International studies

International Studies (IS) generally refers to the specific university degrees and courses which are concerned with the study of ‘the major political, economic, social, and cultural issues that dominate the international agenda’. The term itself can be more specifically defined as ‘the contemporary and historical understanding of global societies, cultures, languages and systems of government and of the complex relationships between them that shape the world we live in’. The terms and concepts of International Studies and international relations are strongly related; however, International relations focus more directly on the relationship between countries, whereas International Studies can encompass all phenomena which are globally oriented.

The history of the discipline of International Studies is strongly linked with the history of the study of international relations, as described in the International Relations entry. However, the study of International Studies as a separate entity to International Relations emerged throughout the 20th century, as an increasingly complex world began to be influenced by globalization, and a greater number of issues emerged (rather than only inter-country relations). The discipline was greatly influenced by the establishment of the International Studies Association, which was established in 1959 by a ‘group of academics and practitioners’ with the aim of ‘seeking to pursue mutual interests in world affairs through the organization of a professional association’. The establishment of the association reflected the increasing interest in global issues and reflected the need for international academic dialogue. Throughout the later stages of the 20th century and into the 21st century, many education institutions worldwide developed International Studies degrees (both undergraduate and postgraduate). The emergence and increasing popularity of these degrees reflect the general patterns of increasing global interconnectedness and globalization, in that education providers, are becoming more aware that the discipline is becoming increasingly relevant and necessary in the context of the 21st century. The discipline has become increasingly popular in Australia as well as in East Asian countries. Dr. Hanson and Dr. Weber of the University of Queensland state that;

In 2008, the third OCIS conference (Oceanic Conference on International Studies) was held at the University of Queensland’. The conference brought together over 200 academics, with the keynote speaker Andrew Linklater (the Woodrow Wilson Professor of International Politics at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales) noting ‘how vibrant and intellectually stimulating International Studies now is in Australia’’. The increasing popularity of the discipline in Australia led to the International Studies Association to establish an Asia-Pacific Regional Section of the ISA at the University of Queensland in 2009’, which was seen as an ‘indication of the growth of this area’’ in Australia.

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