A world-class research community

PAIS is home to around 40 full-time academic staff, over a dozen postdoctoral research fellows, and over 60 PhD students. The department was ranked 5th in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise and continues to strive for excellence in all areas of research.

The range of expertise represented in the department is broad, with four main areas of concentration:

• International Political Economy
• International Relations and Security
• Public Policy and Comparative Politics
• Political Theory

Key activities in PAIS

The dynamic nature of the PAIS research community stems largely from the wide range of research activity types represented in the department:

• Centres. PAIS is home to internationally recognised centres and projects, including the Centre for the Study of Regionalisation and Globalisation, the Centre for Ethics, Law and Public Affairs, and the Centre for the Study of Democratisation.
• Projects. PAIS also runs several major research projects including Landscapes of Secrecy and Building Global Democracy. These projects are funded by a variety of sources, including the European Commission and UK Research Councils.
• Seminars. In addition to regular seminar series, PAIS hosts workshops, guest speakers, symposia and conferences throughout the year.

The PAIS Research Community

• Academics. The diverse nature of the PAIS department is due in no small part to the varied expertise, background and interdisciplinary outlook of our world class academic staff.
• Postdocs. PAIS continues to attract postdoctoral researchers funded by a variety of sources, including the ESRC and Leverhulm Trust.
• PhD students. With one foot in student life and the other in serious academic research, our PhD community represents the next generation of experts, whether in academia or beyond.