International Relations Personal Statement Example 31

Partly due to my Jewish ancestry, I have always been particularly interested in the Arab-Israeli conflict. This dispute is a renowned example of the consequences that international cooperation, or lack thereof, can have on the stability of a society. In fact, the relationships between political identities can influence a multitude of issues, from armed conflict and nuclear proliferation to ecological sustainability and human rights. It was this significant number of matters involved that inspired me to seek an understanding of the relationships involved in international politics.

As mentioned above, the international relations of the Middle East constitute an area of study of particular appeal to me, not just due to my family's ethnic identity, but because the recent political and social developments in the area suggest the importance of the "balance of power" theory. In fact, the main aspect of my chosen subject that I find fascinating is the existence of different schools of thought. Reading the works of authors such as Hans Morgenthau, Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant and Kenneth Waltz inspired my desire to analyze international relations from a theoretical perspective.

My History and Philosophy classes were fundamental in the realisation of my interest in the subject and in enhancing my critical thinking skills. To further improve my knowledge outside the school environment, I participated in Massive Open Online Courses, such as "International migrations: a global issue" by Sciences Po and "Global Diplomacy: the United Nations in the World" by the University of London, both of which I audited on the Coursera learning platform. I also listen to the BBC World Service daily and read articles from internationally recognized newspapers on any relevant social and political occurrence, as it is a priority for me to be informed about current affairs.

In 2019, I improved my knowledge about the institutions and governance of our international society as well as my debating skills by taking part in the Global Citizens Model United Nations in New York City. Last year, having carried out the role of class representative twice, I decided to further challenge myself by running for representative of the entire student body. I have held this position for two years now and this experience undoubtedly enhanced my leadership and organisation skills, as well as my flexibility and sense of responsibility. As for my interpersonal and teamwork skills, I had the opportunity to improve them by being part of my school's drama club for five years as well as tutoring groups of younger students. For the last four years, I have also volunteered as a counsellor in a summer camp for children with asthma and other lung diseases. Taking care of children requires patience, reliability and good communication skills, all of which I further developed during this experience.

I have always been keen on travelling and discovering new cultures, so studying abroad is a natural attraction for me. The United Kingdom offers a great quality of education, an excellent international reputation and the opportunity to study in the most spoken language in the world. As for my language proficiency, I have recently achieved the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English and a portion of my Science program for the last five years was taught in English as part of the Content and Language Integrated Learning approach.

In conclusion, I look forward to studying the theories behind international relations and how they apply to contemporary politics. I believe your University will provide the ideal environment to improve my understanding of this fascinating subject while also forming my own views and opinions to challenge the conventional ones. I am strongly committed and motivated to follow my chosen path and I await with pleasure the challenges and opportunities that this course will present.