Welcome to 'PhD Perspectives' – a monthly showcase of the dynamic research in the Department of Political Science at Trinity College Dublin. Each month, we interview a PhD student to explore their research journey, from inspiration to real-world impact.
Tianxin Zhang: 3rd Year PhD Student
Can you give us a brief overview of your research and what inspired you to choose this topic?
My PhD project title is “Money, Guns, and Training: How do different sources of funding and resources affect civilian control and military effectiveness?”
I chose this topic because of my research interest in military effectiveness and military loyalty, and my choice is also motivated by the regional security challenges and the wave of coup d’etat in West Africa and Southeast Asia since 2020. By studying the cases of Republican China (1911-1950), my research is expected to bring some useful insights from historical contexts to security governance today.
What has been the most surprising or interesting finding in your research so far?
I’m currently working with my supervisor Jesse on our co-authored project “Training for victory: a micro-level analysis of training and military effectiveness in the early 20th century China”. We have created a draft dataset of battles and commanders’ training in Republican China, and we have done some preliminary analysis.
So far, we have collected the data from 1911 to 1935. At this stage, we found that better officer training is correlated better likelihood of victory on battlefield, but better officer training does not necessarily improve military cohesion. Currently, we are still working on data collection. In the next stage, we want to test more hypotheses later, and see whether our current findings hold with a bigger dataset.
How do you think your research could impact the field of political science or society as a whole?
My research can impact real world in both research and policy practices. Firstly, my research can contribute micro-level analysis to the military effectiveness literature. Secondly, my research can provide a politico-economic explanation of military loyalty, which can support policy-making in regional security governance and help anticipate risks in military loyalty
What advice would you give to other students who are considering pursuing a PhD in political science?
A passion in a specific topic is the best motivator to start a PhD. However, the journey is not easy and usually full of uncertainty and challenges, so we need confidence and patience. We should believe our research is valuable and will make a difference. At the same time, keep an open mind and reach out. Research is an important part of our life, but not 100% of it. Live a good life, love ourselves, and love the world.
May 2025