We are delighted that our alumnus Joshua Austin has been accepted for a master’s degree in the history of war at Oxford. He is the recipient of a SCIO de Jager alumni scholarship.
Joshua grew up in Richmond, Virginia and is studying for his first degree at Gordon College where he will graduate in May 2019. His time with SCIO inspired him to pursue a master’s degree:
I was privileged to attend SCIO’s Scholars’ Semester in Oxford from September 2017 to April 2018 and took tutorials in the First and Second World Wars in addition to writing a thesis which examined counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan. The military studies in particular played a significant role in my decision to pursue a MSt degree in the history of war at the University of Oxford.
The integration of faith and scholarship was also important to him:
It was good encouragement throughout my Oxford experience never to be afraid to explore new ideas, yet always to remain grounded in your faith. Simply put, faith and academics are not at odds with each other, and SCIO assisted in giving us a framework for pursuing our studies.
His academic interest concerns international counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan and it is also his future ambition to work with this topic.