Future challenges for international relations professionals

From climate change to economic uncertainty, discover the key international relations challenges that professionals working in the field need to deal with.

Uncertainty has been the defining term for our world since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Yet, slowly, as signs of recovery emerge, whilst our global focus it still very much on the fallout from the pandemic, other critical international issues have returned or joined the spotlight. 

With international relations professionals tackling unprecedented challenges now and into the future, the field of international relations provides fertile ground from which to initiate positive change and make a meaningful impact. 

What is international relations? 

International relations is the study of international political, cultural, social and economic systems. It explores the relations between states, as well as states’ relations with international organisations, such as the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO). 

International relations also explores the historical development of these international systems, and the stakeholders, processes and institutions behind international relations. 

Future challenges in international relations 

Perhaps now more than ever, there is a great need for international relations professionals that can harness their expertise and insights to reimagine ways to resolve current and future challenges in the field and make a positive impact on our globalised world. 

Some examples of future challenges in international relations include: 

• International cooperation vs. conflict 

Certain dysfunctions, shortcomings and disparities in global governance were brought to light by the pandemic. We faced a global environment of contested international bodies and tensions around relations with China.  

Yet although the pandemic presented one of our greatest challenges as a global society, since it was a challenge that could only be addressed globally, certain cooperation networks were strengthened between countries and regions as a result. 

However, since the height of the pandemic, we now also face the challenges presented by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and its humanitarian, security, and economic impacts. 

So, an important future challenge in international relations is identifying ways to promote further international cooperation and mitigate the impacts of conflict. 

• Climate change 

Climate change continues to contend for a place at the forefront of the global agenda.  

The issue of climate change poses major global challenges to our society, ecosystems, and environment, requiring urgent global responses and actions and continuing to have serious negative impacts if left unaddressed. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the health impacts of climate change alone will be somewhere between US$2-4 billion per year by 2030.  

Unless CO2 emissions are kept in check, climate change is expected to reduce global GDP by 1.5% on average, and almost 6% in South-East and South Asia by 2060. 

The United Nations (UN) has developed global agreements and frameworks to help guide international progress on climate change. These include the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. The aims of these are to reduce global emissions, adapt to climate impacts, and finance required adjustments. Yet, there is much more that needs to be done, as well as a need for greater participation and cooperation among international stakeholders, to tackle this issue. 

• Economic recovery 

With costs of living, interest rates and inflation rising sharply in many countries around the world since the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the World Bank has already flagged that a global recession could be on the horizon for 2023.  

GDP dropped 4% globally in 2020 when the pandemic hit, and over 10% in some countries such as Spain. According to the International Labour Organization, at the height of the pandemic, around 33 million people were unemployed, and 81 million left the labour market altogether. 

Although we started to see signs of economic recovery from the pandemic by around late 2021, there were inequalities in how well countries recovered and at what speed. 

With a global recession looming in 2023, there will inevitably be greater focus on boosting economic recovery, and international relations professionals will need to address the challenges of disparities and inequalities in global economic recovery. 

How can an MA International Relations help you address these challenges and succeed in the field? 

An MA International Relations will empower you with the confidence and expertise to position yourself as a thought leader in navigating and addressing global challenges such as these. 

It will equip you with the advanced skills, theoretical knowledge, and analytical thinking you need to understand and thoughtfully address both current and future challenges in the field of international relations – and to ultimately make a positive impact in our world and the lives of others. 

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) offers a flexible online MA International Relations that will deepen your understanding of global challenges in the field and empower you with the skills and expertise to drive positive change and pursue a meaningful career with international organisations, governments and not-for-profit organisations.