The School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies is an interdisciplinary scholarly environment producing leading research which is international in its focus and relevant to the changing circumstances of our increasingly interconnected world. The programmes we offer are PhD in Politics, PhD in Sociology and PhD in East Asian Studies. This is committed to rigorous conceptual and empirical research that is politically and socially relevant and problem oriented. It aims to advance theory, knowledge and methods at the interface between the disciplines of sociology, politics and international relations. The questions addressed recognise that political structures are related in complex ways to the social conditions that underlie them, and equally, that social conditions are affected in complex ways by political structures. The aim is not just to monitor the global condition but to contribute to advancing ways that might improve it. The research activity is guided by a focus on key themes: International Relations, Global Development and Security; Ethnicity and Migration; Europe and Europeanisation; and Culture, Politics, and Society. All researchers across the school identify with one or more of the themes. This enables collective identification over themes within the school and aims to generate further collaboration and interdisciplinarity in our research activities. In addition, the themes provide a basis for internal and external recognition of the main questions and topics.