International Relations SOP

The study of conflicts, international relations and politics could essentially be seen as understanding the
way different actors relate to each other. It therefore holds the potential to polarise but also to include
and encourage co-operation, which summarises my ideas, thoughts and hopes as to why I wish to
pursue this interest.

I have always had a genuine fascination of global politics, conflicts and the way organisations, states and
cultures interact and relate to each other. As a young boy I was fascinated by the movies and stories
that portrayed a picture of the good and evil in an often dramatic clash, particularly the movies of James
Bond.

I believe these movies sparked an interest and curiosity as to how global actors connect through conflict,
diplomatic and financial relations, for example.

Needless to say, my understanding of global issues has developed since the highly simplified stories of
secret agents saving the world. Through travelling, volunteering and studying in different countries
across the world I have further explored this interest in matters of international relations and conflicts.
By doing so a foundation for further exploration was built.

However, it was during my last three years of studying Criminology that I realised that my actual deep-
rooted interest was rather in political and international security in an ever-changing modern political
climate. For example, throughout different modules I visited subjects such as political ideologies,
genocide, media and conflicts and the emergence of white-collar crime, to mention a few.

Together with accessibility to great sources through libraries, professors and public lectures in the
vibrant city of Cambridge, I slowly but steady realised that my true interest rather lied within
international matters on security, conflict and relations.

While, as mentioned, the subject of criminology may have some features that links it with international
relations and conflicts, I would argue that the true strength of having such a degree is the emphasis on
seeing the ‘big picture’.

In order to understand any geopolitical issue, criminology likewise, it is crucial to analyse a wide
selection of factors that might make an impact, for example political, ideological, economical, military,
law, history, culture and so forth. My criminology degree saw a great emphasis on just this, namely to
understand the complexity of different social issues, thus equipping me with the appropriate tools to
undertake an MSc degree in Conflict studies or International Relations.

Per now, my aspiration is to pursue this interest in an academic environment and thus gain the skills,
tools and knowledge necessary in a wide range of future options. My desire is that an MSc at London
School of Economics and Politics combined with the opportunity to build networks would equip me with
the necessary tools to build a career within international organisations that targets matters of
international security or state and humanitarian development.

In particular I would seek a career in for example Interpol, UN, NATO or other NGOs such as Norwegian
People’s Aid, or the Norwegian Refugee Council. I firmly believe that these mentioned organizations
would accept only the highest grade of skills and knowledge on the relevant subjects, and LSE with its
expert professors and great network of scholars could be the ideal institution for me to collaborate up
with in the pursuit of the mentioned demanded expertise.

Despite little direct academic or professional experience in both the fields of International Relations and
Conflict studies, I believe that my Criminology degree in partnership with a genuine interest and high
ambitions is a recipe of success. To be supervised by the highly qualified staff at LSE with your
reputation of excellence on political issues could prove to be inspiring.

Such a reputation attracts international students from all corners of the globe to London, which I think is
a key aspect in the study of international relations due to the facilitation of different perspectives and
ideas. Coming from Norway myself, I believe I can contribute with the perspective from a small but
significant country when it comes to diplomatic and peacekeeping activity in conflict zones.

During my undergraduate degree I wrote my dissertation on religious radicalisation in Norway, and

I am truly confident that this course will broaden my knowledge and understanding of global issues as a
whole. Moreover, my strong work ethics and academic ability to study and contribute at a Masters
level could be evident by my First Class classification on both my dissertation and degree as a whole.

For my master’s thesis I have yet to conclude on a specific subject. However, I have a greater interest in
themes such as political and religious radicalisation, post-conflict state building and globalisation
with particular focus on the Middle East as a region. I am especially interested in how a state’s failures
and successes have the potential to influence the use of violence, particularly in non-nationstates,
which is frequently seen in the Middle East.

My interest and passion for these subjects are not limited to academic point of view. I enjoy reading
books on world politics, Middle Eastern culture and just now I am reading a book about ISIL and their
extensive use of media as a source of ‘propaganda’.

Aside from academia, I enjoy several hobbies and activities. I have travelled in various regions of the
world and I still enjoy the meeting of new cultures and people. This spring I am going travelling again,
visiting different continents, however I dare to say the highlight will be my planned two months in
Beirut, Lebanon. Here I intend to start on a basic Arabic language course, with the intention of getting a
taster as to how the Lebanese culture and language go hand in hand.

In addition, as mentioned earlier, I am quite so interested in Middle Eastern culture, and I hope to get
the opportunity to move there in the future, preferably in professional context. I also appreciate sports,
particularly football but also hiking, climbing, martial arts and scuba diving, all of which I have enjoyed
both at home and whilst travelling.

In addition, I was a member of Cambridge Union Society in which I attended several debates and
lectures on global political issues, which only adds to several other public seminars and debates I have
attended. I intend to put these interests of use when engaging in the campus activities and student
culture in London. I highly value a vibrant student culture in which different personalities can unfold and
express themselves through social, intellectual and sports societies.

In conclusion, I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that LSE can provide, and the idea of
being a part of such a recognized institution is truly inspiring. On the risk of sounding pretentious, I do
hope to be able to make a difference in our world, and I believe that the next step of achieving so is by
starting my MSc in Conflict studies or International Relations at LSE.