Education

·          DPhil Candidate, St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, 2008-2011

Supervisor: Professor Rosemary Foot

Thesis: China's contributions to the global nuclear weapons order (title subject to change)

 

·          MPhil Modern Chinese Studies with Distinction, St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford 2006-2008
Supervisor: Professor Rosemary Foot

Thesis: Nuclear Bargains? Chinese Nuclear Weapons Policy 1990-2008
Language exchange at Beijing University (Beida), China, March-July 2007.

 

·          MSc International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2002-2003
Supervisor: Professor Christopher Coker

Thesis: Nuclear Insecurity: US-Russian relations and nuclear strategy between 1990-2003 (awarded 82% distinction)     

                                              

·          BScEcon with First Class Honours, International Politics and Strategic Studies, University of Aberystwyth, 1999-2002                   
Supervisor: Professor Colin McInnes

Thesis: The End of Nuclear Deterrence? US nuclear weapons policy since 1990

Exchange at the University of Southern California (USC), International Relations Department, August-December 2000.

 

Awards

2006-11         BICC/ESRC Studentship Award.

2009              Cyril Foster Department of Politics and International Relations travel award.

2009              St. Antony's College travel award.

2002-03         LSE Graduate Scholarship for academic potential, research and writing.

2002              Aberystwyth Papers Prize for best academic performance in final year.

2002              Aberystwyth Elizabeth Morris Prize for academic excellence and contribution to department.

 

Employment

 

2003-2006         Research Fellow, International Policy Institute, King’s College London, working on nuclear proliferation in North East Asia.

 

Autumn 2002     Intern at the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC) in London, UK, researching the Biological Weapons Convention.

 

Recent Publications/Conferences

'China and the global nuclear weapons order, 1949-1976', paper presented at the China Postgraduate Network Conference, University of Manchester, 23-24 April 2009.

'Chinese nuclear weapons policy since the 1990s', paper presented at the International Studies Association (ISA) 50th annual conference, New York, USA, 17 February 2009.

‘Chinese attitudes towards nuclear weapons, 1945-1989’, China Postgraduate Network Launch Workshop, Chinese Institute, Oxford University, 16 March 2008.

 

‘North Korea’s nuclear motivations and obstacles to resolution’, presented at the 2008 Tamkang University World Development Seminar, Taiwan, 24 January 2008.

 

F.M Mañas, J.Jordan and N. Horsburgh, ‘Strengths and Weaknesses of Grassroot Jihadist Networks: The Madrid Bombings’, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Volume 31 (1), pp.17-39, 2008.

 

J. Jordan and  N. Horsburgh, ‘Politics vs. Terrorism: The Madrid Case’, in G. Kassimeris eds., Playing Politics with Terrorism: A User’s Guide, Hurst and Company: London, 2007.

 

Extracurricular Activities

 

 

·          Secretary of the China Postgraduate Network (CPN) based in the UK.

·          UK representative of the forthcoming The China Companion (TCC) website on China and International Relations.

Research Interests

Nicola's primary research interests lie in international security and nuclear weapons, in particular related to China and her neighbours. Secondary interests include Jihadist terrorism in Spain, and international relations theory.