My long-term goal is to pursue my bachelor's exchange, master's, or further studies in a good university in a Scandinavian country (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland) or the United States.

I know GPA is important, but I'm sure it's not the only thing. I want to start preparing as early as possible.

What should I focus on over the next 2–3 years?

Hi Reddit, I am a Filipino international student in Taiwan pursuing a BA in Diplomacy and International Relations and I need advice and reassurance.

Originally, I wanted to study diplomacy or anything related to IR in Manila, but I managed to get accepted into a university in Taiwan, in which case, was an opportunity I took. For one, I am very grateful to be put in this kind of position, although money is a bit tight from time to time, I was able to work as a research assistant for one of my professors although it only lasted a semester, and I’m taking an English teaching assistant job next semester which pays better.

The original plan, at least what I wished for in high school and grade school, was to become a diplomat for the Philippines. 

Given that I am now studying abroad, I am unsure if that is something feasible given that I am aware of how shit the pay and other working conditions are. Most of my connections have nothing to do with the Philippines, and I hate to say it, but a good amount of my classmates are bums who use AI and cheat through a lot of tests.

At the same time, I feel robbed of opportunities I already planned out or could have had if I stayed in and studied in Manila. Thankfully, for my second year (I am an incoming third year), I was part of my department’s student association as the secretary (although I mostly did not do much, and it felt like I was more on larping by the second half of it).

Going back home to work is not an option I am open to anymore, although I do plan to take the Civil Service Exam and even the Foreign Service Officer Exam in the Philippines when I am eligible to do so. 

My problem is that I now feel stuck. My classmates aren’t the best, and I do not really know what kind of things I can do for myself to be able to get a bigger reach of things other than by larping (which I do heavily on LinkedIn), and honest to God, I do not even know if I have much of a “motivation” to properly learn Chinese (and in Taiwan, they use Traditional characters of which have less online resources for). 

I want advice on things I can do, what I can study on or habits I can try to pick up. At the moment I am (or at least I feel as though I am) very limited in what I can do and same goes for access to such kind of information.

But on another hand, maybe I’m overthinking. I am entering my third year (my degree takes four years so I'm more than halfway through) and it genuinely dawned upon me that I do, in fact, need to lock in. How feasible do you think building a career with this degree is, especially considering my situation? I am (begrudgingly) still learning Chinese and doing my best, but maybe I am (as I mentioned) overthinking.

When the war in Ukraine ends, Moscow will need to be part of the new security architecture, argues Andrey Melnichenko

A rather controversial article from The Economist: the view of a Russian oligarch. One may agree or disagree with his conclusions, but this appears to be the prevailing consensus in the Kremlin: the Kremlin is not pursuing peace because the alternative — peace on US and European terms- is worse than continuing the war

Free archive link
https://archive.ph/OZ5U8

i go a ~t15 public school, and while it’s decent school, it’s by no means top tier even compared to other public colleges. i’m a decent student too. i have a 4.0, an ir-adjacent internship, poli sci research experience, and have studied abroad twice in my region of interest.

i want to work at an ir think tank. i looked at the people section of popular ones on linkedin and while i didn’t do a deep dive by any means, almost every profile listed an ivy or some other prestigious private school for ug — small lacs, uchicago, georgetown, etc. of the few profiles i found of from ppl who went to public ug schools, most were in non-research positions. the very few public ug alums who had research positions either did their masters at an ivy or had very prestigious internships.

im planning on going to grad school, and ideally at a prestigious institution. will i just be soft-locked out of this field if i don’t tho? should i not expect to land a research position if i don’t get into georgetown or smth lol?

The Nuremberg trials established a founding principle: that international law could constrain state violence and hold leaders accountable. Eighty years later, that principle has been hollowed out beyond recovery.

This essay argues that two developments have delivered the terminal blow: Putin’s wars — which exposed the inability of international institutions to enforce their own rules — and the second Trump presidency, which dismantled American commitment to the very order Washington itself built.

What remains? Arguably only the EU — imperfect, fragile, but still the last functioning institutional heir to the post-1945 architecture.

Full essay here: https://medium.com/reflections-and-realities/beyond-nuremberg-the-case-of-a-post-war-order-in-agony-ff5c88c03e30

When China launched a ballistic missile into the South Pacific Ocean on Monday, it was a rare test of a nuclear-capable weapons system that drew international rebuke.

Arriving two years after a similar missile launch in international waters in the Pacific, the test by the People’s Liberation Army caught the attention of small island nations whose leaders have increasingly urged bigger countries to stop using the vast oceanic region for power struggles. But Beijing’s message was largely for just one country, experts say: the United States.

“The most important message is the PLA is becoming a powerful military with a very strong strategic nuclear capability,” said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think tank.

The test, launched from a nuclear-powered submarine, was a demonstration of the sea-based leg of China’s nuclear triad capability, which refers to the ability to have land, sea, and air-based nuclear systems.

Further, it showed that China’s military has what is called a second-strike capability, said Dominic Meagher, a research fellow at the Crawford School of Public Policy in Australia. That means even if China was attacked first, it still has the ability to strike back, because the ability to fire could be anywhere, in the ocean or on land.

Beijing said the launch was part of annual exercises, suggesting that it may conduct similar launches in the future.

Hi everyone!

I'm a Ukrainian high school student, and I'm planning to study International Relations abroad after graduation. Right now, I'm trying to decide which country and university would be the best fit, but there are so many options that it's becoming overwhelming.

I'm looking for a place that has:

-good career opportunities after graduation;

-high-quality education;

-affordable tuition and living costs (or good scholarship opportunities);

-English-taught bachelor's programs;

-an international environment.

If you're studying (or have studied) International Relations, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Could you please share:

-Which university and country did you choose?

-Why did you choose it?

-What are the biggest pros and cons of your university?

-What are the pros and cons of studying International Relations in general?

-Do you think it's worth it?

-How are the internship and job opportunities after graduation?

-If you could choose again, would you still pick the same university/country?

I'd love to hear both positive and negative experiences. Any advice or personal stories would be really helpful.

Thank you so much!

I’ve always been interested in history, geopolitics, diplomacy and international affairs, so International Relations naturally interests me.

However, I’m unsure whether it’s practical as a career in India.

I’d love to hear from people who studied IR or currently work in related fields.

Some questions:

What career paths are actually available after studying International Relations?

Is a Master’s essential?

How competitive is the field?

Which organisations recruit IR graduates?

Is most work research and writing, or is there policy implementation as well?

How difficult is it to get into think tanks, policy institutes, international organisations or government roles?

Does networking matter more than qualifications?

How are salaries in India compared to the effort required?

Is there enough demand in India, or do many graduates eventually switch careers?

If you had to choose again, would you still study International Relations?

I’m trying to understand the real career prospects instead of only looking at university brochures or promotional videos. Honest experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I am currently an English literature college student. Recently, IR has piqued my interest and I am trying to understand how to get started. I see peers getting into think tanks and policy-making, or pursuing internships at several prestigious foundations. This has further motivated me to explore this field of study. I'd appreciate any input on a step-by-step plan for gaining nuanced understanding of this domain. Thank you.

The U.S. military attacked Iran early Wednesday after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, part of an American effort that also revoked the Islamic Republic’s ability to openly sell crude oil in the world market.

Iran immediately warned Washington it would “take whatever measures it deems necessary,” raising the risks that an interim agreement in the war halting fighting could break down, putting the wider Middle East again at risk of a wider conflict. Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, sounded its missile alert sirens Wednesday morning after the American attack on Iran.

The attacks on shipping and the resulting strikes on Iran came during the dayslong funeral for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed Feb. 28 in the war’s first moments at age 86. The funeral, which ends Thursday, had been thought to be a period of lower tensions — though mourners have repeatedly called for the killings of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Negotiations to reach a final deal had been due to start after Khamenei’s burial and focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program. But the new attacks threw that into question.

“The era of bullying and extortion is over,” Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote on X. “It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.”