Research

We are renowned for our interdisciplinary and collaborative work on security, peace and political violence, different forms of engaged political theory that focus on pressing political difficulties and our work with policymakers in different countries.

From war and terrorism, protest politics, human rights, and contemporary challenges to democracy, to migration, international security, populism, and anarchism, our research covers the breadth of political theory and practice.

Research Strengths

We are recognised for our excellence and leadership across four research themes.

War, Peace and
Security

Engaged Political Theory

Public Policy and Governance

History of Political Culture

100% of Politics and International Relations research impact assessed ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Research Centres and Research Groups

Centre for Research in Communication and Culture

The Centre for Research in Communication and Culture is a large, vibrant, interdisciplinary centre for communication, cultural and media analysis. Established in 1991, it is the largest of its kinds and is distinguished by both its scope and its scale.

Centre for Security Studies

The Centre for Security Studies (CSS) was established in 2006 and operates as a hub for research conducted by colleagues across the University into the challenging nature of world politics.

The Pacifism and Nonviolence Research Group

The Pacifism and Nonviolence Research Group (PNRG) aims to coordinate and amplify interdisciplinary research on pacifism and nonviolence locally, nationally and internationally.

Anarchism Research Group

The ARG was established in 2008. It contributes to the social, political and cultural theory strand of the Communication and Culture Beacon at Loughborough University and is networked internationally through the Anarchist Studies Network (a specialist group of the UK Political Studies Association).

Ethics in Public Life

The Ethics in Public Life Research Group is a multi-disciplinary network of scholars engaged in research on questions of public ethics, broadly conceived.

Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs

The Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs (IDIA) uses interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to address real-world international issues such as trust in international negotiations, the visual communication of protests, and Russia's role on the global stage.

Doctoral Research

Doctoral researchers are integral partners in our research, working on exciting projects across our research strengths

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Virtual Cabinet of Curiosities

Each item in the cabinet tells a story about our research on the history and politics of regions around the world. Together they highlight the diversity of research undertaken by the department.

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School of Social Sciences and Humanities research