author of the book Kazakhstan: Ethnicity,
Language and Power (London: Routledge, 2007). Her publications include articles in
Nations and Nationalism, Post-Soviet Affairs and Problems of Post-Communism.
Dafydd J. Fell (BA Leeds; PhD London SOAS)
Dafydd Fell is Senior Lecturer in Taiwan Studies at the Centre for Financial and
Management Studies and Department of Political Studies of the School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He is also the Deputy Director of the SOAS
Centre of Taiwan Studies and is the coordinator for the European Association of Taiwan
Studies. He has published numerous articles on political parties and electioneering in
Taiwan. His first book was Party Politics in Taiwan (Routledge, 2005), which analyzed party
change in the first fifteen years of multi-party competition. In 2006 he co-edited What has
Changed? Taiwan’s KMT and DPP Eras in Comparative Perspective (Harrassowitz), a
volume examining the impact of the first change in ruling parties in Taiwan. In 2008 he
edited a four volume reference collection of articles titled Politics of Modern Taiwan
(Routledge). He is also the book series editor for the new Routledge Research on Taiwan
Series.
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Steve Heder (BA, MA Cornell; PhD London)
Dr Heder is a specialist on the politics of Asia, especially mainland South East Asia, on
which he has worked in various professional capacities since 1973. Most recently, he
worked as an investigator for the UN-assisted Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia. His
research interests include nationalism, racism and genocide, democratisation and civil
society, human rights, state and other political violence, cultural politics and the politics of
international organisations in Asia and Africa. Among his publications are “Class, Nation
and Race in Communist Crimes Against Humanity,” in Alexandre Kimenyi, ed, Anatomy of
Genocide (2001): Cambodian Communism and the Vietnamese Model: Imitation and
Independence, 1930-1975 (2003); Seven Candidates for Prosecution: Accountability for
Crimes of the Khmer Rouge (2004); “Cambodia: Beginning or Death of Reform,” Southeast
Asian Affairs 2005;
“Reassessing the Role of Senior Leaders and Local Officials in
Democratic Kampuchea Crimes: Cambodian Accountability in Comparative Perspective,” in
R. Jaya and B. Van Schaack, eds., Bringing the Khmer Rouge to Justice: Prosecuting Mass
Violence Before the Cambodian Court (2005); “Political Theatre in the 2003 Cambodian
Elections: State, Democracy and Conciliation in Historical Perspective,” in D.C. O’Brien and
J. Strauss, eds., Politics and Performance in Asia and Africa (forthcoming); and “Cambodia,”
in A. Simpson, ed., National Identity and Language in Asia (forthcoming).
Stephen Hopgood (BSc Bristol; DPhil Oxford)
MSc Politics Convenor, Admissions and Exams
Dr Hopgood's current research interests focus on the politics and sociology of human rights
and humanitarianism. Recent publications include: Keepers of the Flame: Understanding
Amnesty International (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2006), and 'Saying "No" to WalMart? Money and morality in professional humanitarianism.' Michael Barnett and Thomas G
Weiss (eds) in Humanitarianism in Question: Politics, Power, Ethics (Ithaca: Cornell
University Press, 2008: 98-123). He also recently published 'The Tamil Tigers, 1987 – 2002'
in Diego Gambetta (ed.) Making Sense of Suicide Missions (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2005). Previous publications include: American Foreign Environmental Policy and the
Power of the State (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), 'Reading the small print in
global civil society: The inexorable hegemony of the liberal self', Millennium: Journal of
International Studies, vol. 29, no. 1, (2000), and 'Looking beyond the "K-word": Embedded
multilateralism in American foreign environmental policy', in Rosemary Foot, S Neil
MacFarlane & Michael Mastanduno (eds). US Hegemony and International Organizations
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003).
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Salwa Ismail (BA, American University in Cairo; MA McMaster; PhD McGill)
Salwa Ismail is Reader in Comparative Politics of the Middle East. Her research and writing
focuses on Islamist politics, and urban politics and state-society relations in the Middle East.
She has published widely on modern Islamic political thought, Islamist movements and
questions of urban governance. Her publications include Rethinking Islamist Politics:
Culture, the State and Islamism (I.B. Tauris, 2003&2006), and Political Life in Cairo’s New
Quarters: Encountering the Everyday State (University of Minnesota Press, 2006).
Laleh Khalili (BSc, Texas; MIA and PhD, Columbia) (On leave Term 1)
Research Tutor (Terms 2 and 3)
Laleh Khalili's research interests include policing and incarceration, gender, nationalism,
political and social movements, and refugees and diasporas in the Middle East. Her
publications
include
Heroes
and
Martyrs
of
Palestine:
the Politics of
National
Commemoration (Cambridge University Press, 2007) and number of articles on the politics
of violence, political contention, and nationalist commemoration. She is also a member of
the Feminist Review editorial collective.
She is currently researching incarceration,
sovereignty, and extraterritoriality in colonial counterinsurgencies. Laleh Khalili is on leave
during 2008.
Yuka Kobayashi (LLB, Kyoto; MPhil and DPhil, Oxford)
Dr Kobayashi is Lecturer in Chinese Politics at the Department of Politics and International
Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). She is also a Research
Associate at the University of Oxford and serves on the advisory panel of the Foundation for
Law, Justice and Society (FLJS). Her research interests include International Politics of
China, Chinese Law and Politics, International Politics of East Asia, International Law
(International Economic Law, Environmental Law, and Human Rights Law), and Theories of
Compliance and Cooperation. Her publications include: ‘The Impact of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) on China’s Trade Policy: A Case Study of the Telecommunications
Sector’ in China’s Foreign Trade Policy: The New Constituencies Ka Zeng ed. (London:
Routledge, 2007) and ‘Still the “Troubled Moderniser” – Three Decades of Chinese
Environmental Diplomacy’ in Confronting Environmental Change - Eco-Politics and Foreign
Policy in East and Southeast Asia Paul Harris ed. (London: UN University Press/Earthscan,
2005). She teaches MSc courses on China and International Politics and International
Politics of East Asia. Prior to joining SOAS, she was a Junior Research Fellow at the
University of Oxford.
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PhD Research Handbook 2008-9
Tat Yan Kong (BA, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; MPhil and DPhil, Oxford)
Head of Department
Dr Kong is interested in comparative political economy with particular reference to South
Korea and Taiwan. He is also interested in security issues on the Korean Peninsula. He is
the author of The Politics of Economic Reform in South Korea: A Fragile
Miracle (Routledge, 2000) and co-editor of The Korean Peninsula in Transition
(Macmillan, 1996). His other publications include articles in journals such as Political
Studies, British Journal of Political Science, Review of International Political Economy,
New Political Economy, Government and Opposition, and Modern Asian Studies.
Mark Laffey (BA, MA Canterbury, New Zealand; PhD Minnesota)
MSc International Politics Convenor
Dr Laffey is Senior Lecturer in International Politics, specialising in international theory,
international security, foreign policy analysis and US foreign policy. He has co-edited two
books, Cultures of Insecurity: States, Communities and the Production of Danger
(Minnesota, 1999) and Democracy, Liberalism and War: Rethinking the Democratic Peace
Debate (Lynne Rienner, 2001) and published in such journals as International Studies
Quarterly, European Journal of International Relations, Review of International Studies,
Millennium: Journal of International Studies, as well as a number of edited volumes. His
current research interests include theorising state action and postcolonial international
theory.
Matthew J. Nelson (BA Bowdoin; PhD, Columbia) (On leave Terms 2 and 3)
Dr Nelson focuses on South Asian politics, with special reference to the politics of Islam,
Islamic institutions, and democracy in North India and Pakistan. He is currently completing a
book about the political economy of customary and Islamic law in colonial and postcolonial
Punjab (forthcoming 2008 Columbia University Press). His next book will focus on religious
(Islamic) education. In addition, Dr Nelson has published articles in Modern Asian Studies,
Asian Survey, and other journals devoted to comparative and international politics. Dr
Nelson also serves as a consultant for The Asia Foundation, the Asian Development Bank,
and DFID on issues related to institutional reform, field research design, and local politics
throughout South Asia.
Lawrence Sáez (BA, California-Berkeley; MALD, Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy; PhD, Chicago)
Dr Lawrence Sáez is Senior Lecturer in Comparative and International Politics. His research
is focused on the intersection between comparative and international political economy,
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particularly as it pertains to the challenges of economic reform across different industry
sectors in emerging markets. He is the author of Federalism Without a Centre:The Impact
of Political Reform and Economic Liberalization on India’s Federal System (Sage, 2002) and
Banking Reform in India and China (Palgrave MacMillan, 2004). He is the co-editor (with
Katharine Adeney) of Coalition Politics and Hindu Nationalism (Routledge, 2005). Dr Sáez
is the Chair of the Standing Group on Third World Politics of the European Consortium for
Political Research (ECPR) and is the Secretary of the British Association of South Asian
Studies (BASAS). He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Political Studies
Association (PSA).
Dr Sáez has served as a consultant to the DFID, the European
Commission, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly.
Julia Strauss (BA Connecticut College; MA and PhD California-Berkeley)
(On leave Term 1)
Dr Strauss teaches courses on 20th century China, state and society in China, and
postgraduate course on State and Society in Asia and Africa. Her research interests include:
the evolution of the 20th century Chinese state of both sides of the Taiwan Straits; the
interaction between culture and institutions; China and Africa; and the implementation of
environmental regulation and land use in the PRC. Her publications include: Strong
Institutions in Weak Polities: State Building in Republican China, 1927-1940 (Oxford, 1998),
and the edited volumes Staging Politics: Power and Performance in Asia and Africa (coedited with Donal Cruise O'Brien; Tauris, 2007), The History of the People's Republic of
China, 1949-1976 (Cambridge 2007), and Culture in the Contemporary PRC (co-edited with
Michel Hockx; Cambridge 2005).
Charles Tripp (BA, Oxford; MSc and PhD, London)
Research Tutor, Admissions, Registry and Inquiries (Term 1)
Professor Tripp's research interests include the nature of autocracy, state and authority in
the Middle East, as well as Islamic political thought. He teaches Middle East politics at both
Masters and undergraduate levels. He is the author of: Islam and the Moral Economy: The
Challenge of Capitalism (Cambridge University Press, 2006); A History of Iraq (Cambridge
University Press, 2007) and the joint author of Iran and Iraq at War (I.B. Tauris, 1988) and of
Iran-Saudi Arabia Relations and Regional Order (IISS, 1996); editor of Contemporary Egypt:
Through Egyptian Eyes (Routledge, 1993); and co-editor of Egypt under Mubarak
(Routledge, 1989) and The Iraqi Aggression Against Kuwait (Westview, 1996).
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Leslie Vinjamuri (BA, Wesleyan; MSc London School of Economics; MPhil, PhD
Columbia)
Dr Vinjamuri’s current research is focused on the role of advocacy and politics in shaping
accountability for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, international criminal
justice and especially on judicial interventions in ongoing conflict. She is also conducting
research on the engagement of secular and religious nonstate actors in transitional justice,
and the impact of conflict and especially terrorism on civil liberties and human rights in
democratic states. Her work on transitional justice has appeared in International Security,
Survival, the Annual Review of Political Science and other journals and edited volumes. Dr.
Vinjamuri is currently completing a book manuscript, War, Justice, and Accountability since
1945. She is on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Transitional Justice. She
has served as a consultant to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva, and the Ford
Foundation.
Thomas Young (BSc [Soc], MA [African Studies], MA [Philosophy] and PhD, London)
Tom Young’s areas of interest are Mozambique; Africa as an object of Western intervention;
the theoretical foundations and practices of human rights and democracy agendas as part of
a globalisation process. He is the co-author of (with Margaret Hall) Confronting Leviathan:
Mozambique since Independence, (Hurst, 1997) and editor of Readings in African Politics,
(James Currey, 2003).
SUPERVISORY STRUCTURE
The Supervisor
The relationship between student and supervisor is the primary building block in the
MPhil/PhD programme in the Department of Political Studies at SOAS. Admission into the
programme is made on the basis of the expressed willingness of at least one member of
staff to serve as the main supervisor for the student's PhD thesis. Thus, from the student's
entry in the first year of the MPhil/PhD programme, the supervisor assumes primary
responsibility for monitoring and enhancing the student's progress towards the completion of
the degree. It is the supervisor who will advise on reading, sources of documentation, and
on the development of research design and methodology (especially in regard to relevant
readings) appropriate to the project. The supervisor will also read and comment upon draft
chapters, and make recommendations for additional training. Supervisors have a
responsibility to keep the Registry informed about students’ progress. Supervisors are also
responsible for arranging the details of the thesis submission and the viva.
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You are asked to arrange to meet your supervisor in registration week and at regular
intervals thereafter. Members of staff have office hours which are posted by their offices.
Supervision meetings at SOAS normally take place every fortnight (for full-time students)
during their first year, but at some stages more frequent meetings or meetings at monthly
intervals might be more appropriate.
The Associate Supervisor serves on the student's research committee. S/he is also
available as a source of academic advice and may sometimes assume primary responsibility
for supervision (e.g. when the main supervisor is on leave). The Associate Supervisor
assists in the assessment of the upgrade paper and can offer advice on PhD seminar
presentations. When agreed with the main supervisor, the Associate Supervisor can also be
the penultimate reader of a PhD thesis draft.
The Supervisory Committee
Upon registration, usually within the first six weeks, each new student is placed under the
overall charge of a three-person Supervisory Committee (consisting of Supervisor,
Associate Supervisor, and PhD Research Tutor or Research Seminar Convenor). This
committee is designed to offer advice and guidance, and to monitor the student's progress
towards the completion of the degree. The Supervisory Committee decides on the
appropriate MSc-level coursework at the beginning of the first year. The Supervisory
Committee evaluates the upgrade paper at the end of the first year and determines the
suitability of the student for upgrading to full PhD status. It also has a particular responsibility
in relation to requests of transfer to Continuation status.
Tutor for Research Students
The Department's Tutor for Research Students assumes the overall responsibility for the
supervision of all MPhil/PhD students. If a student is experiencing problems with a
supervisor or wishes to switch to a new supervisor, the Tutor for Research Students and the
Head of Department will make the necessary arrangements as they see fit. If a supervisor is
on study leave or for other reasons becomes unavailable, the Tutor for Research Students,
in co-ordination with the Head of Department, will likewise work to find temporary or longterm alternative supervision as deemed appropriate under the circumstances. The Tutor for
Research Students does not teach all the research training classes, but liaises closely with
the convenors of those courses on research student issues.
Research Tutor, Admissions, Registry and Inquiries (Term1): Professor Charles Tripp
ct2@soas.ac.uk
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Research Tutor, MPhil, Faculty Research Committee, pastoral issues (Term 1):
Professor Stephen Chan sc5@soas.ac.uk
Research Tutor (Terms 2 and 3): Dr. Laleh Khalili
lk4@soas.ac.uk
Monitoring of Progress
Student progress will be monitored through annual reports. Reports will evaluate the quality
of the work submitted and the pace of progress. There is also a section in the report form for
the student to voice his/her opinion. Annual report forms are supplied by the Registry to
each supervisor. These are filled in by supervisors but, whenever possible, seen and
approved by students, and are used by the Registry and the Associate Dean Research as
an overall guide to students’ progress. Annual report forms should be used for signalling any
difficulties either student or supervisor may be experiencing. The supervisor and the student
should meet regularly after each piece of submitted work and at the start and the end of
each term at least. Most research students go through a phase of feeling that the work is not
progressing well enough or quickly enough and so seek to avoid meeting the supervisor. But
it is vital that contact is maintained (by phone or e-mail, if not directly in person), that such
difficulties are talked through and that the agreed schedule of work is not allowed to slip too
far.
A necessary foundation for research is a manageable research plan, worked out
and agreed jointly by both student and supervisor. This should include: a time schedule for
the different stages of research, writing-up and submission, keeping within the 48 month
timeframe; a provisional title for the thesis; a brief bibliography of the relevant literature; a
rough division of the intended thesis by chapters and/or topic;
an outline of the main
hypothesis or argument; a brief account of the proposed methodology; and a statement of
likely conclusions and significance of the work for the field. Obviously, the research plan is
only a plan and in many cases key elements will need to be extensively revised as the
research and writing progresses, but it is an essential tool in enabling student and
supervisor alike to plan ahead, to identify difficulties before they arise, and to have an
agreed basis for the future progress of the research work.
Logbooks
At the start of your Mphil/PhD programme, you will be issued with your personal logbook.
You are responsible for completing the first few pages before you meet with your supervisor
– these pages outline what you think your supervisor needs to know about your skills and
future training.
You must carry the logbook with you every time you meet with your
supervisor and all aims, goals and deadlines agreed in the tutorial must be noted in the
book. The log-book provides a record of the frequency of supervisions, and the student’s
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plans and achievements. It has sections to be filled in by both student and supervisor, and is
retained by the student except during periods of overseas fieldwork.
The Department Staff-Student Forum
The forum is the means by which students and staff can discuss all aspects of the
department's work. It meets at least once a term, and is made up of six students, elected to
represent each undergraduate year, MSc students and research students, and an equal
number of staff. The Faculty Research Committee usually meets twice per term and also
includes at least one research student representative.
RESEARCH TRAINING YEAR 1
Students are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status within twelve (12) months of
their registration. It must be stressed that transfer from initial registration from MPhil to PhD
is NOT automatic. Successful completion of the WHOLE training programme is a
requirement for progression from MPhil to PhD. This means students must attend all
courses and complete all written assignments. Those failing to do this will be deemed to
have failed to satisfy the requirements for upgrading.
COURSES
ASSIGNMENTS
• Introduction to Quantitative and
• Review of Secondary Literature
Qualitative Research Methods
(due start of Term 2)
(Terms 1 and 2) compulsory
• Lunch-time seminars on research
• Preliminary Upgrade Paper
design (Term 2) compulsory
(due start of Term 3)
• A 20-minute presentation on the
doctoral research project to the Politics
Seminar (during Term 3)
• MSc course (Terms 1 and 2) as
• Final Upgrade Paper (due end of Term
specified by the supervisory committee
3)
Introduction to Quantitative and Qualitative Research (compulsory)
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the tools and methodologies of social
science research. We begin by examining epistemological and ontological issues of social
science research and consider the theoretical and practical aspects of research design. At
the end of the course, students should be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of
different methodological approaches and formulate empirical research projects. The first
term examines descriptive and inferential statistics, SPSS and regression analysis. The
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second term of the course addresses data collection and data analysis, including
ethnography/ethnomethodology, interviews, focus groups, case studies, content and
discourse analyses, process tracing and triangulation.
Students can purchase the reading pack for the course from the SOAS bookstore in the
Brunei Gallery.
Lunch-time seminars in research design (compulsory)
This one term seminar is designed to complement the Introduction to Research Design and
Methods class. In this seminar, students will have the opportunity to discuss issues of
research design, methodology, fieldwork, writing up and project management with the
Research Tutor and/or other members of staff.
MSc Level Coursework (as specified by supervisory committee)
Students may be required to attend the appropriate MSc level courses to build up their
overall grasp of the subject. This will entail weekly attendance of, and positive contribution to
(including presentations), at one of the department's MSc courses (for course descriptions,
see the Department Postgraduate Handbook).
Departmental Seminar
The Politics department seminar meets on Wednesdays and is a crucial element of the
shared intellectual life of staff and postgraduate students. Invited speakers and PhD
students will present work in progress. First year students are strongly encouraged to
attend.
First Year Assignments
FOUR hard- copies of the review of secondary literature, preliminary upgrade paper and
final upgrade paper should be submitted to the Faculty Office. Email attachments are not
acceptable. These will be assessed by members of the Supervisory Committee. Any late
submissions must be supported by your supervisor and approved by the Research Tutor.
Late submissions may entail delays in the upgrade from MPhil to PhD status.
Review of Secondary Literature (up to 5,000 words)
Students should provide a critical summary of the main research questions, designs,
methods and findings of the existing literature in their area of study. This will include findings
and methods from literature on their own region of empirical interest and from other relevant
regions, as well as debates in their sub-disciplines. On the basis of this summary, students
should highlight the existing theoretical controversies and the areas in need of further
empirical research. A good place to start would be a search on the International Bibliography
of the Social Sciences accessible via BIDS <www,bids.ac.uk>.
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The deadline is Monday 5 January 2009.
Preliminary Upgrade Paper
The preliminary upgrade paper should offer a clear statement of the following:

The principal question and sub-questions addressed by their research;

Alternative hypotheses relating to the research question suggested in the scholarly
literature from relevant regions and sub-disciplines; the approach to be followed in
the study;

The methodological framework that will be employed, and the sources that will be
used for the elaboration and substantiation of the main hypotheses;

Outline field-work plan – visas and access issues; funding applications; university
links; ethical issues; interview questionnaire/s;

A timetable for completion within four years.
The maximum word length is 10,000 words. The upgrade paper must be preceded by a
synopsis of no more than 200 words. Double-spacing, 12 point font should be used
throughout both text and notes. Referencing should follow the Harvard style (for example,
look at the style guide for authors at the website of the journal International Studies
Quarterly ).
The deadline is Monday 20 April 2009.
Presentation of Upgrade Paper to the Department Seminar
Students are required to make a twenty-minute presentation of their upgrade paper (around
2000 words) to the Departmental Seminar.
The presentations will take place in Term 3. Please coordinate with the Research
Tutor/ Department Seminar organizer for setting a date.
Final PhD Upgrade Paper
Based on feedback to the preliminary draft, students will write their revised upgrade paper of
up to 10,000 words. The rubric for submission and style is the same as for the preliminary
upgrade paper. The Supervisory Committee will be expected to reach a decision with
regards to the upgrade and submit a written report to the Registry and the Associate Dean
for Research during May/June.
The deadline is 12 June 2009.
School statement on Plagiarism
Students are reminded that all work submitted as part of the requirement for any
examination of the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) must be
expressed in their own words and incorporate their own ideas and judgements. Plagiarism -
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PhD Research Handbook 2008-9
that is, the presentation of another person's thoughts or words as though they were the
student’s own – must be avoided. Direct quotations from the published or unpublished work
of others must always be clearly identified as such by being placed inside quotation marks,
and a full reference to their source must be provided in proper form. A series of short
quotations from several different sources, if not clearly identified as such, constitutes
plagiarism just as much as does a single unacknowledged long quotation from a single
source. Equally if students summarise another persons' ideas and judgements, they must
refer to that person in their text as the source of the ideas and judgements, and include the
work referred to in their bibliography.
Failure to observe these rules may result in an
allegation of cheating. Students should therefore consult their tutor or supervisor if they are
in any doubt about what is permissible. Where students draw on their own previous written
work, whether submitted as coursework for their current degree, or for a previous degree or
qualification, this must be clearly stated. Coursework essays submitted for one course may
not be used for another course. Plagiarism is an examination offence.
Written Report on the PhD Upgrade paper
A written report on the research proposal will be submitted by the Supervisory Committee. A
copy of this report will be kept in the student file at the Faculty Office and Registry. All or
parts of the report will be made available to the student. The report will include:
• A brief summary of the submission;
• Strengths and weaknesses of the submission;
• Suggestions for improvement;
• Recommendation and rationale for upgrading to PhD status, not proceeding beyond the
MPhil degree, or termination.
There are several possible outcomes to the assessment of the upgrade paper: the student
can be recommended for upgrading; asked to make minor corrections; asked to do major
re-writing; recommended to remain on the MPhil course only; or that the course of study be
terminated. No student is given permission to leave for fieldwork until a decision has
been made about upgrading. No student will be permitted to enrol for a second full time
year, or part time equivalent, unless the transfer to PhD has taken place or a written
dispensation from the Associate Dean Research is on their Registry file.
Fieldwork procedures
In the second year, students normally undertake fieldwork. A maximum of three terms’
fieldwork is usually permitted in a full-time PhD programme. Fieldwork of longer than 12
months has to be approved by the Associate Dean for Research. During their first year,
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PhD Research Handbook 2008-9
students are expected to locate and apply to any relevant sources of funding for fieldwork.
Finding funding, applying for it, and collecting the necessary supporting material are part of
research training and transferable skills.
Discussion of how to locate funding sources
occurs within the Research Training Seminar and the Generic Research Training Day run by
the School. The Careers office can also help locate some sources of funding. Both the
School and University of London Central Funding Committees will consider applications for
funds to support fieldwork.
After the student has been upgraded to PhD status, the student and supervisor must
fill in the Application for Approval to Undertake Overseas Fieldwork research form
available from Registry. Research plans, including overseas University contacts and a
description of arrangements for supervision while in the field need to be outlined in the form.
You must agree, with your supervisor, how it is that you will report on fieldwork. At least
monthly contact is expected. Confirmation that a risk assessment has been undertaken
must be given on the Fieldwork Application Form. It is the student's responsibility to assess
the risk and discuss it as necessary with the supervisor and others. Students must submit
the fieldwork application form to Registry well before their departure. Similarly, on
returning, it is important for students to contact the Registry as well as their supervisor.
It is possible for students who return to London for short period/s during their
overseas fieldwork to obtain a temporary Library card. They should contact Registry to
arrange this.
RESEARCH TRAINING BEYOND YEAR 1
Throughout the process of research design, fieldwork, and writing, students are expected to
maintain regular contact with their supervisors and to consult the other members of their
Supervisory Committees as appropriate (note rules on Monitoring of Progress above). The
work of writing the PhD dissertation is of the student alone, supported, of course, by regular
meetings, normally monthly, with the supervisor. There are TWO further assignments, one
compulsory, one recommended:
• Upon completion of fieldwork, students are expected to make a written presentation of their
findings within four months of their return. They are also required to present their field-work
findings at the Department Seminar and/or lunch-time seminar during their third year
(compulsory). This is an excellent opportunity to get feedback from members of staff and
fellow PhD students.
Please coordinate with the Research Tutor/ Department Seminar organizer for setting
a date.
• Students who have reached their third/fourth years will be strongly encouraged to make at
least one presentation to the UK Political Studies Association (PSA) or the British
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International Studies Association (BISA). Students may apply to the Faculty for funding.
PSA/BISA are annual events popular with PhD candidates. They also contain panels on
comparative/Asian/African politics/IR. As such they are excellent opportunities for receiving
constructive feedback, for making a start in publishing (via the PSA Proceedings) and for
meeting fellow doctoral candidates. Given that students are writing theses in the discipline of
politics/IR, attendance at disciplinary fora like PSA/BISA cannot be emphasized enough.
Below, find some resources for presenting your work.
Professional Associations
Political Studies Association - www.psa.ac.uk/
British International Studies Association - www.bisa.ac.uk/
European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) - http://www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/
American Political Science Association - www.apsanet.org/
International Studies Association - www.isanet.org/
There are also associations dedicated to the study of particular themes. For example:
Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism (ASEN) http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/ASEN/
The Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD) http://www.aswadiaspora.org/
Development Studies Association - http://www.devstud.org.uk/
The British Society for Middle East Studies - www.dur.ac.uk/brismes/
Middle East Studies Association - www.mesa.arizona.edu/
African Studies Association - www.africanstudies.org/
The African Studies Association of the UK - www.asauk.net/
The Association for Asian Studies - www.aasianst.org/
British Association of South Asian Studies - www.staff.brad.ac.uk/akundu/basas/
The British Academy portal - http://www.britac.ac.uk/portal/index.html lists the resources
available to researchers in a number of disciplinary and geographic areas.
Academic Discussion Lists
Contentious politics – send a request to amsoc@columbia.edu
H-net (on a wide range of themes and areas) – www.h-net.org
There are also lists operating about all sorts of topics on Yahoo Groups and sometimes
around particular themes (nationalism for example).
TIMELINES FOR YEARS 2-4
Students should bear in mind that fieldwork in the second year can easily take up to nine
months whilst final redrafting usually takes at least three to four months. This leaves
approximately two years for the substantive chapters to be written in the intervening period.
The 100,000 word limit should be treated as an absolute maximum. A more realistic total is
around 80-85,000 words. Allowing for 10-15,000 words for the Introduction and Conclusion,
the student will have to write around 70,000 words in the two year period between the end of
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fieldwork and start of final redrafting. On average, this means an output of approximately
10,000 words every three months. The schedule is tight, especially if one also includes
the possibility that advanced PhD students may also be doing some teaching. Those doing
teaching will be expected to organize their time appropriately. Teaching is an opportunity to
gain further academic experience but should not be used as an excuse for failure to submit
chapters or meet the formal requirements.
By the end of the third year, students are expected to produce large part of a first draft of
the dissertation. Many students then seek a fourth year of study, or Continuation.
Continuation status is only intended for students who have completed their research,
finished first drafts of all or most chapters, and are in the final stages of revising the thesis
for submission. Under Continuation status students will continue to have access to School
facilities, including use of the SOAS Library but are entitled to receive only a reduced level of
supervision. Move to Continuation status requires the recommendation of the supervisory
committee and completion of the appropriate form obtainable from Registry.
Thesis submission
When the thesis is nearing completion, both student and supervisor must begin to plan for
the final stages – the submission and examination of the thesis. The student will need to
collect an Entry Form from the Registry and submit it no later than four months before
planned submission. The student will need to prepare an abstract for the Entry Form. It is
the responsibility of the supervisor to recommend examiners – one from within the University
of London (and where possible from outside SOAS) and one from outside the University (but
preferably from within the UK). While a student may have had contact with their examiners,
it is normally expected that the examiners have not read large parts of the dissertation nor
have had extended discussions of the thesis with the student beforehand. Your supervisor
will contact your examiners and arrange the day, time and place of the examination. When
the thesis is complete, you will need to submit three copies. It is your responsibility to see
that the thesis is prepared in the approved format. It can be initially bound in soft covers, to
be replaced by hard cover binding after the successful examination.
The examiners of a PhD thesis have a number of options open to them: they can
deem the candidate as having fully met the requirements of a PhD (or ask for only minor
amendments to be made); they can require more substantial changes to be made and the
revised thesis represented within 18 months (usually this is done without a second viva);
they can decide that the candidate has failed to meet the standard required for a PhD but
may be offered an MPhil degree instead; or they may fail the candidate entirely. This
information is a summary and should be read in conjunction with the SOAS Postgraduate
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Research Student Handbook and the University of London Regulations which are provided
to students at registration.
RESEARCH SUPPORT
The Learning and Teaching Unit (LTU) provides all research students with learning support.
Optional workshops take place throughout the year on various topics and include:





MPhil core chapter writing skills
PhD presentation skills
Writing block
Time management
Year 3 writing courses
Students with specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, can also receive
one-to-one support with a Learning Advisor. Drop-in sessions will also be held for Teaching
Assistants (TAs) to answer any queries you may have related to your teaching. For more
information, see the LTU website: www.soas.ac.uk/ltu. Alternatively, visit the LTU in room
G12 (near the library), or email them: ltu@soas.ac.uk
Many research students have benefited from In-sessional English language support which is
provided by SOAS. Courses taking place in the first two terms include:






Academic Essay Writing
Reading and Note-taking
Lecture Skills (Listening and note-taking)
Seminar and Presentation Skills
Grammar Improvement
Academic Vocabulary and Style
Also available to research students are one-to-one tutorials, where individual English
language or study skills concerns can be addressed with an English language expert. All
courses and tutorials are available free of charge. They are also very popular, so it is
advisable to register for a course as early as possible. More information can be found on the
SOAS website at www.soas.ac.uk/insessionalenglish
Generic Research Training
This general day for research training is both faculty and school wide and usually occurs in
mid-October. The day includes sessions on: Why pursue a career in Research?; SOAS
regulations, an overview; resources at SOAS; the SOAS Archives; the Student support and
the Learning & Teaching Unit; how to organise a PhD thesis; meeting with other MPhil
students by region with a final year PhD student and member of staff; preparing for
fieldwork: identifying sources of funding for fieldwork; ethics and research; legal issues and
research (copyright laws and you); and meetings by department/discipline with PhD student
and/or Research Tutor to reflect on the day.
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Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network (BPSN)
The Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network has been created by UCL for sharing best
practice in generic and transferable skills training for graduate research students in the
Bloomsbury area. The purpose of the shared skills training programme is to allow students
in the participating institutions to expand their generic research skills and personal
transferable skills, through attending training courses and workshops at other member
institutions.
Registration for courses is via the website: http://www.grad.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury/
ESRC PHD TRAINING GUIDELINES
These are guidelines taken from the Economic and Social Research Council website
<www.esrc.ac.uk>
F10 Political Science, International Studies and International Relations
The Nature of the Area
1.1 Political Science, International Relations (IR), and International Studies (IS) cover a
broad range of issues. Political Science covers subjects including the study of how
power, authority and legitimacy are related to processes and systems of governance and
the behaviour of state and non-state actors. International Relations covers broadly
similar subjects within regional and global frameworks. International Studies is, by
definition, interdisciplinary and covers a wider range of both subject matter and
methodologies including historical, legal and cultural dimensions. Students are expected
to use material from a variety of cognate disciplines. Political Science and International
Relations also have their own sub-areas, while International Studies includes further
linkages across a range of fields. These subject specific guidelines apply equally to all
three areas except where indicated.
Preparation
2.1 Students working in the fields of Political Science and IR/IS should have a good Honours
degree normally in one of these areas or in a cognate discipline in social science (e.g.
Geography) or humanities. However, students from other disciplines will also be considered.
All students should demonstrate critical skills, analytical ability, communication skills and the
potential for independent and critical research.
Subject Specific Domains of Expertise
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Language and overseas fieldwork may be an integral part of research training for some
students in the following subject specific domains.
3.1 Political Science
In addition to the training described in Section 4, students in political science will require
additional specialist training depending on the focus of their work. The following are
examples of pathways for research training:
• Students in the field of political behaviour and political sociology will need to acquire
specialised training in the primary methods of collecting and analysing data at mass and
elite levels
• Students in political theory and political philosophy will need to develop a good grounding
in normative analysis, the history and historiography of political thought and contemporary
political theory
• Students in the field of comparative politics will need a further understanding of
comparative methodology, theories of comparative politics and a good working knowledge of
political systems that offer appropriate comparisons
• Students in public policy and public administration will require further training in case
selection, public policy analysis, theories of decision making, organisational theory and wider
theories of governance
• Students in European Union politics will require an advanced understanding of the
European Union, and of relevant theoretical debates about the Euro-polity and the process
of integration
• Students who specialize in the politics of a specific country or region will need to acquire
an advanced understanding of the historical, cultural, social and institutional context of the
area to be studied
3.2 International Relations/International Studies
In addition to the training described in Section 4, students in IR/IS will require additional
specialist training depending on the focus of their work. The following are examples of
pathways for research training.
3.2.1 International Relations
• Students in the field of International Politics/International Relations theory will require
specialised training in the following areas: the history of inter-state practices; the key
theories and concepts of advanced International Politics, including the application of these to
real world case studies; and international political theory
• Students in foreign policy analysis will require training in the history, governance, culture of
the country(ies) to be studied; a detailed knowledge of the main theories of foreign policy
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decision-making and a grounding in the main theories of international relations and the
ethical dimension of foreign policy
• Students in the field of International Institutions will require knowledge of the history and
development of international (inter-governmental and non-governmental) organisations;
organisational and institutional theories; and key debates about the relationship between
such institutions and states social groups, economic development and power in world
politics
• Students in the fields of Strategic/Security Studies and War/Peace Studies will require a
grounding in the historical development of strategic thought and ideas about war and
peace/security theory; key debates in strategic/security/war peace studies and contemporary
developments in the role of force/security policies/war/peace in world politics
• Students in the field of International Political Economy will require further study in the
history of, and politics of, international economic relations, and theoretical developments in
International Relations and other related disciplines
3.2.2 International Studies
• Students in the field of International History will require specialised training in the
philosophy of history, the main historiographical trends of the twentieth century and case
study analysis and archival research
• Students in Area and Regional Studies (including the EU, ASEAN, NAFTA) are likely to
require an advanced understanding of the contemporary history of appropriate parts of the
world and their regional and global context, a good grounding in the skills of comparative
political science and related disciplines and sub-disciplines, including relevant language
studies and an understanding of the relevance of International Relations theories for
understanding developments in these areas
• Students of the role of law in international relations will need training in basic doctrines of
international law, as well as an understanding of its origins and interpretation. They will also
need to study the interplay of law with international organisation and with national foreign
policy-making
• Students of historical sociology need a knowledge of the history of both state systems and
international political economy. They must be familiar with the major thinkers who range
across time and disciplinary boundaries to provide interpretations of the overall evolution of
humanity's political, economic and social organisation
Research Methods Training
4.1 In addition to covering the generic research methods training, subject specific training in
Political Science, International Studies and International Relations should provide further
training in: the nature of explanation in the social sciences, data collection and data analysis.
As far as possible research methods training should be made relevant to the student's own
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research area. Outlets are encouraged to be flexible in the way they structure and deliver
their research training. Different topics may be suitable to different course structures and
teaching methods.
Nature of Explanation and Justification in the Social Sciences
4.2 Students require a good understanding of the main epistemological issues relative to
research in the social sciences. In particular, they need to be aware of:
• the major theoretical and epistemological debates in the social sciences, such as
explanation of and understanding the differences between positivist, realist and other
accounts of social science from perspectives including feminism, post-modernism and
critical theory the practical implications of the major alternative philosophical positions in the
social sciences for research in at least one of the major sub-fields of Political Science,
International Studies and International Relations
• the epistemological implications of the use of alternative quantitative and qualitative
methods in social science research in their fields of study
Methods of Data Collection
4.3 Training is likely to include:
• qualitative methods: survey methods, field research methods, methods for elite and mass
interviewing, focus groups, archival and documentary research, observational and
ethnographic methods and the use of life histories and political biographies, and the use of
electronic search materials appropriate for political analysis, e.g. World Values Survey;
election monitoring
• quantitative methods: introduction to measurement theory and the design of questionnaires
and sampling methods for political surveys, experimental and non-experimental methods,
analysis of official data sets, and the processing and coding of political data at the individual
and aggregate levels
Methods of Data Analysis
4.4 Training is likely to include:
• qualitative analysis: content and textual analysis of political texts, ethnographic and
narrative analysis of political processes, familiarity with computer-based coding of political
variables
• quantitative methods: the multivariate analysis of survey-based and aggregate political
data such as electoral data or comparative survey data; methods of scaling and data
reduction applied to political variables, reliability and validity testing of political indices
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Further Training
4.5 In addition to their generic research methods training and subject specific training,
students may need additional training and support in the first and second years of the '+3' in
areas such as advanced statistics, language training, or the use of specialist resources such
as the Public Record Office.
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON PhD REQUIREMENTS
The following extract is taken from: 'Regulations for the Degrees of MPhil and PhD' (with
effect from September 2001), University of London.
The thesis shall:
a
consist of the candidate’s own account of his/her investigations and
must indicate how they appear to him/her to advance the study of the
subject;
b
form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford
evidence of originality by the discovery of new facts and/or by the
exercise of independent critical power;
c
be an integrated whole and present a coherent argument;
[A series of papers, whether published or otherwise, is not acceptable as a thesis; work
already published, either by the candidate or jointly with others, may be included only if it
forms an integral part of the thesis and thereby makes a relevant contribution to the main
theme of the thesis and is in the same format as the rest of the thesis; the part played by the
candidate in any work done jointly with the supervisor(s) and/or fellow research workers
must be clearly stated and certified by the supervisor; publications derived from the work in
the thesis may be bound as supplementary material at the back of the thesis (see also
paragraph 6.3.3 below).]
d
give a critical assessment of the relevant literature, describe the method
of research and its findings, and include a discussion on those findings,
and indicate in what respects they appear to the candidate to advance
the study of the subject;
e
be written in English and the literary presentation shall be satisfactory
include a full bibliography and references;
g
not exceed 100,000 words; a College may prescribe a lower number in
certain subject areas, which shall be detailed in the relevant College
regulations; [This word limit includes footnotes.]
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h
be of a standard to merit publication in whole or in part or in a revised
form (for example, as a monograph or as a number of articles in
learned journals).
STAFF CONTACT DETAILS
Departmental Administration
The Politics Department is administered via the Office of the Faculty of Law and Social
Sciences located in Room 251.
Student Support Team Leader: Ms Wangari Muoria-Sal <wm@soas.ac.uk>
Student Support Team Officer: Ms Yvonne Henry <yh22@soas.ac.uk>
Tel. (020)-7898-4477
Office email: lawandsocialsciences@soas.ac.uk
Academic Contact Details
Title
Surname
First
name
Phone
7898
+
4683
Room
Job Title
Fiona
Email
@soas.ac.
uk
fa33
Dr
Adamson
212
Adib-Moghaddam
Arshin
aa106
4747
216a
Dr
Bajpai
Rochana
rb6
4750
209
Prof.
Chan
Stephen
sc5
4655
262
Dr
Davé
Bhavna
bd4
4734
221
Dr
Fell
Dafydd
df2
4206
204
Dr
Heder
Stephen
sh32
4737
219
Dr
Hopgood
Stephen
sh18
4738
207
Dr
Ismail
Salwa
si1
4740
202
Dr
Khalili
Laleh
lk4
4735
210
Dr
Kobayashi
Yuka
yk37
4678
231
Dr
Kong
Tat Yan
yk2
4743
206
Senior Lecturer in
International Relations
Lecturer in Comparative
and International Politics
of the Middle East
Lecturer in Politics
(on leave Terms 1 & 3)
Professor of
International Relations
Lecturer in Central Asian
Politics
Senior Lecturer in
Taiwan Studies (Politics)
Lecturer in South East
Asian Politics
Senior Lecturer in
International Politics
Reader in Comparative
Politics of the Middle
East
Senior Lecturer in Middle
East Politics (on leave
Term 1)
Lecturer in Chinese
Politics
Reader in Comparative
Politics and Development
Studies; Head of
Department
Dr
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PhD Research Handbook 2008-9
Dr
Laffey
Mark
ml23
4744
208
Dr
Nelson
Matt
mn6
4742
216
Dr
Sáez
Lawrence
ls4
4725
204a
Dr
Strauss
Julia
js11
4746
205
Prof
Tripp
Charles
ct2
4748
214
Dr
Vinjamuri
Leslie
lv
4758
211
Dr
Young
Thomas
ty
4732
213
Senior Lecturer in
International Politics
Lecturer in Politics
(on leave Terms 2 & 3)
Senior Lecturer in
Comparative and
International Politics
Senior Lecturer in
Chinese Politics (on
leave Term 1)
Professor in Middle East
Politics
Lecturer in International
Politics
Senior Lecturer in
African Politics
Note
This booklet was first compiled in July 2005 and updated in August 2008. Every effort was
made to ensure that the information was correct at the time of publication. The rules given
in this document do NOT take precedence over those published in the SOAS Postgraduate
Research Handbook. Please do feel free to let us know through the student representatives
what sort of changes would help make this handbook more useful for you.
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