One of their assignments for the term is to post on the course blog reactions to readings and recent news events, relevant to the course.  Here are links to a few of the highlights so far this semester:

On readings:

Readings Blog Post – International History, 1900 – 1990

Anarchy is what States Make of it

MS. PAPE – “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism”

On the news:

South – South cooperation

Israel and Iran: Not very friendly towards each other.

Czech Sovereignty vs. EU Lisbon Treaty

Britain to send 500 more troops to Afghanistan–if certain conditions are met

1. It is an efficient way to share information (e.g. provide general advice to students)

2. Regular writing is a great opportunity for critical reflection on current research projects, teaching, and everything we read.

3. Blogs serve as a repository for our ideas. Chris cites Dani Rodrik who apparently calls his blog his academic memory.

4. It is a way to connect with a broader intellectual community.  Chris notes that he regularly gets information about interesting things to read, funding opportunities, research opportunities…

Now, I have barely started blogging, but incredibly it has led to small, but interesting research and work opportunities and intellectual connections.  Even with just a few posts.  Generally, the come in the form of emails rather than comments on the blog itself.  But still, this has been a great.

And so, the blogging will continue…

As usual, I’m very impressed by the Wesleyan undergrads.  My intro to IR course this afternoon was attended by a number of students who had lived abroad. And more than a handful of those had lived abroad for more than five years!  Such real-life experiences really enrich class discussions.

Some of the great news stories on Africa over the past 24 hours:

The Southern African Development Community is set for new talks on Zimbabwe.

Ghana has qualified for the World Cup!

Unfortunately, former UN employee Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein Hussein was jailed for wearing trousers in Sudan. Apparently, she is now free after the country’s journalist union paid her fine.

Madagascar’s new government still isn’t getting recognition from southern Africa.

And floods in West Africa have killed at least 159 people.

This is a new experience for me.  I myself was never really advised during my own college experience. I have a faint memory of advisors being available for us during my undergraduate years at UC San Diego.  But I don’t remember it ever being a requirement that we sit down with them. And I know for certain that my course scheduling was completely up to me.

So this is a new experience. Here at Wesleyan, faculty are responsible for approving the course plans of individual students each semester.  And I can see some of the advantages and disadvantages inherent in such a system. I’ll restrain myself from mentioning any possible disadvantages until I’ve had a bit more experience. But some of the advantages are clear. Definitely at an institution that emphasizes a four-year timetable (students at UCs regularly take more than 4 years and occasionally as much as 7 or 8 years to graduate), it is useful to have advisors managing student course plans.  But the best advantage I can see so far, and I’m still very new to this, is that it provides an immediate link between students and faculty, encouraging the development of community on the campus.

Advice for incoming students

Following the practice of other faculty, I’d like to offer a bit of public advice to those starting college this fall:

1. Ask questions. It is actually a very smart thing to realize that you don’t know the answer to something.  So ask questions. Lots of them. And definitely do not be afraid to ask your professors any questions you might have. I’m a professor. I hang out with other professors.  And I can’t remember any of them telling me they wish a student hadn’t asked them a question.  But I do remember them saying they wish the students would ask more questions, come to office hours, etc.

1a. Just to stress things here.  Talk to your professors. That’s what we are here for.  And your access to us at a place like Wesleyan is one of the things that makes Wesleyan great. Take advantage of it.

2. Focus on learning how to learn. We will try to cram your head full of stuff while you are here.  But the most important stuff that can help you most in the long-term, is learning the skills that are necessary to keep learning throughout your life.

3. Learn skills, especially writing and quantitative reasoning. OK, so I have a bias here as a political scientist. Maybe you are an artist and these particular skills don’t seem overly useful. But I think for most people, these are two of the most important skills you can learn in college.  Also, don’t be afraid to tackle skills that you are uncomfortable with. Which brings me to my next point…

4. Challenge yourself. Push yourself in new directions. If you don’t like speaking in public, find courses that will push you to do just that. And don’t just play to your own preconceived notions of what you like and what your good at. If you come out of high school not liking science, try a science course here.You might surprise yourself with what you find.

5. Get involved in university life, but not over-involved! Many students here at Wesleyan don’t need to be told to get involved. But, nonetheless, it is important advice. Equally important, however, is that it is a good idea not to stretch yourself too thin.  Consider doing a couple things very well, rather than many things not so well.

6. Consider study abroad. It may be too early to make solid plans for this, but — if you can make it work — this can be an extremely rewarding part of your college experience.

7. Connect… with students, staff, faculty… This is a time when many of you will form lasting relationships with people (I met my wife as a freshman in college). So, even if you are shy, make an effort to know others here.

I’m sure there is much more that can be said. But for most of you, this is a good start.

One of my favorite links to look at every fall is the Beloit College Mindset List. Each year, the authors attempt to capture what makes the incoming class unique and some of the signature generational divisions we may confront as their older teachers/ mentors.  Some of my favorites from this year’s list:

3. The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables.

13. The KGB has never officially existed.

52. They have never been Saved by the Bell

53. Someone has always been asking “Was Iraq worth a war” [remember most were born in 1991, time of the First Gulf War]

68. Official racial classifications in South Africa have always been outlawed.

Perusing through previous years’ lists can make you even feel more out of touch with the new generation!

China’s increasing ties with Africa is a subject that I am turning to in my current research.  But while my own research–and that of many others–tends to focus on China’s impact on Africa, we may neglect the potential for Africans to impact China.  This is a small reminder that there is a story to be told.  According to The Guardian, an estimated 20,000 Africans live in Guangzhou (the site of the unrest).

clipped from blogs.wsj.com

China has seen its fair share of anti-foreigner protests, from the Boxer Rebellion to the May Fourth movement, and, in more recent decades, more generically termed demonstrations against Americans, Africans, Japanese and the French.

Yet for all the expat grumbling about living in China, public protests by foreign residents are virtually unknown, perhaps tempered by the awareness that we are here by choice, live in relative comfort, and would likely achieve little more than a swift deportation.

But, reflecting the very different world in which some migrants live, Wednesday saw a rare protest by over 100 African residents of the southern city of Guangzhou.

According to Xinhua, at least one person died during a brawl that erupted after police raided a Guangzhou clothing market to check passports and visas.