Studying International relations gives you a deeper understanding of global challenges like international security, conflict resolution and trade agreements. It’s also an excellent career choice for anyone interested in a career in diplomacy, international business or with non-governmental organisations or charities.
Developing the ability to analyse and collaborate with people from different backgrounds and perspectives is an invaluable skill. You’ll build a stronger cultural sensitivity by working closely with people from all over the world, and you’ll also learn how to understand and address different viewpoints, which is crucial for successful careers in global politics and business.
International relations is a broad field of study that encompasses global politics, history and economics, as well as a range of philosophies and theories of how nations interact with one another. There are many ways to approach the subject, which is why it’s often studied as part of a degree in global politics, economics or law at university level.
One of the main ideas of liberal IR is that cooperation is beneficial to states, because it helps to create “positive sum games”; that there are multiple levels of analysis, including the domestic level of state power and power structures, the regional level of intergovernmental organizations and international relations theory, and the international level of international politics; that the idea of a sovereign state is a myth; and that states are constructed through values and ideologies, not merely a reflection of reality. This theory is called constructivism.
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