by: Jevon Natashya T.

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As you know, International Relations or you can make it short by IR is the academic subject that has “International” on the name. Many people think, that International Relation talk about “law, international, global” and they think that after we get Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, we can be a diplomat or representative in United Nations and another else. Spesifically in Indonesia, many Indonesians don’t know about IR studies, because they only think about “International”, that make it “prestige one”. Many of students in 12th grade, specially don’t know about this studies that think about all things, not only about Law, Language, International, and Global. Sorry for tell it, many students choose International Relations (IR) studies, that they don’t want to study about maths or economics again. There are all the misconception from IR studies.

From the misconception that I tell it before, I will introduce you about International Relations. IR or the shortname from International Relations is the studies that define about the study of relationship and interaction between countries, including the activities and international policies of national governments, international organizations (IGOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs).

After the definition, you can know that IR Studies many things and courses that you must study about it. It’s considered a branch of Political Science, but it’s a “mom of Social and Politics studies”. Why? Because, you must study about Politics, History (International History about War, Threaty, and Diplomacy), Economics (International Political Economy, International Economics, and another things about Economy on IR studies), Sociology, Antropology, Psychology (for studies about Propaganda), IO, Culture (Languages), Philosophy, and many else that I can’t tell it more. We’re study about many things, subjects, and courses that sometimes people think “we know all the things about world” or “we take many major that we collect it in one major ‘IR’. Sometimes people choose IR studies because they don’t want to study about economics or something about it again. But, you must study about it in some terms. That’s why I will give the “congratulation” to students or peoples that don’t want to study about economics and they choose the IR degrees. If you think IR same as the language and culture studies, better I suggest you to take Language and Literature Studies, than the IR’s one.

Many of us still think, that when you study about IR’s, you’ve a good prestige to another people, because you’re studies about the “International” or the “Global” studies or subjects that you don’t know it before. I tell you that you don’t need to take IR if you only want to take the prestige one. Because, you must like it. You must like to think, tell, thought, and write about paper or analysis about Global Issues and anothers that I think it’s very hard if you don’t like it before.

I will tell about the next misconception, there’s “after we graduated, we definetly apply in Foreign Affairs Departement and after that we’re being a diplomat”. I think, there’s not 100% truly, because now the actors of the IR isn’t only states. There are another actors that play on Global Policy maker, like international organizations (IGOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), multinational corporations (MNCs), and global media. Many graduates from IR studies works in MNCs like Citibank, HSBC, Unilever, BBC, CNN and another else. Another graduates take a work in Global NGOs like Hunger bank (foodbank). Many of them choose to works as a Staff in Parlement or National Government (like MPR and DPR in Indonesia, Department, and anothers). Once again, I will tell that many things that we can do and work as a alumnus from IR studies. I promise, that you don’t to be worry to hard find your job. Because, from IR studies, you’ve many things that you can sell it in your “real life” like: Languages, Organizations Skill, Analysis Skill, Writing Skill, Communication Skill, Interpersonal Skill, and International Experience.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jackson, Robert dan George Sorensen. Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches, Fifth Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2013.