Career opportunities in international relations

There has never been a more important time for Indian students to study international relations than the present. With India’s emergence as a key global political actor with a growing economy and as a nuclear weapon state, understanding how India fits in to and helps shape a new global order is of vital concern. The world order, post Indian independence, has largely been framed by US dominance of international systems, including the Bretton Woods institutions of the World Bank, IMF and WTO establishing the basis for a liberal economic international order.

Today, thirty years after the Cold War, US hegemony is under significant challenge with the rise of India and China. The latter seeking to develop an alternative economic order through its Belt and Road initiative. The US, under Donald Trump, is no longer a reliable partner undermining long established alliances and reneging on trade treaties, Chinese entanglement too comes at a price. So how does India position itself in an everchanging world?

International Relations studies provides students with insights into managing the contradictions of an increasingly interconnected yet disconnected world. Through studying the theory of international relat i ons, we are better able t o understand, critique and challenge why states act and interact in the way they do and predict behaviours.

A skill which is increasingly useful in a world of rapid change where the best courses will develop critical reasoning, scenario buil di ng e xerci s e s , research skills, diplomacy, training to write policy briefs and the ability to synthesise complex information in a way that is valuable to employers.

International relations studies has moved on a long way from the study of big power relations, war and conflict, and the relationship between states. These remain important but the discipline recognises that the old divisions between f oreign and domestic policy are no longer helpful. The interconnectedness of global finance, migration, refugees, the impact of climate change, religious belief and human rights requires a holistic view of international relations that considers both domestic and foreign policy.

International relations studies is interested in the workings of international law, in establishing and maintaining international systems which enable trade to take place and peace and security are able to thrive. Such a vision is beset with difficulties and challenges as powers compete for influence and facts on the ground enable the annexation of the Crimea, Northern Syria or parts of the Palestinian West Bank. Nationalism competes with globalism, and populism leads to greater division within society creating insiders and outsiders depending on ethnicity, race, and religion.

The world is increasingly interconnected through globalisation and capital flows.

Each country requires access to the global commons of airways and sea lanes. Our television screens broadcast programmes from around the world, we are able to travel from New Delhi to London with ease, Indian students are able to study in the UK, US, Australia, Canada and in many other countries. Transnational corporations such as Tata compete across the globe.

And yet, there is also increasing disconnection, as states seek to close their borders to refugees or become increasingly selective about economic migration. Our climate across the world is interconnected and the actions of the world’s top polluters China, United States and India having a direct impact on the rest of the world. When the United States renege on climate change agreements this reveals a disconnection with the interests of the rest of the world, seeking economic advantage over a shared responsibility for the wellbeing of the planet.

Global cities such as Mumbai, Tokyo, New York and London often have more in common with each other than they do with cities and rural areas in their own countries. Their interconnectedness, however, can come at the expense of greater connectivity with towns and cities in their own country.

I began by asserting that there has never been a more important time for Indian students to study international relations. Apart from the relevance of the subject in understanding the world in which we live, it also is a gateway to e x c e l l e nt e mployment prospects with employers valuing the critical reasoning skills necessary to navigate the subject.

Typically, International relations students will go on to work in the foreign services, diplomacy, non-governmental organisations, civil service, the military, peace and conflict resolution organisations, and the international office of transnational corporations. Studying international relations as an academic discipline opens up excellent career opportunities and enables students to make their contribution towards understanding and making the world a better place.