Day: October 29, 2025

People fleeing war, violence, conflict, or persecution have always been at the heart of refugee crises. Displaced families are forced to leave their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs and often encounter insurmountable barriers in their quest for safety and a new life. Every day, families around the world face traumatic experiences, including treacherous migration routes, inhumane detention centers, and harmful public policies that shut out vulnerable displaced people.

Displacement on such a massive scale puts tremendous strains on host communities and countries, and exacerbates political tensions within and between states. In addition, it makes it harder to address the root causes of the crisis that triggered displacement. In this context, it’s crucial to rethink how we support refugees in their new home countries.

The way we respond to large numbers of displaced people is critical to their wellbeing, and in determining whether conflict or peace is possible. Governments must investigate and prosecute trafficking gangs that exploit migrants and put people’s lives in danger. And they must combat xenophobia and all forms of discrimination, which feed into people’s fear of others and can lead to violence. Moreover, governments must ensure that displaced people have freedom of movement and access to education. They should also make sure that people can work and start businesses. Such measures will reduce tensions and improve economies, as well as increase the chance of a peaceful return to their country of origin.

Studying international relations gives you the opportunity to learn how political, economic and cultural factors influence decisions made on the world stage. You’ll be equipped with the skills to deep analyse global challenges from a variety of perspectives and develop an understanding of how these issues can be leveraged to make a positive impact on people around the globe.

Sovereignty

The study of IR is underpinned by the concept of sovereignty, with many theories attempting to explain the behaviour of sovereign states at various levels of analysis, including the individual state as a unit, the domestic state as an institution, the national level of intergovernmental and transnational affairs, the regional level of international interstate affairs, and the global level of international economic interaction. Other theories of IR also seek to explain the nature of power in the international system and how it can be used by states for different ends.

For example, realism advocates a straightforward approach to the field, arguing that all nations are working to acquire power and that those countries which manage to horde power most effectively will thrive. Conversely, Marxists argue that core states exploit a set of weaker periphery states for their own prosperity and justify a revolutionary movement to achieve an egalitarian global society.

The study of IR has evolved since its inception, reflecting a desire to understand how the world around us works and the role that nations play on this stage. The outbreak of World War I saw a shift in attitude towards the study of international relations, with many scholars believing that it was a matter for general education and public interest.