Astrid Nordin
Title of thesis
Making Space for Difference: China, the World and International Order
Supervisors
Maja Zehfuss and William A. Callahan
Planned submission date
June 2012
Research interests
My thesis argues that our most common ways of thinking about China in the world, what I call 'modernist' and 'holistic' imaginaries, are problematic in precisely the same way: they align spatial difference in teleological time. The effect is that others are not imagined as properly different, they are just behind. I argue that these two imaginaries are not opposites, but support each other on the ground in the working out of the 'harmonious world' discourse in the case of Expo 2010 Shanghai China. I draw on Doreen Massey, Jacques Derrida and Jean Baudrillard to rethink 'harmonious world' in a way that allows for coeval multiplicity.
Publications
Peer-reviewed Journal articles
WASS collective (2007) ‘Gender Transformations in Higher Education’, Sociological Research Online, 12 (1).
Conference and workshop papers
Nordin, A. (2011) ’The politics of re/presenting China in the World at Expo 2010 Shanghai China’, at Representing China, University of Manchester, 20 May 2011.
Nordin, A. (2011) ’China performs the world: Ordering timespace at Expo 2010’, at BISA Annual Conference 2011, University of Manchester, 27-29 April 2011.
Nordin, A. (2011) ’Taking Baudrillard to the fair: Exhibiting China in the World at Expo 2010’, at BISA Annual Conference 2011, University of Manchester, 27-29 April 2011.
Nordin, A. (2011) ’Space for the future: Exhibiting China in the world at Expo 2010’, at China’s Futures – and the World’s Future, University of Manchester, 11 February 2011.
Nordin, A. (2010) ’China exhibits order under heaven: Simulating the World at Expo 2010’, at East Asia, Business Civilisations and International Order, Copenhagen Business School, 8 November 2010.
Nordin, A. (2009) ’Space for difference: Conceptualisations of space in the study of China and its International Relations’, at CPN 2009 Annual Conference, University of Manchester, 23 April 2009.
Nordin, A. (2008) ‘Chinese power in the Asian region: the Bo’ao Forum for Asia’, at China Postgraduate Network Launch Workshop, University of Oxford, 15-16 March 2008.
The WASS Collective (2006) ‘Living Feminism/Learning Change: New activist spaces in Higher Education’, at Genderful Experiences, University of Birmingham 25-26 May 2006.
The WASS Collective (2006) ‘Gender Transformations in Higher Education’, at Feminisms, Sheffield Hallam University, 9 June 2006.
Edited journal special issues
Political Perspectives (2010) 4(1) Special Issue on ‘Aberystwyth-Lancaster Graduate Colloquium', co-edited with Andrew Slack. Includes contributions by Astrid Nordin, David Bell, Andrea Rossi and Julia Welland.
Outreach and other publications
Nordin, A. (2011) 'How will China rule the world?'. Public lecture given for Open Manchester, Manchester, 23 March 2011.
Nordin, A. (2001-2004) About 100 newspaper articles, columns and reportages for magazines Avtryck and Mellan Raderna and newspaper Länstidningen, all Swedish language publications.
Nordin, A. (2000) ‘Längst bak till vänster’ in H. Vikstrom (ed.) (2000) Hora, Svenne, Homo, Blatte [’At the back, to the left’ in Whore, Swede, Fag, Nigger] Stockholm: Sellin & partner: Röda Korsets Ungdomsförbund (Swedish Red Cross).
Additional information
Teaching experience
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Introduction to International Politics, The University of Manchester.
This involved planning and leading seminars as well as marking essays and exams.
In 2008 co-wrote tutorial plans for all GTAs on the module together with Kathryn Starnes and Andrew Slack.
I have also taught seminars on Questions in International Politics (2011) and
individually tutored students on a private basis in various subjects at Peking University (2009-2010).
Education
2008-present
PhD candidate, Politics, The University of Manchester.
Working thesis title: 'Making Space for Difference: China, the World and International Order'.
My thesis argues that our most common ways of thinking about China in the world, what I call 'modernist' and 'holistic' imaginaries, are problematic in precisely the same way: they align spatial difference in teleological time. The effect is that others are not imagined as properly different, they are just behind. I argue that these two imaginaries are not opposites, but support each other on the ground in the working out of the 'harmonious world' discourse in the case of Expo 2010 Shanghai China. I draw on Doreen Massey, Jacques Derrida and Jean Baudrillard to rethink 'harmonious world' in a way that allows for coeval multiplicity.
Thesis supervisors: Prof. William A. Callahan and Prof. Maja Zehfuss.
2009-2010
Mandarin Chinese language certificate, Peking University. Year of difficult language training to Advanced Level as part of PhD.
2007-2008
Master of Arts (MA) with distinction , Contemporary China, Centre for Chinese Studies, The University of Manchester.
Thesis title: 'Space in the Study of China’s International Relations'.
Thesis supervisor: Dr Elena Barabantseva.
2007
Mandarin Chinese language certificate, Jilin University. Summer course, Chinese language studies to Basic Level.
2004-2007
Bachelor of Arts (BA) with first class honours, Politics and International Studies, Politics and International Studies , The University of Warwick.
Thesis title: 'A New Chinese Foreign Policy? The Bo’ao Forum for Asia'.
Thesis supervisor: Prof. Shaun Breslin.
Part of 2nd year conducted at the department of Asian and International Studies,
City University, Hong Kong.
Scholarships, awards and prizes
I have successfully bid for a number of grants and prizes for my individual research, cumulative to ca £140k including:
2007-2012, British Inter-University China Centre (BICC)/Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
1+3 Studentship Award. Covers fees, maintenance, travel and research expenses, for one year of MA study and three years of PhD research.
2009-2010, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Difficult Language Training scholarship. Covered 9 months of fees, maintenance, travel and research expenses, for study of mandarin Chinese language at Peking University.
2006, Department of Politics and International Studies, The University of Warwick.
Wilfrid Harrison Memorial Prize. Awarded for academic performance throughout the year and in examinations.
2006, The Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research.
Grant for research project supervised by Prof. Shaun Breslin and Dr Nicholas Thomas: ‘The Bo’ao Forum and Asian Regional Integration: Ideas and Institutions’, co-hosted by the Centre of Asian Studies, University of Hong Kong and the Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick.
Grants
I have successfully bid for funding for a number of collective projects, conferences and workshops, cumulative to ca £9k from a number of sources including:
2011, For 'Invention and Innovation: China and Global Influences' workshop, funds from
British Inter-University China Centre (BICC).
2009, For Aberystwyth-Lancaster Postgraduate Colloquium, funds from University of Manchester Graduate Centre in Politics, University of Manchester Centre for International Politics.
2009, For CPN Annual Conference, funds from British Inter-University China Centre (BICC), British Association for Chinese Studies (BACS), White Rose East Asia Centre, University of Manchester Graduate Centre in Politics, University of Manchester Centre for International Politics,
University of Manchester Centre for Chinese Studies.
2005, For research project ‘Gender Transformations in Higher Education’ with research group ‘WASS collective’, grant from The Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research.
Positions in academic organisations
2010-present, Member of Executive Committee,
British International Studies Association (BISA) Postgraduate Network.
2010-present, Board member, Political Perspectives Journal.
2010-present, Convenor, Chinese International Relations reading group and peer review network, The University of Manchester.
2010-present, Convenor, Poststructuralist politics peer review network, The University of Manchester.
2010-present Communicator,, China Postgraduate Network (CPN)
2008-2009, Council member, British Association for Chinese Studies (BACS).
2008-2009, Convenor, China Postgraduate Network (CPN).
Conference and workshop organisational experience
Co-organiser, 'Invention and Innovation: China and Global Influences' workshop. Oxford University, 1-2 September 2011.
Co-organiser, International Relations Journal Writing Workshop, BISA 2011 Annual Conference.
The University of Manchester 27-29 April 2011.
Conference Coordinator, Aberystwyth-Lancaster Postgraduate Colloquium. The University of Manchester, 4-5 June 2009.
Conference Coordinator, 2009 Annual Conference of China Postgraduate Network. The University of Manchester, 23-24 April 2009.
Academic appointments and affiliations
2010-present, Member, Poststructuralist and Critical Thought research cluster, The University of Manchester.
2008-present, Member, Poststructuralism Reading Group, The University of Manchester.
2008-present, Student fellow of the British Inter-University China Centre (BICC).
2008-present, Student affiliated with the Manchester Confucius Institute.
2005-2007, Student Fellow of the Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research.
2006, Visiting Scholar at the Centre of Asian Studies, University of Hong Kong, as part of research project supervised by Prof. Shaun Breslin and Dr Nicholas Thomas: ‘The Bo’ao Forum and Asian Regional Integration: Ideas and Institutions’, co-hosted by the Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick.
2005, Member of WASS-collective, a research group affiliated with the Warwick Anti-Sexism Society.
Languages
I am proficient in English, Mandarin Chinese, Swedish, French and Spanish. I also have a working knowledge of Danish, Norwegian and Portuguese.