1. Course introduction ?you want to do research within Area Studies?? 2. Is a ?critical? area studies possible? 3. Which conversation (discipline) do you want to be a part of? 4-5 Writing proposals-1 (motivation, research problem, research question for different types of projects ? academic, social, management/business and policy-oriented). 6. Which paradigm does your research should be part of? 7-8. Writing proposals-2 (exploratory, descriptive, causal and interpretive types of research projects). 9. Proposal element-1. Writing a research statement. 10. Proposal element-2: Writing research questions. 11-12. Game ?fundraising?.
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Designing a research project is an essential skill, not only for academics but for many in public, private and non-profit sectors. This involves the ability to identify a practical problem; in the case of academics, theoretically frame it; formulate an aim and objectives; marshal a set of methods that allow you to gather data. For post-graduate students, this has immediate relevance since they need to design research for the dissertation. For Asian Studies students - like any other Area Studies learners - the challenge is even more complicated because, knowing the language and understanding the region?s culture, they often find themselves less armed with disciplinary concepts, methodologies and methods. This disciplinary detachment remains one of the main objects for criticisms of Area Studies as a field, born during the Cold War and the decline of the global colonial system. Hence, we have developed this course to turn possible weaknesses into undoubtful strengths (interdisciplinarity - organic for Area studies - might be seen precisely as them). Participation in the course will empower students with the essential tools needed for every research planning stage - from understanding disciplinary frameworks to mastering writing proposals and fundraising skills. The course consists of four parts. In the first part, we will focus on the theoretical issues and features of the Area Studies field. We will discuss the genesis and critique of Area Studies and consider how questions can be framed depending on your disciplinary and paradigmatic bias. In the second - organized as a group training session - we will discuss the types of research projects (from academic to social, managerial and policy-oriented) and the specifics of formulating questions and tasks for each of them. In the third, students will work on personal projects while abstracting multiple (mostly successful) grant proposals. Finally, we will conclude with a business game of ?fundraising?. To avoid a monodisciplinary view, two lecturers will teach this course - one working within international relations and the other within economics and economic anthropology. We will also invite guests who are willing to share the intricacies of research project design.
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