MPhil in Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick 2000-01

With a 2000-2001 Chevening scholarship, I have been studying for an MPhil in Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick. Warwick as a university and as a social community has offered numerous benefits. Academically, I have been researching in a Department that features some of the United Kingdom's leading political scientists in International Political Economy and Asia - my two areas of academic focus.

Through a year-long research training course with members of the faculty, we have been introduced to key concepts and issues in the social sciences and international relations. My studies have also been broadened by exposure to Warwick's Centre for the Study of Globalization and Regionalization, which hosts a range of top flight international scholars and which has an active publication program, including the journal Pacific Review.

My two supervisors are drawn from the Centre for the Study of Globalization and Regionalization. Pointing to Warwick's reputation, especially in the study of contemporary international affairs, the university was chosen as the venue for President Clinton's final foreign policy address in December 2000. I was fortunate to be one of the student members in the audience for this address.

Socially, I have made a range of friends, both from Britain and from within the large international student body. As the name implies, Warwick, situated in the Midlands, is ideally placed in the middle of the country to explore Manchester and further North, as well as the Southern parts of the UK. When student finances permit, London's artistic scene is only 90 minutes away.

Closer to home, we are blessed with some of England's finest countryside and charming small towns. TheVice-Chancellor commented to President Clinton when introducing him at Warwick that, "You are in Shakespeare's county: Stratford-upon-Avon is 20 minutes away . . . by motorcade!" As this year comes to an end, one of the hardest tasks will be managing to restrict the temptation to attend all of the diverse festivals that make the summer time so special in the UK.

On the whole, then, the Chevening scholarship has afforded me enriching academic and social experiences in the United Kingdom that are certain to provide a strong foundation for my future professional career in Canada.