---
title: "International Relations Definition | Model Diplomat"
description: "International Relations is the study of political, economic, and strategic interactions among states and organizations, crucial for diplomats and policymakers."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/international-relations"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- International Relations is the academic discipline and field of practice studying political, economic, and strategic interactions among states, international organisations, and non-state actors.
- What event marks the conventional origin of International Relations as an academic discipline?
- How do realism and liberalism differ in explaining state behaviour?
- Which UN Charter provisions are most frequently tested in IR questions?
- What is India's contemporary IR doctrine?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

International Relations is the academic discipline and field of practice studying political, economic, and strategic interactions among states, international organisations, and non-state actors.

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In 2020 India revived the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) with the United States, Japan, and Australia, holding foreign-minister talks in Tokyo to coordinate an Indo-Pacific strategy amid rising Chinese assertiveness.

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