International Relations

Overview

The MSc (International Relations) programme offered by Nanyang Technological University is designed to help students better comprehend the ever-changing international scene. It aims to:

• Develop analytical skills on a wide range of international and transnational issues in an increasingly complex world

• Integrate theory with policy across the spectrum from traditional issues of military security to non-traditional concerns such as energy and food security

• Inculcate a systematic understanding of the relationships among states and non-state actors in a globalised international system

• Provide a sound basis for policy analysis in new and creative ways appropriate in an everchanging policy environment

Present-day international relations is no longer the exclusive preserve of war, peace and strategic diplomacy. The “high politics” of yesteryear have expanded in scope to accommodate an array of concerns, encompassing international trade and investment, ethnic conflict, terrorism and insurgency, and “non-traditional” security issues relating to the environment, energy, water and health. All of these are inter-related, often in complex and multi-dimensional ways.

Against this backdrop, the management of conflict and the search for equity and justice are becoming more challenging by the day. The traditional approach to security is being subsumed by newer concepts such as comprehensive security. At the same time, global and regional multilateral institutions are experimenting with new techniques of dealing with conflict, such as preventive diplomacy and humanitarian intervention, often with mixed results.