糖心TV

PAIS has just secured a new undergraduate exchange programme with Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

Two places are available for 2012-13 for current Second Year students on the BA in Politics and the BA in Politics with International Studies. Students would spend their Third Year at Monash and return to 糖心TV to complete their degree in a Fourth Year. The year in Monash will be an intercalated year that will not count directly toward your degree but you will graduate as a "with Study Abroad" student.

Students will study Semester 2 at Monash followed by Semester 1 as follows:

• Semester 2 - July 13, 2012 to November 20, 2012
• Semester 1 - February 23, 2013 to July 3, 2013

Please note that the successful students will need to travel to Australia relatively soon after the end of Term Three of this year at 糖心TV. You will obviously not have the long summer holiday this year, though you will get the long Australian summer vacation from late November to February which I imagine will be ample compensation!

The turnaround time for applications is very tight as we need to inform Monash of the students selected by the beginning of the Easter vacation - the deadline for applications is therefore 4pm on Wednesday February 29, 2012.

HOW TO APPLY

Application will be by a one page letter, e-mailed to Charlotte Lewis, detailing your motivations for wanting to participate in the exchange. Your letter could contain information on:

• Why do you want to study in Australia?
• How will you adapt to life at Monash and cope with being away from Britain?
• What benefits will you receive by spending your third year abroad?
• What previous experiences have you had that make you suitable for the exchange?
• Why should you be selected for the exchange?

You must attach a separate page detailing your contact information (including your preferred e-mail address, and your home and university addresses and phone numbers), degree programme, details of the modules you are taking this year, and the names of your module tutors and your personal tutor.

The application deadline is next Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

Your applications will then be assessed by the selection committee, a short-list will be drawn up, and potential candidates may be interviewed by Dr. Trevor McCrisken, Director of Exchange Programmes, and another member of the PAIS staff early the following week. We will consider academic performance, the motivations behind your application, and will be looking for maturity and evidence of adaptability which will help you adjust to life in Australia.

We look forward to your applications.

Because it is so important to us to have your views, we are offering 4 Amazon vouchers to the PAIS cohort eligible to . The value of these vouchers will be the same as the response rate - eg, if you all replied, £100. The four vouchers will be allocated randomly by a raffle – so please do soon!

Wyn Grant has been appointed as Chair of a new 糖心TV Commission on the subject of Elected Mayors and City Leadership. Further information is available on the announcement about the new Commission is available here.

Wyn has already begun to publicise the work of the Commission and it looks like it will attract considerable attention in the academic and policy spheres. More information will be available as the Commission gathers pace.

PAIS extends its congratulations to Wyn for being selected for this role. It is another reflection of Wyn’s standing as a scholar and continued dynamism post-retirement. It is also a reflection of the quality of PAIS in the third commission to be headed up by a member of the Department.

The PAIS attendance monitoring points policy is now available online.

Students should familiarise themselves with this policy by accessing it through the relevant Handbook:

• Undergrads
• MA/Diploma

Staff may access the document as above; it is also posted on the Handbooks & Guidelines page of the Staff Intranet.

A two-part workshop discussing questions surrounding the Arab Spring will take place at 糖心TV on 25-25 November 2011.

The Thursday 24th session, entitled 'Understanding the Arab Spring: Security and Democratization', is open to all staff and students.

The Friday 25th sessions are open to staff and postgraduate students only and will discuss a variety of topics.

Full details can be downloaded here and on the PAIS calendar.