Jobs: International relations

CAREER OPTIONS

From my experience in teaching international relations courses in the political science department at Srinakharinwirot University, I find that many high school and undergraduate students are unsure of the benefits of studying international relations (IR) and do not fully understand its career-path opportunities.

However, over the past decade, it has become noticeable that an increasing number of undergraduate students are taking up IR as their major, and many Thai universities have introduced IR courses in response to rising demand from students.

The classical notion that IR paves the way for graduates to become diplomats only does not give justice to the other significant career opportunities that are available.

This article may help students gain a better understanding of the available opportunities by examining the scope of IR, its significance, and the careers open to IR graduates.

Scope

The areas covered by a properly planned IR syllabus would include international politics, international law, diplomatic history, international organisations, international economics, and area studies.

But in order to have a richer experience in IR, undergraduate students will need to study related disciplines, such as history, political geography, law, economics, sociology and psychology, as well as political strategies and theories.

It is also essential that they pay attention to, and regularly keep abreast of current political issues as international events evolve constantly.

Impact

Perhaps the most frequently asked questions are: What makes IR interesting? Is it too far-fetched? Is it adaptable to our daily life?

Some people misconstrue that IR is restricted to country-level leading figures in international politics, namely, prime ministers, presidents, diplomats and other senior government leaders.

On the contrary, IR impacts us all and most certainly plays a very important role in our lives.

Take the current so-called "Hamburger Crisis" as an example, and how it has interfered with the livelihood of Thai people.

As a result of globalisation, far-flung international communities have embraced the formation of close-knit networks by applying and utilising the advances in science, technology, telecommunications and mass transportation.

This interconnection has bonded communities and states, generating a systematic network of chain reactions in the process.

Hence, the occurrence of one incident inevitably affects the rest of the world almost instantly.

The financial meltdown, which started in the US, has endangered the world economy by causing, or nearly causing, the collapse of several mega-businesses. This, in turn, led to massive layoffs and unemployment throughout the world.

Thailand's economy was also affected. So, if we can keep up with current international affairs, chances are we will be able to adapt our business organisations to neutralise, or at least accommodate, the negative repercussions of international crises.

Career paths

The main objective of IR coursework is to channel graduates into diplomacy and foreign affairs-related professions. But only a few vacancies are created each year by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to accommodate the large number of newcomers. So far this year, only 15 openings have been posted, which made pursuing a diplomatic career very competitive indeed.

If this is becoming the norm, it is important to have a proper and practical reply to the question of what you can actually do with an IR degree.

The truth is, IR graduates have a choice of multiple professional careers, starting with working in other government offices that deal with international affairs, such as the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Foreign Trade or Department of Trade Negotiations.

They can also work for international bodies, such as the United Nations (UN) and UN agencies like Unesco and Unicef, and non-governmental organisations like Amnesty International, Forum Asia or Greenpeace.

For a graduate who is keen to pursue academia or undertake further or in-depth studies, research institutions like the Institute of Asian Studies or the Centre for European Studies at Chulalongkorn University should be put at the top of the options list.

Careers in mass media and the press are also possible avenues for those who have critical minds and/or are keen on writing on foreign news for television or newspapers.

Thus, there are so many choices available for an IR graduate. The IR course syllabus at Srinakharinwirot University aims to encourage students to participate in debates, workshops, forums and analytical discussions related to international relations.

To prepare for their careers, students are required to take several English courses almost every semester.

There should be a balance of theory and practice commensurate with students' ability to adapt to their chosen professions. At the end of the day, students gain hands-on experience in international relations, and most importantly, they learn how to live with other people in harmony.

Dr Prapee Apichatsakol is a lecturer in international relations at the Department of Political Science, Srinakharinwirot University. You can email her at prapeea@gmail.com .