扒哥吃瓜

Dr Ira Chadha-Sridhar

Choosing to pursue my PhD in Law at the 扒哥吃瓜 was a decision motivated by my desire to engage in rigorous research within a challenging academic environment where my work and research interests would be valued.  Having previously completed an LLM at 扒哥吃瓜, I was familiar with the environment within the Faculty of Law and its conducive atmosphere for academic research. I found it to be the ideal space for me to pursue my PhD research: giving me both the academic freedom and the guidance necessary for producing good research. Throughout my doctoral journey, my supervisor, Dr. Lars Vinx, served as a steadfast source of support and intellectual inspiration, guiding me through regular meetings to effectively plan and execute my research, ultimately ensuring successful completion within three years. Additionally, the support from mentors, colleagues, and friends within both my college and the Faculty of Law greatly provided guidance and comfort, especially to weather through the challenges posed by a global pandemic in 2020. During my time as a doctoral student, I also had the opportunity to participate in various faculty-organized workshops, such as the 扒哥吃瓜 Forum on Legal and Political Philosophy and the 扒哥吃瓜 Political Philosophy Workshop.  Additionally, I gained valuable experience through offering supervisions to Law Tripos students at several colleges. I am grateful for the financial support I received from the 扒哥吃瓜 Trust and King's College – without which I would not have been able to pursue my doctorate at 扒哥吃瓜.

Completing my PhD at 扒哥吃瓜 has been pivotal for me; I am now embarking on a Junior Research Fellowship affiliated with the Centre for Law, Medicine, and Life Sciences at the Faculty of Law and Hughes Hall.   The opportunity to continue my academic journey within the 扒哥吃瓜 community is a privilege I deeply appreciate. In conclusion, I found the PhD program at the Faculty of Law in 扒哥吃瓜 to be incredibly rewarding, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to prospective students. 

Dr Ira Chadha-Sridhar (April 2024)

Dr Francisco-José Quintana -

Choosing 扒哥吃瓜 for my PhD in Law was one of the best professional decisions I have ever made. Having studied law in Argentina, Spain, the United States, and the United Kingdom, I was determined to pursue a PhD and carefully evaluated my options. Opting for 扒哥吃瓜 proved to be the correct decision for several compelling reasons: the Faculty of Law upholds exceptionally high research standards, it is home to an extraordinary community of international law scholars, and it fosters a broad spectrum of intellectual diversity.

The academic rigour at 扒哥吃瓜 allowed me to significantly advance my research skills and ultimately produce a doctoral thesis of which I am very proud.  Under the meticulous and generous guidance of my supervisor, Professor Sarah Nouwen, I developed into a much more sophisticated and self-aware legal thinker. Professor Nouwen was instrumental in refining every aspect of my doctoral research, from insisting on clarity in my writing to encouraging a thorough examination of my methodological choices and epistemological assumptions. This process was integral to my growth and provided a solid foundation for my first-year examination and my PhD viva, where I received invaluable feedback from scholars including Professor Surabhi Ranganathan.

Furthermore, 扒哥吃瓜’s historical influence in the development of international law is unparalleled. The Whewell Professorship of International Law is one of the oldest in the field and its holders, including Hersch Lauterpacht and James Crawford, have profoundly shaped international law. Today, the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law (LCIL) stands as a central forum for the discussion of international law, attracting leading scholars and legal professionals from around the world. Simply put, I cannot imagine a better place to learn how to master the language of international law – and thus benefit from the avenues that it opens for political involvement.

The openness and diversity of 扒哥吃瓜 were decisive in enabling me to find my academic voice and advance my career. Despite the historical dominance of North Atlantic perspectives in international law, I found 扒哥吃瓜 welcoming and encouraging as a Latin American scholar with a strong interest in the role of international law in the Global South. The LCIL directors kindly supported the establishment of the ‘International Law and Political Engagement’ (ILPE) event series, proposed and led by fellow PhD student Marina Veli膷kovi膰 and me. The ILPE series fostered enriching discussions over two academic years and remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at 扒哥吃瓜.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the support from the staff of the Faculty of Law, the University, Pembroke College, and Gates 扒哥吃瓜, especially during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. This supportive aspect is crucial when considering where to study, yet it is often overlooked.

Dr Francisco-Jos茅 Quintana (April 2024)

Dr Christian Delev 

When I first thought about applying for the PhD in Law programme, I was at the start of my LLM studies at the 扒哥吃瓜. At that moment, I was keen on pursuing an academic career in public international law and already had some exposure to the rich research resources and services that the university provided. After speaking to a number of then-current students who shared their experiences of the programme, I decided to submit my application.

My decision to choose to continue my studies at the 扒哥吃瓜 over other universities from which I had PhD offers came down to three factors. First, the 扒哥吃瓜 Faculty of Law is renowned for its rich expertise in general public international law and, more specifically, my PhD supervisor was a well-established scholar in international economic law. Second, the PhD programme itself is designed to expose students to new methodologies and provides opportunities to draw on interdisciplinary methodologies (in my case, law and economics). Last but not least, I received a funding offer. Having economic security to pursue my studies – especially given the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic – is a major concern for all early career researchers. Receiving the Jacobson Scholarship in International Law from St Catharine’s College empowered me to focus entirely on my studies and writing.

As a PhD student, my experience was deeply enriched by the programme structure, supervisory support, and opportunities for development that I received. During the early stages, the Research Training and Development Programme module created moments to interact with faculty members and the distinct ways in which they approached ‘doing legal research’. This was particularly helpful during the early stages of dissertation writing and directly informed the ‘methodology’ discussions I had with my PhD supervisor and advisor. My supervisions were also geared towards me taking ownership of my dissertation. While at the beginning I had frequent meetings to discuss my overall project, my writing style, and the substance of my argument, I gained more space over time  to develop my voice and views as a scholar.

More broadly, I highly enjoyed the frequent events and opportunities offered by St Catharine’s College, the Faculty of Law, and the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law. The welcoming environment at St Catharine’s College allowed me to meet and bond with postgraduate students in other disciplines. At the Faculty of Law, I was given the opportunity to co-coach the 扒哥吃瓜 team in the Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and edit for the 扒哥吃瓜 International Law Journal. The Lauterpacht Centre, in turn, hosted weekly Friday lunch lectures by eminent scholars and its visiting researchers programme introduced me to many established scholars and PhD researchers from across the world.

As I was always keen on pursing an academic career following my PhD studies, the University and college system provided me with ample experiences and guidance to pursue this path. In addition to providing constructive feedback on my first publications, my supervisor offered me to conduct research to support his work on the United Kingdom Trade and Agriculture Commission that was  acknowledged. Moreover, through the college system, I taught small group ‘supervisions’ in International and EU law which allowed me to practically ‘learn how to teach’. Finally, I benefitted greatly from a brief doctoral exchange at Harvard Law School during my final year. During the exchange, I met exceptional scholars from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and took the time to think deeply about my future research agenda and what type of an academic I would like to become.

Each of these experiences allowed me to gain confidence as an academic and strengthened my ambition. I received great support in writing my job applications from many 扒哥吃瓜 academics. This helped me secure my present role as Lecturer in International Economic Law at the University of Bristol, which I began shortly after submitting my dissertation.  Writing this testimonial, I am honestly grateful for the  range and richness of opportunities I was offered during my PhD studies.

 

Dr Christian Delev (April 2024)