The NPCU's Chris Perkins successfully defended his doctoral thesis today. His thesis, National thinking and the politics of belonging in contemporary Japan: a constitutive constructivist approach, was examined by Lola Martinez (SOAS) and Gerard Delanty (University of Sussex). Chris began his PhD in 2007 after completing his MSc at Royal Holloway's Department of Politics and International Relations.

A great start to 2011 for Chris, who this week also started a permanent lectureship at Edinburgh University.

Congratulations from all at the NPCU!!