The Department of International Relations is one of the premier and top ranked centres of academic excellence and research at the University of Dhaka. The Department was established in July 1947 when the Indian subcontinent was still a part of the union of territories under the erstwhile British Commonwealth and Empire. This historical context gave it a unique distinction and status of being the first academic department in any South Asian university to offer academic degrees in International Relations (IR). The curriculum of the Department combines a blend of courses in the diverse areas of International Relations. These include, among others, diplomacy, foreign policy, globalisation, governance and development, international law, international migration, human rights, international political economy, gender, global environmental politics, and international security. The course curriculum also includes a range of area and country studies, covering Africa, Europe, North America, South America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. The Understanding of these issues is constantly updated in congruence with the latest developments in global affairs and shifting theoretical paradigms. The Department’s degree-awarding programmes include Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours), Master of Social Sciences (MSS), Master of Philosophy (MPhil), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). In 2003, the Department introduced a Certificate programme in International Relations (CIR) programme which evolved in 2008 into a demanding and rigorous Post-Graduate Diploma in International Relations (PGDIR) programme designed for graduates from different academic and professional backgrounds who seek to gain additional credentials in international affairs. This has been a part of the Department’s endeavour to go beyond the regular degree programmes in order to respond to the growing demands of IR knowledge from non-IR graduates and professionals. In 2016, the Department has introduced Professional Masters in International Relations (PMIR) degree programme for the professionals.