The subfield

International politics and governance concern the relations and activities of states and other international actors across national borders. The study of foreign and security policy, as well as the economic and political relations of conflict and cooperation between states, is central to this field. Such studies may describe, explain, or seek to predict international political phenomena.

The subfield group International politics and governance covers a broad set of topics in international relations, ranging from foreign policy decision making and the significance of international organisations for interstate cooperation to geopolitical, institutional and social conditions for peace, conflict and war. Group members examine key questions in political science related to these issues, including military security, energy, the economy, and the environment.

Teaching

The subfield group’s members teach across all political science discipline programmes in the department — at bachelor’s, master’s and PhD levels. They also contribute to the specialized master’s political science programme Peace and Conflict studies (PECOS) and to the cross-disciplinary bachelor programme International studies (INTER), the Honours Bachelor’s Program in Social Sciences, and the cross-disciplinary bachelor program Climate, environment and humans (Klima, miljø og menneske). INTER and all the political science programmes allow students to pursue specialization in the group’s subject areas. The members of the group are particularly relevant as supervisors for master's theses and PhD theses with topics concerning international politics and governance.

Research

The subfield international politics and governance encompasses multiple research areas within political science and has close links to international economics/political economy, international law and international history. The members' research activities are primarily carried out in the department’s project teams and research groups, as well as in affiliated research centres.

Research groups

Collaboration

Teaching activities in the subfield – especially the supervision of bachelor's and master's theses – also involve researchers from other relevant research institutions in the Oslo area, such as ARENA Centre for European Studies at the UiO, the Norwegian Institute of Foreign Affairs (NUPI), the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Some of these institutions also offer scholarships and writing stays.