Professor Janina Dill: Groundbreaking career in global security!

Professor Janina Dill: Groundbreaking career in global security!

On March 8, 2025, Janina Dill's academic career will be honored at the Technical University of Dresden (TUD). Dill, who studied international relations at TUD, is now Professor of Global Security at the University of Oxford. Her journey began after completing her bachelor's degree when she went abroad to pursue a doctorate. She has developed into a sought-after expert in a male-dominated discipline.

Janina Dill highlights the advantages that came with studying at TUD. She particularly appreciates the combination of politics, history, foreign languages ​​and law, which offered her a comprehensive basis for her later academic and professional career. Dill describes the study program as innovative and interdisciplinary, which gave her the opportunity to combine different disciplines.

The Center for International Studies at TUD

A crucial factor in Dill's positive experience is the Center for International Studies (ZIS) at TU Dresden. The ZIS was founded in January 2002 and offers an interdisciplinary course in international relations. This is divided into a bachelor's and a master's degree with three specializations: Global Political Economy, International Organizations and Institutions and International Law and Economics, which has been offered since 2022. The TUD took over the ZIS as sponsor for the course in October 2002.

The ZIS was recognized as a “lighthouse of internationalization” at TU Dresden in December 2021. Every year there are around 36 admissions for the bachelor's and master's degree programs, which are one of the few of its kind in Germany. In the 2010/11 winter semester, over 800 applications were received for the course, with applicants being subjected to extensive written and oral examinations.

The ZIS coordinates both the bachelor's and master's degree programs and works closely with various chairs for law, political science and economics. It is also committed to international collaboration with universities and research institutions worldwide.

The challenges in international relations

In the broader context of international relations, the question arises about the relevance and future of larger theories in this area. In 2016, Daniel Drezner addressed the disappearance of major theoretical approaches from journals and conferences in the Washington Post. According to a TRIP survey, the proportion of non-paradigmatic research in international relations rose from 30% in 1980 to over 50% in 2014. Despite new theory sections and journals, there are legitimate complaints about the lack of major theoretical debates.

Current geopolitical developments, such as the reactions to events such as September 11th or the rise of China, have not led to new theoretical approaches. According to critics, the theoretical pluralism that is widespread in the discipline is both a sign of vitality and an indictment. Strategies to revitalize theories in international relations could focus on ontological questions and regional dynamics.

Overall, Dill's experiences and the developments at ZIS show how important interdisciplinary approaches are to the study of international relations. With her pioneering spirit and expertise, Dill contributes to the further development of the field, while the ZIS continues to play a central role in the training of future specialists.