Member Events
This workshop took place from August 1st to August 21st, 2022, as a summer research opportunity exclusively for Vanguard Think Tank members. Led by our research chair and head of VTT China (our Chinese-language counterpart), the workshop allowed our research fellows to diversify their research pursuits beyond regional groups.
We believe this workshop was necessitated by the growing attention to the unequal power relations and western dominance in the study of International Relations (IR) and Politics and how they have become embedded in our institutions, theories and methods. The workshop:
Explored different approaches to decolonizing IR and Political Studies and the problems, contexts and histories that have given rise to different critiques and approaches to the disciplines
Looked in-depth at how different scholars globally have confronted and addressed power in the discipline through different regional schools (China, South Asia, and Africa).
Provided space to engage in critical discussions about power in academic inquiry, from institutional structures to classroom dynamics, theory and method, and help in developing a more critical eye to the challenges and possibilities of different approaches to and visions of IR and Political Studies.
Read the papers created by participants in our upcoming 2023 Journal!
February 2023: Workshop- Designing a Research Question
Our one-day workshop this February allowed researchers from different regional groups to come together to discuss exactly what makes a good research question and how they can guide us in our work. The connections between a research question and the structure of the research were also explored. One of the most important outcomes, and something that Vanguard Think Tank promotes every day, was an emphasis on designing questions based on the personal interest of the researcher, as well as clarity in scope, analysis, and context. The most complex and pressing research begins with the simplest of questions and develops outwards.
How our researchers begin formulating research questions:
To what extent…
Why has X caused Y? What are the implications?
Does X cause Y? If so, how?
How do the impacts of X affect Y?
To explain/suggest improvements for generational problems
Exploring the cause of an event (historical, current)
Exploring one factor that has caused an event
August 2022: Provincializing IR Critical Theory Workshop
December 2020- March 2021: International Relations Theory Workshop
From December 2020 to March 2021, 12 Vanguard members participated in the Vanguard International Relations Theory Workshop. By diving deep into pillar schools of thought founding the international relations academic discipline, they have critically assessed the application and relevance of key theories to the current world system. To immerse their knowledge of recent world events, participants were pushed to connect their findings to the US-China relationship through the lens of a Trans-Pacific Partnership. The workshop focused on four approaches to international theory: realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical theory.
Participants were gathered in groups of 3, collaborating across borders to produce a comprehensive research paper on their chosen topic. Under the framework established by the Vanguard management, Professor Sebastian Schmidt from the Johns Hopkins University guided participants throughout the research process by providing key feedback on their work. Participants were offered tips on various subjects they could explore in order to deepen their understanding and critical reflections. Professor Schmidt also shared insights on the relationships between the different schools of thought, notably the criticism setting the stage for the international theory debate.
