Dr Patricia Thornton talks about understanding Chinese politics from the inside

Patricia Thornton was interviewed by China Daily (16 August) about about her experiences of studying and teaching Chinese politics in Oxford and the US.

"What I found really refreshing about coming here to Oxford is the way the discipline of politics is constructed in the UK - and in Europe too - is different from the way it is constructed in the US. Studying China here is connected to Oriental studies, focusing around a very intensive study of language, culture and philosophy as against the US, where it comes out of a social science tradition,” said Thornton, who is developing a new teaching programme for her students at Oxford, which attempts to “assess the Chinese system in its own context”.

You can read the full article here: http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2013-08/16/content_16898393.htm