As a postgraduate research student in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Reading, you will be part of a large and vibrant community. You will work alongside a group of postdoctoral researchers who recently completed their PhDs.Postgraduate research students are at the heart of what we do: we are passionate about both teaching and research. We are keen to recruit new PhD students who share our desire to learn more about the world around us through rigorous and sustained inquiry. Our own expertise spans many aspects of political theory, comparative politics, and international relations. Our academics and students employ a diverse set of research methods, including cutting-edge empirical techniques, normative analysis, and theoretical, historical, and critical approaches.We offer flexible modes of study designed to fit with your needs. Our PhD is available for study on a full-time basis over three years and part-time over four to six years. Both full-time and part-time variants are available for study in Reading or at a distance.<br><br>The Department of Politics and International Relations is a tightly focused, research-intensive, unit. Whether analysing politics at home or charting the rise of extremist parties abroad, research carried out within the Politics and International Relations Division addresses fundamental questions about how society is governed. Our academics employ cutting-edge empirical methods alongside normative, theoretical, historical and critical approaches and draw on a range of regional specialisms to conduct research into international relations, political theory and comparative politics.Our ground-breaking work on global organisations such as the United Nations sits alongside research into international political economy, intergenerational justice and equality and we are leading the way with our focus on far-right parties in Europe.