bryan.jenkins

No, definitely not generically northern. Historically speaking though, western Shandong is pretty much the epitome of north China plains trauma from 1850-1950. War, Germans, Japanese, Boxers, drought, Yellow River breaking its banks twice, mass migration, and so on. The coast though... I lived in Yantai for a while and am smitten. The food is definitely a big part of it. Not just the seafood but the insects too. And yea, tall people. I'm 5'10" and felt dwarfed by most of the people I met there. The huge workout culture plays a part as well.

Yea, that one caught my eye as well. I would say Chinese undergrads have all the fun, but I'm not sure that's strictly speaking true. I had to be boring and just go with 'modern and contemporary Chinese history.' I'm trying to do amicro-study on the grassroots rural reforms that started around 68, especially rural healthcare, and then the reforms of the reforms from 83-89. It's also my thesis topic, so so far I've just been reading entirely too many People's Daily articles from the Cultural Revolution. It would definitely be nice to get a chance to do interviews for a change. And I say the 'bleak and dusty' north, but I'm actually trying to do my research on the north face of Taishan. Still not quite Nanjing, but it would definitely make my stay more interesting. What's your international history project?

Yea, Li is really is great. And you're right: UT does not have a terminal MA in history. However, there is a terminal MA in 'Asian Studies' that pretty much gives you free reign to focus on what you want. If you decide to stay, it's also very possible then move into the history or ACL PhD. You can find it on the Asian Studies website. There are a few students, myself included, who are using it as a stepping stone toward PhD programs in history. In my case I entered the program because I felt I needed a few more years of Chinese under my belt, but it ended up being very helpful--especially working with Prof. Li--in refining my interests and convincing me that I did really want to pursue history and not EALC somewhere. Professors here generally say that the ANS MA to History PhD path is just as valid as an history MA, so long as you tailor your coursework to resemble a history program. The other nice part about the program is the price point. While, like most schools, it's not possible to get full tuition or a stipend for humanities MAs here, most US students are awarded a $1000 grant and in-state tuition which works out to about 5500/ year plus living expenses. Then if you play your cards right, it's possible to get a TAship for a semester during your second year.

For those freaked out about GPA's, I wouldn't be too worried. I applied to most of the good public universities in my specialty with a 3.5, including less than stellar grades in my field, and in the last two years. (At the time it seemed like a good idea to shirk coursework to devote more time to my senior thesis. In retrospect, this was unwise.) In the end, I was accepted by the schools where my research interests and past work matched well with the professors and rejected from the ones where they did not. When I finally had my first advising meeting here, I was told that because of budget restraints I was the only China-focused student selected out of 35-ish applicants. I was floored. Anyway, my advice would be to look for the right school for you and get a dialogue going with faculty there. Don't sweat too hard over the numbers.

Shandong Daxue. I apparently have some sort of masochistic love for the bleak, dusty, hard-drinking North. On the plus side my intended affiliated prof has offered me his apartment while he spends most of his time in Nanjing. You? Also, I seem to remember being taught in an undergrad class that even Chinese heaven is run by bureaucrats. Apparently you could end up in the wrong place from a clerical error, hence the burning paper money.

I'm finishing up my MA at UT-Austin now, focusing on 20th century China as well and would recommend looking into our program. Like most public universities we only have one modern China historian, Huaiyin Li, but he is excellent. Working with him has definitely had a tremendously positive influence on how I understand China, history, and research. I know from experience that he won't let you focus solely on intellectual history, but will make you tie your project into institutional, urban rural, whatever history as well, which in my opinion is a very good thing. He does however have a recent book on the evolution of CCP historiography to go with his detailed microhistories and a forthcoming book on late Qing statecraft. Generally speaking, he's a very well rounded and well respected intellectual in China and the US. China faculty in other areas (government, IR, and so-an) are pretty much nonexistent, which is the major downside to the program, but the rest of the Asia faculty are very global-oriented and very accessible. Plus, the history program in general is pretty highly regarded. Plus Austin is a pretty excellent place to live. Worth checking out in any case. Good luck with your apps!

Zhou Enlai. He always seems like such a conflicted figure. On the one hand, he seems the CCP figure most consistently interested in the good of the nation at large. On the other hand, being in a position to do so (and not being killed or purged in the process) required remaining on the good side of an increasingly radical and dogmatic Mao, or at least proving himself too indispensable to be removed. Reading Chinese political histories, I always have this image in my head of Mao directing policy pronouncements and Zhou in the background thinking, "O hell, well how am I going to make this work?" Plus his diplomatic grace and soft touch at Bandung were legendary. That somehow the death of PRC's quietest, most practically minded leader at the end of the Cultural Revolution became the rallying cry for reformism only adds to the appeal. Edit: Also a damn fine looking man in his younger days. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Premier_Zhou_1919.jpg/220px-Premier_Zhou_1919.jpg

China research applicant here. The wait alone is miserable enough, but slogging through all this additional paperwork before even being accepted feels downright cruel. Only one more month (hopefully).