ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं सरस्वत्यै नमः।
Om Shrīm Hrīm Sarasvatyai Namah
With this mantra, I invoke the Hindu goddess of learning and the arts, Maa Saraswati, and lay my PhD at Her feet.
Thank you to my interviewees, my mentors, my Infosec/geopolitics colleagues on X/LinkedIn/Mastodon and my mates for your generosity and the vital role you have played in this journey of mine.
Thank you to Dr Cary Di Lernia (pictured in Image 2), my divine charioteer since we first met in his undergrad environmental law class in 2017, for making this thesis what it is and for, well, putting up with me. All the laughs, wisdom, encouragement, honest feedback, it got me to that stage in the Great Hall and beyond. Thank you, sir. It all means a ton.
And thank you to Mum and Dad for backing me to do this, as with everything in my life. This is more yours than it is mine. I am much more relieved for youse than for myself, given how much you have invested in getting me to where I am - before, during and after the PhD. You have made me the man I am. This is for you.
(Images courtesy of Dad!)
