Jump to content

lousyreeds1

Members
  • Posts

    5
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by lousyreeds1

  1. Hi all, I was accepted to the international relations MA program at University of Chicago with a half-tuition fellowship, and I'm looking for ways to make up the rest. I didn't apply for any of the big fellowships last fall - probably a bad move. Does anyone know of any fellowships still open for the 2008-2009 year? I know it's a longshot, but I figure there might be something. Thanks!
  2. Hi all, I was accepted into an international relations terminal MA program with a half-tuition scholarship. I'm looking for additional sources of funding. Does anyone know of a good index of private fellowships that might still be open for applications so late in the game? Thanks!
  3. Tidefan, I'm sorry, but I have to jump in here. Mearsheimer could not be farther from neoconservativism in his ideology. Perhaps you're confusing Mearsheimer with some old Chicagoans, Leo Strauss and Alan Bloom, who are associated with the origins of neoconservativism (though a lot of people totally absolve Strauss here). Mearsheimer's a true realist - to the extent that he advocates policy, he advocates acting in the narrow national interest as the only path to a stable international system. That means a focus on stability over humanitarian intervention, democracy promotion, etc (to simplify). He just published a controvertial volume arguing that America's support for Israel should be wholly reconsidered because it's fundamentally counter to our national interest - and you call him a neocon? In terms of right or left wing, it's true that the most prominent realists in government have tended to come from the Republican party (Kissinger, Scowcroft), but in the current debate it's a lot more complicated - there are plenty of "leftists" advocating a move away from democracy promotion, humanitarian intervention, etc. I'm sorry to be a little hot under the collar, but such a profound mischaracterization is in nobody's best interest.
  4. Bleistift, What you say is true - a goal would be to come out of this with close relationships with a few professors. And in a year, I would hope to emerge with a broad theoretical grounding as well. Like you say, there isn't enough time to carve out a political philosophy for myself. But I don't have a formal background in theory, and I want to make sure I'm not going down too specific a path too early. In the end you're probably right that I should be looking for how profs engage with students rather than what they're all about ideologically. I'll let you know how things seem after April 7.
  5. I was accepted to Chicago's CIR Masters program with a half-tuition scholarship, and I'm trying to decide whether to take this or go work abroad for a year. The program is a good match for me - I like the focus on theory and the breadth of course options across disciplines. That said, I have a few hang ups and would love to have thoughts from others considering this program or perhaps someone who's done it in the past. I guess first and foremost I want a better sense of how people find the quality of the teaching. Who in particular is willing to invest time and energy in MA students, and who considers them a distraction from their PhD candidates? I'm also a little worried about the ideological diversity. I know that Alexander Wendt left a few years ago, and I wonder if this was just for a higher-paying position or if he clashed with Mearsheimer et al. Are there any good constructivists left on staff? I'm also wondering if one year is enough to achieve anything. I don't have a formal background in political theory, so I'd be starting with something of a disadvantage, and I worry that I'd be ready to do a serious piece of writing only -after- the program ended, if you know what I mean. All that said, it's a great set of scholars at a great institution, and it's a very tempting offer. I'll go to the admitted students weekend in April and report back.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use