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

C o n t e n t s

I n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e P h D P r o g r a m m e 3

E n t r y R e q u i r e m e n t s 3

M e m b e r s o f t h e D e p a r t m e n t 4

S u p e r v i s o r y S t r u c t u r e 10

S u p e r v i s o r 10

A s s o c i a t e S u p e r v i s o r a n d S u p e r v i s o r y

C o m m i t t e e

11

T u t o r ( s ) f o r R e s e a r c h S t u d e n t s 11

M o n i t o r i n g o f P r o g r e s s 12

D e p a r t m e n t S t a f f - S t u d e n t F o r u m 13

R e s e a r c h T r a i n i n g Y e a r 1 13

I n t r o d u c t i o n t o Q u a n t i t a t i v e a n d Q u a l i t a t i v e

R e s e a r c h

13

L u n c h - t i m e s e m i n a r i n r e s e a r c h d e s i g n 14

M S c - L e v e l C o u r s e w o r k

D e p a r t m e n t a l S e m i n a r

14

14

F i r s t Y e a r A s s i g n m e n t s

S c h o o l s t a t e m e n t o n p l a g i a r i s m

14

15

W r i t t e n R e p o r t o n U p g r a d e P a p e r

F i e l d w o r k P r o c e d u r e s

16

16

R e s e a r c h T r a i n i n g B e y o n d Y e a r 1 17

P r o f e s s i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n s 18

A c a d e m i c D i s c u s s i o n L i s t s 18

T i m e l i n e s f o r Y e a r s 2 - 4 18

T h e s i s S u b m i s s i o n

R e s e a r c h S u p p o r t

E S R C T r a i n i n g G u i d e l i n e s

19

20

21

U n i v e r s i t y o f L o n d o n P h D R e q u i r e m e n t s 25

S t a f f C o n t a c t D e t a i l s 26

2

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 3

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 RequirementsStudents 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 sub-

field;

• 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.

3

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 4

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

4

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 5

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.

5

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 6

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 Wal-

Mart? 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).

6

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 7

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.

7

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 8

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

8

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 9

economy, 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 (co-

edited 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).

9

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 10

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 STRUCTUREThe SupervisorThe 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.

10

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 11

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 CommitteeUpon 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 StudentsThe 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 long-term 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

11

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 12

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 ProgressStudent 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.

LogbooksAt 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 plans and

12

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 13

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 ForumThe 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 1Students 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

Qualitative Research Methods

(Terms 1 and 2) compulsory

• Review of Secondary Literature

(due start of Term 2)

• Lunch-time seminars on research

design (Term 2) compulsory

• Preliminary Upgrade Paper

(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

specified by the supervisory committee

• Final Upgrade Paper (due end of Term

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

13

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 14

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 AssignmentsFOUR 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>.

14

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 15

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 SeminarStudents 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 PaperBased 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

15

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 16

expressed in their own words and incorporate their own ideas and judgements. Plagiarism

- 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 paperA 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

16

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 17

months has to be approved by the Associate Dean for Research. During their first year,

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 1Throughout 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.

17

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 18

• 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

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.eduH-net (on a wide range of themes and areas) – www.h-net.orgThere are also lists operating about all sorts of topics on Yahoo Groups and sometimes around particular themes (nationalism for example).

TIMELINES FOR YEARS 2-4Students 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

18

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 19

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 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

19

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 20

information is a summary and should be read in conjunction with the SOAS Postgraduate

Research Student Handbook and the University of London Regulations which are provided to

students at registration.

RESEARCH SUPPORTThe 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

20

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 21

research (copyright laws and you); and meetings by department/discipline with PhD student

and/or Research Tutor to reflect on the day.

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 Area1.1 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.

Preparation2.1 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.

21

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 22

Subject Specific Domains of Expertise

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 StudiesIn 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

22

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 23

• 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

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

23

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 24

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 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 Sciences4.2 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 Collection4.3 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 Analysis4.4 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

24

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 25

• 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

Further Training4.5 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).]

25

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 26

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.]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 AdministrationThe 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

Email@soas.ac.uk

Phone7898+

Room Job Title

Dr Adamson Fiona fa33 4683 212 Senior Lecturer in International Relations

Dr Adib-Moghaddam

Arshin aa106 4747 216a Lecturer in Comparative and International Politics of the Middle East

Dr Bajpai Rochana rb6 4750 209 Lecturer in Politics(on leave Terms 1 & 3)

Prof. Chan Stephen sc5 4655 262 Professor of International Relations

Dr Davé Bhavna bd4 4734 221 Lecturer in Central Asian Politics

Dr Fell Dafydd df2 4206 204 Senior Lecturer in Taiwan Studies (Politics)

Dr Heder Stephen sh32 4737 219 Lecturer in South East Asian Politics

26

PhD Research Handbook 2008-9 27

Dr Hopgood Stephen sh18 4738 207 Senior Lecturer in International Politics

Dr Ismail Salwa si1 4740 202 Reader in Comparative Politics of the Middle East

Dr Khalili Laleh lk4 4735 210 Senior Lecturer in Middle East Politics (on leave Term 1)

Dr Kobayashi Yuka yk37 4678 231 Lecturer in Chinese Politics

Dr Kong Tat Yan yk2 4743 206 Reader in Comparative Politics and Development Studies; Head of Department

Dr Laffey Mark ml23 4744 208 Senior Lecturer in International Politics

Dr Nelson Matt mn6 4742 216 Lecturer in Politics(on leave Terms 2 & 3)

Dr Sáez Lawrence ls4 4725 204a Senior Lecturer in Comparative and International Politics

Dr Strauss Julia js11 4746 205 Senior Lecturer in Chinese Politics (on leave Term 1)

Prof Tripp Charles ct2 4748 214 Professor in Middle East Politics

Dr Vinjamuri Leslie lv 4758 211 Lecturer in International Politics

Dr Young Thomas ty 4732 213 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.

27