The Department of Political Science at SRM University-AP organised an enlightening guest lecture titled “Making Sense of the World: Theorising World Politics”, delivered by Prof. Siddharth Mallavarapu from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University.
Prof. Siddharth Mallavarapu is a distinguished scholar who currently serves as Professor in the Department of International Relations and Governance Studies at Shiv Nadar University. He holds a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and his research spans disciplinary histories of IR (particularly in India), global governance, international law, world politics, and comparative political thought. He is the author of Banning the Bomb: The Politics of Norm Creation and co-editor of several important volumes, including International Relations: Perspectives for the Global South and India, the West and International Order.
In his lecture, Prof. Siddharth presented a six-part roadmap for thinking about and theorising world politics. He reflected on how the past continues to shape our political present and how historical legacies influence trajectories of global change. The six dimensions included understanding what theory is, what constitutes it, reviewing existing theoretical traditions, exploring frameworks of analysis, examining how theorising might be done differently, and assessing how these theories inform research and practice.
Prof. Siddharth described theory as an attempt to discern broader patterns of life, a process that goes beyond the mere accumulation of knowledge to develop systematic insights into the world. He highlighted that no single or quintessential theory can fully capture the complexity of human motivations or the intricacies of global politics.
He went on to discuss “what makes a good theory?” and analysed how the discipline of International Relations has historically centred on the question, “What causes war?”, while also touching upon major paradigms such as realism with its focus on material capabilities and strategic interests and constructivism, which emphasises the role of ideas, norms, and identity in shaping state behaviour. He also questioned the continuing relevance of concepts such as imperialism in a shifting global order and discussed how asymmetries in media representation and knowledge production affect world politics.
The lecture concluded with a lively and thought-provoking question-and-answer session. Students and faculty engaged in discussions about the limitations of state-centric frameworks, the role of media in shaping international discourse, and the balance between paradigm-driven and problem-driven research in advancing IR scholarship. Notably, the conversation turned toward contemporary crises, with the ongoing situation in Gaza and its impact on world politics drawing particular questions from the audience. Prof. Siddharth Mallavarapu’s lecture succeeded in bridging theoretical reflection with contemporary global realities, leaving the audience with a deeper appreciation for the importance of theory in understanding the world we inhabit.
The session served as an important academic exercise in critical reflection and theory building, and it underscored the Department’s ongoing commitment to fostering rigorous discussions on global politics and the evolving landscape of International Relations.
