Who we are

The Institute of International Relations Prague (IIR) is an independent public research institution which conducts excellent academic research in the larger field of international relations, which includes European studies, security studies, area studies and other related disciplines. IIR has been the leading academic institution for the study of international relations in the Czech Republic since 1957 and it is also an active member of several international research networks. In its IR research, it sets national benchmarks for the quality of scientific research in International Relations. As an independent institution originally founded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IIR also provides policy analysis and recommendations. It serves as a hub for academics, policy makers and the general public. It stimulates the expert, intellectual and public debates on the Czech foreign policy, European affairs and global issues. The IIR also publishes a number of academic journals and books, and it offers a joint PhD programme in International Relations and European Studies.

The Institute of International Relations follows three basic goals

  • to conduct internationally recognized, excellent research in the field of international studies
  • to influence the formation and the conduct of foreign policy of the Czech Republic
  • to increase awareness of issues of international relations both among professionals and among the public

The IIR thus forms a link between the academic world, the public and international political practice.

Main activities of the Institute of International Relations comprise of:

  • Basic and applied research of international relations, often in the framework of Czech, as well as international, projects (on average six international and eleven Czech projects a year).
  • Publication activities in the form of proceedings, periodicals, treatises, articles in scholarly literature, and in policy papers.
  • Organization of scholarly events - conferences, seminars, roundtable discussions and presentations (twenty per year).
  • National and international cooperation with many governmental organizations and NGOs,  such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the CR, Czech Academy of Science, University of Economics in Prague, Charles University, Trans European Policy Studies Association, European Consortium for Political Research, etc., see section partners.
  • IIR public library services - the library archives contain some 70.000 (especially foreign) publications, including 400 periodicals.
  • Educational activities, such as student internships and a Ph.D. studies programme in co-operation with the Metropolitan University Prague (MUP).

Summary of who we are and what we do in pdf

 





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