Our research vitality and excellence grew from the conscious embrace of pluralism in approach, theoretical underpinning, and methodology; and our exposure to different voices inside and outside academia.

We support colleagues to animate research projects, and write books and articles, that change the conversation in the discipline and reshape our world.

We work on: Comparative Politics; International Political Economy; International Relations and Security; Environmental Politics, and Political Theory. Our research brings together local, national, regional, transnational and global perspectives – exploring the UK, the EU and Europe, Africa, the Middle East, East Asia and North, Central and South America.

Supportive Research Environment

• We strive to help all colleagues carve out research space and generate the best possible outputs and impact.
• We prioritise ED&I and support for early career researchers with work in progress through peer mentoring, and events, including an annual Research Conference. 

Our Research Goals

• Produce the key research monographs and journal articles that help define our discipline’s primary intellectual debates.
• Retain our distinctiveness as a methodologically and theoretically pluralist Department with a broad and inclusive understanding of what it means to undertake research and teaching in Politics and International Studies.
• Shape disciplinary conceptualisations of non-academic ‘impact’ and public engagement – and its enactment locally, nationally, internationally.
• Sustain wide-ranging and ethical International Research Collaborations, including in the Global South.
• Train and equip to the very highest world-leading standards the next generation of scholars in our discipline via an outstanding PhD programme based on high quality entry and progression standards and exacting post-doctoral mentoring.
• Enhance our international reputation for excellent and innovative research-led teaching and learning conditions at undergraduate and postgraduate taught levels.

Our Research Infrastructure

• Our supportive and inclusive research infrastructure combines clusters, centres and study groups.
• The ensemble creates a complex and mutually supportive ecosystem of research. It is built through networks of nurture that sustain a flexible, vibrant departmental research community.
• How we organise ourselves is designed to support colleagues with their writing and publications, with their impact, public engagement and outreach work, and with securing research funding to underpin their research agendas.
• We sustain a range of international collaborative relationships with Universities and research centres around the globe, including in the Global South.

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