About Queen Mary

At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable.

We continue to embrace diversity of thought and opinion in everything we do, in the belief that when views collide, disciplines interact, and perspectives intersect, truly original thought takes form.

Professor Trevor Smith founded the School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR) in the late seventies to diversify the teaching and research of politics and international relations at Queen Mary. We believed then, as we do now, that innovation flourishes when academics and students can share different perspectives. Drawing on the University’s unique East End location, our School is truly global with excellence in research ranging from the politics of global health through to the dynamics of conflict in the Middle East.

The School brings together research, policy-making and public debate to deepen and challenge understandings of the world around us. Our academics address the major political challenges of our time, such as the legacy of the Arab Spring or Brexit. We engage with policy makers and the media via our dynamic research centres, such as the Mile End Institute and the Centre for European Research; and we are passionate about sharing these ideas with our students and the public. By bringing together our roots in the East End with our global outlook we transform approaches to crucial issues, from living with HIV AIDS in sub-saharan Africa to the growth of populist politics in Europe, and achieve the previously unthinkable.