Oxford International Relations Society
 | |
| Abbreviation | IRSoc |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Type | Student organisation |
| Purpose | Education |
| Location | |
Official language | English |
President | Megan Eldred |
| Website |
irsoc |
Oxford International Relations Society, is a student society open to members of the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University. It is dedicated to the discussion of International Relations and current affairs. It publishes a termly journal entitled Sir, in addition to hosting a lively blog and podcast.[1] It is Oxford's second largest student society and enjoys a partnership with the Oxford Martin School.[2]
Notable speakers
Since its creation in 2009, the society has hosted a number of notable figures and political leaders from around the world. Notable previous speakers include:
- Former Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf,[3]
- Prime Minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva,
- Former Commander, International Security Assistance Force and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal,
- Former CIA Director, Ray McGovern,
- Editor-in-chief of The Economist, John Micklethwait,
- President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Thomas Mirow,
- UK Executive Director of Médecins Sans Frontières, Marc Dubois,
- BBC journalist, Justin Webb,
- North Korean defector and human rights activist, Shin Dong-hyuk,
- Former UK Ambassador to the United States, David Manning,
- UK Ambassador to Iraq, Simon Collis,
- Former UK Ambassador to Iraq, Egypt and Libya, Dominic Asquith,
- Former High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lord Paddy Ashdown,
- Former UK Ambassador to Russia, Sir Roderic Lyne,
- Former UK Ambassador to Japan, Sir John Boyd,
- Nobel Prize–winning economist, Thomas Schelling,
- Former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray,
- BBC News World Affairs Editor, John Simpson,
- Executive editor of The Economist, Daniel Franklin,
- Former Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell,
- Chief foreign affairs correspondent for the Financial Times, Gideon Rachman,
- Former Liberal party leader, Lord David Steel,
- Journalist and author, Peter Hitchens,
- Cross-bench member of the Lords and CEO of HART, Baroness Cox,
- Journalist specializing in French and Middle-Eastern politics, Nabila Ramdani,
- Director General of MI5 until April 2013, Sir Jonathan Evans,
The society has also hosted a number of academics including international economist and bestselling author, Dr. Dambisa Moyo; leading authority on international law on human trafficking, Anne Gallagher; influential scholars in International Relations, Joseph Nye, Robert Keohane and Norman Finkelstein.
In 2010, the society jointly hosted the President of the Asian Development Bank, together with the Oxford Asia Pacific Society.[4]
Sir
In 2012 the society launched a termly journal, entitled ‘Sir’.[5] The publication, released both online and in print, has a broad International Relations focus and offers those in Oxford the opportunity to produce pieces of work ranging from photo essays to opinion columns. The themes from previous editions have covered a wide range of issues, varying from the nature of violence to precedence setting in international affairs. The journal is produced by an independent editorial team.
Controversies
In 2009 the society attracted attention for its controversial decision to host the Prime Minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva. The controversy was sparked by the leak of a private email from Dr. Lee Jones, Rose Research Fellow in International Relations at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, questioning Mr. Vejjajiva's suitability to address the subject of democracy.[6] The event received attention in prominent Thai newspapers, the Bangkok Post and The Nation, and online.[7][8][9]
References
- ↑ http://www.oxirsoc.com/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/irsoc
- ↑ "Students claim IR Soc censored event | The Oxford Student". Oxfordstudent.com. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
- ↑ "Towards A Stronger Developing Asia". ADB.org. 2010-06-17. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
- ↑ "Sir". Irsoc.org. 2013-11-20. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ↑ "Oxford researcher clarifies his e-mail on Thai PM". The Nation. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
- ↑ "Puea Thai: Oxford says 'no' to PM". Bangkok Post. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
- ↑ "Democracy is strong and alive, Abhisit tells London audience". The Nation. 2009-03-15. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
- ↑ Translated page.
External links
Oxford International Relations Society