The Research Centre for the Study of Politics, International Relations and Environment is an excellent base for pursuing doctoral research, with a long record of successful PhD students who have gone on to careers in research in academia and in other fields. We welcome postgraduate research students from around the world as well as the UK and provide supervision, support and facilities to enable them to achieve their full potential in a stimulating and lively environment. We have a strong community of postgraduate research students. Currently we have 37 students studying for PhDs in Politics and International Relations. What is more, the interdisciplinary nature of the Research Institute for Social Sciences, of which RC4SPIRE is a part, provides excellent opportunities for networking both with other postgraduates and with the academic staff at Keele, thereby enabling postgraduate researchers to participate fully in all aspects of the research process. We are able to offer a high standard of facilities to postgraduates including well equipped office space, postgraduate research training and seminars, an annual postgraduate conference, social events and a weekly “reflections” group where postgraduate issues can be explored in an informal atmosphere. An advantage of studying within SPIRE is that PhD candidates whose interests in politics or international relations intertwine with philosophical concerns, can receive supervision for a thesis covering some or all of these academic areas.UK student visa regulations mean that students classed as overseas for fees purposes may normally only register on a full-time basis, unless they are Distance Learners.