MEET THE MAJORS

Meet the Majors: IPOL

Zakria Abu

Class of 2023

Hello, my name is Zakria Abu and I am a sophomore at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, studying International Politics (IPOL).

IPOL is a major that provides students with the skills and expertise to understand the world we live in. This understanding is not just limited to politics, but covers economic, social, religious, security, and gender issues as well. As IPOL students we learn how to analyze the different situations around us and make an assessment of our own based on the tools provided by our courses. I chose IPOL as my major because I’ve always been interested in geopolitics & diplomacy since high school. Being an IPOL student gives you a diverse outlook on how states interact with each other and the logic behind their decisions.

As someone who wants to study International Law, being an IPOL major helps me build the foundations of both skill and knowledge needed for law school. My favorite classes so far would have to be "Populism" and "Religion & Violence" . While "Religion & Violence" is a theology course, as an IPOL major it is important we understand the relationship and discourse of religion and violence. It has given me a unique perspective on why people commit violence in the name of religion. Meanwhile in my Populism class we’ve had discussions aimed at understanding populism and got encouraged to challenge our preexisting notions while developing our own opinions.

As IPOL majors, it may be difficult to digest and be willing to understand the perspective of people who represent ideas and values we consider in contradiction to our own. What I have learned is that you can do much better in this major if you are willing to step back and look at your readings with an open perspective. I also think it is important that you are critical of the sources you read, so do not shy away from formulating your own opinions while reading texts. I hope whatever major you choose you will be successful in it, and keep in mind that GU-Q co-curricular education means that you will be exposed to all the majors!

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