Interview held: May 19, 2021
Written by Mika Arimoto
Edited by Saki Arimoto
Have you heard about the big news? The Department of E-Track International Relations has announced a newly established student-led circle under the International Relations (IR) Department — TIU International Relations Student Associations or TIUIRSA. The association aims to promote a more cohesive relationship between TIU students and their beloved professors from the IR Faculty Department.
To know more about TIUIRSA, I interviewed the president of the association, Nguyen Thi Thai Hoa, who is a 3rd-year IR major and communication member of TIU Model United Nations (TIUMUN). She was elected as the president of TIUIRSA among the 11 core members of TIUIRSA that set the foundation of the association.
Hoa joined in establishing the circle as she found it “interesting to have an academic-related platform where we can tackle issues related to IR.” She also adds that joining TIUIRSA will be beneficial for her future career.
The circle has a number of activities for its members as listed below.
- Reading Group
Led by students, this is where they tackle certain topics and discuss the books they have chosen. These Reading Groups are headed by Chairs who propose their topic to the committee heads of TIUIRSA. Students who are interested to become the Chairs can apply during the beginning of the semester and propose their topics. Once approved, they can start recruiting members of the reading group.
- Skill Workshops
These workshops are mostly facilitated by TIU professors which focus on important topics to TIU students. Most of these are practical skills essential to International Relations in order to promote deeper understanding of IR-related topics.
- Academic Journal
This is the circle’s main project. Their goal is to publish an online newsletter that will consist of a collection of students’ research papers. This will allow not only the spread of the importance of IR but also, showcasing talents of IR students in writing and research.
- Others
This semester, the circle organized an online party exclusively for IR freshmen. Through this event, students were able to interact virtually with other freshmen, as well as know the faculty members from the IR Department. Furthermore, they also had a ‘Trivia Night’ where participants’ knowledge was tested. They also plan to have more parties and field trips to widen their knowledge on the field of International Relations in the future.
TIUIRSA definitely has a lot in store for TIU students. But, who can join?
All E-Track students are welcomed! TIUIRSA believes that political issues are relevant to everyone and becoming aware of the social issues helps us to become better citizens of society. They are still working on including J-track students especially those who are majoring in IR to allow an interesting exchange of ideas between E-track and J-track students.
Hoa: There is a range of events such as reading groups, workshops, trivia nights. We highly encourage everyone to give them a try as we believe everyone can learn and also an opportunity to meet people who are interested in the same field, just try to come by.
Special thanks to Hoa for her participation in our interview! And remember to check TIUIRSA out using the contacts below.
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @tiuirsa
Email: tiuirsa@gmail.com
Times Of TIU 