Tag Archives: phdpitch

PhD Pitch #4: Anti-Corruption, using only 1000 basic words

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upgoerfive

My dissertation project (on international efforts to fight corruption) in 5 questions & answers… but to make things interesting, I’ve used a text editor that limits you to the 1000 most-used English words. The idea is based on a comic by xkcd, and please check out “ten hundred words of science” for many great examples.

So, what is this thing about?

What do states do if they want to stop people who pay or accept money or presents although they should not? That is my question, and I look at many places in the world where states make plans with each other. In the end I want to explain why they decide the way they do.

Why should we care?

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PhD Pitch #3: Does Foreign Aid Undermine Human Rights in Recipient Countries?

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Video Source: “No Censorship!” in Youtube

The video as shown above vividly demonstrates the complex issues about counter-terrorism and human rights. It appears that public security is always pitted against human rights protection. Our  intuition dictates that intensified counter-terrorist efforts can lead to an increase in state-initiated human rights abuses.
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PhD Pitch #2: My Thesis as a Choose Your Own Adventure Book

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Choose your own

Chapter 1: You are a developing country. Post-decolonization, your economy is based on unprocessed commodities, but you would like to increase domestic manufacturing and improve infrastructure. What do you do? If you want to go it alone, go to Chapter 2. If you want some outside help, go to Chapter 3.

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PhD Pitch #1: My Thesis in Folders

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International Relations Scholarship Beyond the Transatlantic Core: Citation Patterns in East Asian, Latin American and South African IR Journals

OR

TB(A+C) = 46 = 3(5/(7+8+9)(1+2))

So the goal is B; which will in the end make up (large parts of) T(Thesis). B is thereby based on A and C. Both A and C derive from Σ(folder1,…,folder9) with the basic idea of using 1 and 2 (methods) as well as 7, 8 and 9 (theory) to make sense of 5 within the bigger context of 3. The outcome will be a smaller and localized (6) version of 4.

 my_thesis_in_folders

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PhD Pitch: Intro

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PhD Pitch

Inspired by the concept of “elevator pitches” – where you present an idea to an important person you (supposedly) just met on the elevator – we’d like to introduce a series here on IR Blog: the PhD Pitch.

Admittedly, our version is neither based on chance nor does it involve any CEOs. But just as in MBA programs or at startup conferences, we invite you to present your project in a non-traditional way:

  • Find a way to describe your idea in less than 200 words
  • …that’s different from the abstract you used for that conference last month
  • Alternatively, make a video, info graphic, flow chart …. you name it
  • How can non-experts relate to it?
  • Why do you think it’s a fascinating project?
  • What would ideally happen once it’s published?

The “call for pitches” is open to current PhD candidates, prospective grad students, post-docs with a new project … well, anyone really. We’d love to hear from you!