China and Africa
I'm so excited!!! I pretty much just got a blank check to do my final year dissertation in anything i would like to explore about China's relation with Africa (in the realm of socioeconomic/political - which is a big big field). If this dissertation goes well, i'm pretty much up there for a PhD spot in the area - which is really in need of some good research. My favorite professor (Tom Young) somehow brought it up today.. and then i got so excited i'm like.. this is what i want to explore! This is what i want to do. And he said.. go talk to Stephan Chan about it. Stephan CHan if i haven't mentioned already, or just to remind you, is THE coolest guy ever. He's ethnically Chinese, but was born and raised in New Zealand. THen he came to London to do his MA/PhD. And is a top most Africanist! He specializes in Africa, and in IR. Yet, he has the Chinese thing going for him. He is also the lecturer who wears black suits with pink inner linings that he would flash in front of you from time to time. HE is the coolest guy. ANd he will be my supervisor! I told him.. oh would you be interested in supervising an ISP *independent study project i.e. final year dissertation. He said.. oh what? I said China and Africa. HE said ok. WHatever you like.. i'll sign. and he said it with a smile! I think he's as excited as i am. ANd Soji, a classmate of mine in African Politics is interesting in this as well, and he is more familiar with the African side. (he's nigerian) It's going to be fantastic - we can work together! And I'm at the BEST place to do this kind of stuff.. the School of Oriental and AFRICAN studies!
The best part about it is that it combines my interests. I mean, China is somewhere i have "knowledge" about or at least will be rather easy for me to be knowledgable about. It is dealing back with my roots - something that the African Cultural night made very clear. You should always go back to the "motherland" and connect with it. Doesn't matter if you feel like you don't fit in with it.. you must not deny it, because it is part of you. I find the African Diasporic literature very comforting. Ah, anyhow I'll be in beijing in a week as well, so I can meet up with ambassadors etc. I really need to learn how to read chinese, but hey, this might be a motivation. It's just fantastic. And this field is quite academically... blank. But it will be a hot topic once the world realizes how far this reaches. Over the years, china has given africa over 70 billion dollars! in aid, foreign exchange etc. That is a lot of money. More money than i thought China even had. And this is giving China clout within the "third world" - more of it than.. probably what America would like, especially as Africa is one of the last places for fuel resources etc. Interesting non? And its such a broad subject that i can work on different aspects of it, from the play of ethnicity in politics, to resources, to international relations, interests, and a "new world order?" WOW!
HAPPY HAPPY LILI
The best part about it is that it combines my interests. I mean, China is somewhere i have "knowledge" about or at least will be rather easy for me to be knowledgable about. It is dealing back with my roots - something that the African Cultural night made very clear. You should always go back to the "motherland" and connect with it. Doesn't matter if you feel like you don't fit in with it.. you must not deny it, because it is part of you. I find the African Diasporic literature very comforting. Ah, anyhow I'll be in beijing in a week as well, so I can meet up with ambassadors etc. I really need to learn how to read chinese, but hey, this might be a motivation. It's just fantastic. And this field is quite academically... blank. But it will be a hot topic once the world realizes how far this reaches. Over the years, china has given africa over 70 billion dollars! in aid, foreign exchange etc. That is a lot of money. More money than i thought China even had. And this is giving China clout within the "third world" - more of it than.. probably what America would like, especially as Africa is one of the last places for fuel resources etc. Interesting non? And its such a broad subject that i can work on different aspects of it, from the play of ethnicity in politics, to resources, to international relations, interests, and a "new world order?" WOW!
HAPPY HAPPY LILI