Students play a key part in Westminster’s academic community. Each week you will be invited to participate in the wide variety of events organised by the Department of Politics and International Relations, from seminars on cutting-edge thinking, to workshops and conferences with leading academics from all over the world.

Westminster undergraduates are also known for organizing their own programme of activities, including successful and lively debating societies and politics clubs. They have also created high-profile blogs, with many readers nationally and internationally. And Westminster students have even been known to stand for office in local and national elections.

Residential Weekends

You will also be able to go away with your fellow students to a field centre in the countryside, for a residential weekend of lively political discussion and debate. These annual residential weekends provide excellent opportunities for you to get to know your classmates and members of staff. They will also give you the chance to explore current thinking in politics and international relations through discussions, debates, simulations and staff presentations. Students always say that these trips are valuable learning experiences and lots of fun.

Westminster Model United Nations

This student-led society aims to train and give members the chance to participate in simulations of United Nations conferences around the world. The UN holds training sessions to prepare its members for these conferences. Students attending the sessions develop employability skills for professional life, such as public speaking and diplomacy. Academic staff from the Department of Politics and International Relations have supported the work of the Westminster Model United Nations by participating in their events and giving keynote addresses to competitors.

Political Debating Society

This student-led society aims to provide a platform at Westminster to widen

its members’ political understanding as well as to develop and improve communication and debating skills. The society is open to all students at the University and works closely with academic staff within Politics and International Relations.

University of Westminster International Development Society

Another student-led organisation is the International Development Society (IDS). It aims to critically engage students into thinking about global issues. They organise all sorts of events (guest speakers, debates, roundtables, etc). Topics range from aid, trade and climate change to humanitarian intervention and Palestine.

Westminster’s International Community Project

We encourage our students to engage with their local, national and global communities through our International Community Project. Students develop skills in social research and political analysis by conducting applied research within London’s diverse communities. We examine what is meant by ‘multiculturalism’ within contemporary politics and look at how our political worlds are being transformed through migrant communities in London. Students involved in the International Community Project gain real world experience in project management, develop research skills critical to employability and build connections in the broader community of policy-makers.