St Andrews Foreign Affairs Society

Our Vision and Mission

Whether international politics is a career interest or a casual one, FAS provides regular opportunities to meet other interested students, listen to speakers in the foreign policy arena, and get to know school staff. Pub quizzes, career talks, debates, guest lectures and study sections are interspersed throughout the year, which is rounded out with our annual Ambassadors Ball in March, and Foreign Affairs Conference.

Constitution

BUY MEMBERSHIP

Open Positions!

Join our committee as Treasurer, Ambassador's Ball Convenor, Vice-Convenor or Foreign Affairs Conference Treasurer! Apply below to join this year's Foreign Affairs Society Committee.

Apply Here

Our Next Events

Opportunities

St Andrews Conference

Get detailed information on the St Andrews Foreign Affairs Conference. Stay informed and plan your calendar ahead to not miss out on this exciting event.

Tickets

Secure your tickets hassle-free with our easy online ticketing system. Reserve your spot and be part of the most anticipated university events.

Committee Applications

Join the dedicated committee behind the seamless organization of all our events. Get to know our team and the passion driving our event success.

Treasurer, Ambassador's Ball Convenor, Vice-Convenor and Foreign Affairs Conference Treasurer positions are open.

APPLY

Our Team.

Our 2025-2026 Committee, leading, organising and inspiring members of the Foreign Affairs Society and University of St Andrews students through various interesting events, dynamic socials and the brilliant Foreign Affairs Conference.

Alex Peris

President

Clare Sacks

Vice-President

WhatsApp Image 2025-03-27 at 01.05.02_6035b75c.jpg

Zoë Panzer

Social Events Coordinator

Joshua Inglesfield

Speaker Coordinator

Alex Hancock

Convenor of Foreign Affairs Conference & Social Media and Events Coordinator

Lucien Willey

Secretary

Alma De La Tournelle

Sponsorship Officer

Elspeth Schoonover

Social Media and Events Coordinator

Join us for our Georgetown MA in Security Studies 'Coffee and Conversations' Information Session on Tuesday, 31st of March from 2-3pm at the Main Bar of the Student Union.

This event will focus on the Security Studies Program, informational materials and an opportunity to ask Doug Umberger, Director of Admissions, in-depth and personal questions.

Join us for our AGM!

A chance to get to know the candidates in our next election for the committee and to hear about what we've accomplished this year.

To candidates:

-You must be a member of the FAS
-You must have submitted an application via our form (sent out to you) by March 25th
-You must either be present (recommended) or submit a prerecorded presentation video to be shown at the AGM.

Join us this Friday, 20th, at 3pm in School II for a unique opportunity to hear from three distinguished diplomats: the Slovak Ambassador, the US Consul General, and the French Consul General.

This special panel will offer insight into the realities of diplomatic life, the different pathways into the profession, and the skills and experiences that shape a successful career in diplomacy.

Join us this Thursday for our next Pints and Politics at the Rule from 7pm to 9pm.

Stay tuned for more Foreign Affairs Society events. We hope to see you there!

Join us next Thursday, the 26th of February, for a virtual talk on Georgetown University's MA in Security Studies. We will be joined by Doug Umberger, Prof. Bruce Hoffman and Grace Deri, Alum of St Andrews.

Arts Seminar Room 1 in the Arts Building. See you there! (Limited spaces available, be on time).

Interested in internships in IR? Join us on Tuesday February 17th in School 6 to listen to student experiences!

Join us on Thursday, February 12th, from 7-9pm at the Rule for the first @usta.far social of the semester! This will be a laid-back opportunity to have a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic, of course!) with your fellow writers and editors and, for those interested in joining, to learn more about the FAR!

Join us for the Festival of Nations on Sunday, February 8th, from 2-5pm in Town Hall 🎊

With over 120 nationalities, St Andrews is one of the most international universities in the UK. The Festival of Nations is a celebration of this rich cultural diversity! University regional societies will share their local culture, tradition and cuisine, offering a room for intercultural dialogue and culinary discovery. Come along and bring curiosity and appetite!
We are grateful to the University Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Project Fund for supporting this event.

Join us for our first talk of the year on the 2nd February with Lord Mark Sedwill, who will be joining us for a talk on "Europe's Wake-Up Call: Adapting to Trump's World".

Arrive early to secure seats at St Salvator's School III, beginning at 19.00, followed by a social at the Rule attended by Lord Sedwill at 20.15.

Join us for the first pub quiz of the semester this Tuesday at The Saint at 8.30pm! Be ready for IR-themed questions and great prizes! We look forward to seeing you there🍻

Join Foreign Affairs Society this Thursday, November 20th for our last Pints & Politics of the semester! Come grab a drink, meet new faces, and dive into some great conversations.

▶ The Rule

🕗19:00-21:00

👋See you there!

Join us for an evening of indulgence as we take you on a sensory voyage of meticulously curated international wines. From the sun-kissed vineyards of South Africa, to the picturesque landscapes of Italy, discover a rich tapestry of flavours from six continents! Find the link for tickets in the linktree in the bio

Find your members discount code in the email.

We're very lucky to be joined in-person next week by Daniela Coleman, director for admissions and recruiting at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Daniela will be discussing the graduate school application process, the unique opportunities SAIS offers, and careers in IR more broadly. Please register at the link in the comment below/bio. This is a fantastic opportunity and we hope to see you there!

TICKETS LAUNCHED!

Join us at our annual Foreign Affairs Conference this year...

https://fixr.co/event/foreign-affairs-conference-2025-tickets-722955178

Join us for a talk on the US State Department, DEI and USAID with Simon Hankinson, former FSO, US Consul General and St Andrews alum on Thursday, 9th October. 19.15 at School 1, Sallies Quad. No bags/no food or drink.

Come join us and watch our Foreign Policy debate with St Andrews' political societies!

Join us for a pub quiz at the Saint this Tuesday at 8.30pm! Come with keen minds, good conversation and friends! A great opportunity to meet other foreign affairs enthusiasts and the FAS Committee.

For those of you interested in working in inter-state dynamics, geopolitics and global politics, Maxime Seguin, alum of St Andrews and Cambridge, will be presenting a personal account of working at Interpol. This event will be taking place at the Arts Lecture Theatre, the speaker will attend virtually.

Join us this Thursday as we hear from U.S. Ambassador Timothy Davis on his remarkable diplomatic career and the volatile geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

This event will take place under Chatham House Rules. Seating is limited to 160 people, and priority will be given to paid members. Please do not bring bags, food, or drink into the School. (There will be a spot to leave your bag.) Additionally, there will be a social with Amb. Davis immediately following the event at The Rule.

Join the Foreign Affairs Society team. Applications open for freshers and postgrad reps.

Application link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYMBy8pvUbWQKdELZgAyoJb9J-VqsRUb5MouXJJCO4KxVG0A/viewform

🌍✨ Ready to fall in love? ✨🌍
Join us for IR SPEED DATING - a dynamic, thought-provoking social night where you date the ideas that shape our world. 💬🕊️

📅 Thursday, 11.09.25
🕖 7–9 PM
📍 Arts Lecture Room in the IR Building

Whether you’re into diplomacy, power politics or global justice, you’ll rotate through bold discussion topics, projected to spark deep chats and new connections.

👥 For all first-year IR students - come curious, leave connected.

🍻✨ Join Foreign Affairs Society this Tuesday, September 9, for our first Pints & Politics of the new academic year! Come grab a drink, meet new faces, and dive into some great conversations.
📍 The Rule
⏰ 19:00-21:00
See you there!

Meet the 2025-2026 FAS committee!! Can’t wait to see you all for freshers week

Join us this Tuesday for our last event of the academic year! Pints and Politics at The Rule to say farewell to the previous committee and the 2024-2025 year.

Join us on Thursday, April 24th, as we watch 'The Swimmers', an award-winning movie directed by Sally El Hosaini and based on the true story of two Syrian sisters, from fleeing their country to competing in the Olympics. The event will occur in Arts Seminar Room 7, Third Floor of the Arts Building, in partnership with RASA, Refugee Action St Andrews.

Join us on Monday, April 14th, as we hear from Sergey Radchenko, one of the world’s leading experts on the Russo-Sino relationship. Professor Radchenko is the Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has written extensively on the Cold War, nuclear history, and on Russian and Chinese foreign and security policies. Professor Radchenko’s insights will be invaluable to anyone interested in current great power geopolitics and international security. This event is generously being sponsored by Johns Hopkins SAIS.

Join Agora and the Foreign Affairs Society for a thought-provoking debate on intervention, state sovereignty, and cultural perspectives on morality. Are universal human rights really universal? Can intervention ever be truly selfless? We’ll explore these questions and more, bringing together different perspectives for a dynamic and engaging discussion.

Join the FAS to hear from Will-Kingston Cox, Founder of Europinion and an MPhil Student in Russian and East European Studies at Oxford University, as he discusses Russia's current and future involvement in Moldova and Transnistria.

Join us this week for another Coffee with your Prof: Dr Malaka Shwaikh. Come talk about prisons, prisoner exchanges, and decoloniality with this guest!

FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT FIXR LINK IN BIO: https://fixr.co/event/hungarian-ambassador-talk-nato-and-hungarian-forei-tickets-376973747

Join us this coming Friday as we welcome the Hungarian Ambassador to the UK, HE Ferenc Kumin, to St Andrews. Ambassador Kumin will be discussing Hungarian Foreign Policy, NATO, and European politics from the Hungarian perspective. Ambassador Kumin previously served in the Office of the Hungarian President and the Office of the Prime Minister. He was then Hungarian Consul General to New York, as well as Deputy State Secretary for European and American Relations at the Hungarian Foreign Ministry.

Please note that this event will take place under Chatham House Rules. No bags/no food or drink.

Join the FAS and School of IR next Thursday as we hear from Dr. Tim Wittig on the unfolding “Great Game” for nature! Dr. Wittig began his career working in defense intelligence and special operations, where he briefed biodiversity collapse up to the Presidential level. Dr. Wittig was then invited by William, Prince of Wales, to serve as head of intelligence for one of the world’s largest counter-wildlife trafficking organisations, where he coordinated banks, maritime shipping companies, airlines, and governmental action across the world. Dr. Wittig is also an alum of St Andrews, earning his PhD studying terrorism in 2009. For those interested in the intersection of wildlife, security, and global geopolitics: come along!

Come join us for a pub quiz at Whey Pat this Thursday to relax after your deadlines!

Join us on Wednesday, March 12 at 14:00 in the Student Association Committee room for our 2025 AGM elections! The link to the application can be found in the linktree in our bio.
In order to run for a position you must be a paying member of FAS for 2024-2025 - The link to Membership can be found in the linktree in our bio.

It's not an ambassador's ball without an ambassador! It's our pleasure to welcome the Hungarian Ambassador to the UK, HE Dr Ferenc Kumin PHD, to St Andrews!

He will deliver the inaugural address and toast as our guest of honour at the dinner! Tickets already on sale @irambassadorsball

The FAS and Ambassador's Ball Committee are proud to announce Foreign Affairs Fortnight! Join us for two weeks of speakers, dinners, and balls with International Relations as the focus. We have been working hard these past few months and we think you will love it! See you soon and stay tuned for more details.

Join us for Pints and Politics next Monday at 20:00! In addition, the FAS committee has been working hard these past few months on a big project that we will be announcing soon. So stay tuned, we think you'll love it

Join us on Tuesday February 4th at 20:30 for a pub quiz at the Saint! Arrive early to guarantee your seat.🍻

Join us for some follow up events after our first speaker of the term!

We’re very lucky to have former British Ambassador to Ukraine and Austria, His Excellency Leigh Turner, join us in person on the first day of the new term. Ambassador Turner will be discussing his new book, “Lessons in Diplomacy - Politics, Power and Parties.” For those interested in life as a diplomat, insights into each of Ambassador Turner’s many postings, or his thoughts on the broader geopolitical situation, this should be an exciting event. The talk will include a Q&A section, and there will be several copies of his book to purchase for those interested. There will also be a social at the Saint with Ambassador Turner immediately after the event concludes.

Calling all PG students! Next term, we will be continuing our coffee with your professor event series with St Leonard’s College. Come and check it out on Monday the 27th!

Calling all PG students! Following popular interest, we have launched the coffee with your professor event series with St Leonard’s College. Every few weeks you will have the opportunity to meet likeminded PG students and professors and discuss over some coffee! Come and check it out this Thursday!

Join us with political risk and sanctions expert Maximillian Hess next Thursday as he discusses careers in the field of political risk. Political risk consultants advise companies on the implications of geopolitical events for their businesses. This sector is becoming more important than ever and is perfect for those interested in both business and politics. See you soon!

Find your tickets in the linktree: Join us for an evening of indulgence as we take you on a sensory voyage through the finest wines meticulously curated from the main wine-producing regions of the world. From the sun-kissed vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina, to the picturesque landscapes of Tuscany, Italy, experience the rich tapestry of flavours that only the world’s most prestigious vineyards can offer. Members check your email for your discount code!

Meet the latest additions to our committee! Here to address all 1st year and postgraduate concerns, Zoë and Moana will be working to represent their respective cohorts! Come say hi when you have a chance!

Join the FAS on Friday, November 1st as we approach an unprecedented American election. Professor Hallerberg is the Dean of the Hertie school of Governance in Berlin and has close connections to the Harris campaign. He will be speaking on both candidates potential foreign policies and the implications for the UK and EU. The event is in-person at school III at 4pm on Friday November 1st.

We're very excited to have one of the top graduate schools of IR in the world speak with us next week! Join Daniella Coleman, the director of European Admissions for Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, as she talks about careers in IR, graduate school, and the admissions process.

SAIS has a truly global outlook, with campuses in Washington, Bologna, and Nanjing. We will also be joined by European and American students at SAIS who will speak about their experiences.

We hope to see you there!

Join us on Friday for a collaboration with the film society. We will be watching Dr. Strangelove in School 3 at 19:00. See you there🎥🎬🍿

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St Andrews Foreign Affairs Society

Our Vision and Mission

Open Positions!

Our Next Events

'The Swimmers' Screening

Pints & Politics

Sergey Radchenko Talk 14/03