Professor Jason Ralph
- Position: Professor of International Relations
- Areas of expertise: International Society; Global Governance and the UN; Foreign Policy; Pragmatic Constructivist IR theory and Ontological Security.
- Email: J.G.Ralph@leeds.ac.uk
- Location: 1403 Social Sciences Building
- Website: LinkedIn | Googlescholar | ORCID | White Rose
Profile
Jason Ralph is Professor of International Relations. He has been Honorary Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland, Co-Editor of European Journal of International Security and served as Head of the School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds. He is author of four books: On Global Learning (CUP 2023) America’s War on Terror. The State of the American Exception from Bush to Obama (OUP 2013); Defending the Society of States. Why America’s Opposes the International Criminal Court (OUP 2007). Beyond the Security Dilemma. Ending America’s Cold War (Ashgate 2000, republished by Routledge 2019).
His most recent work brings philosophical Pragmatism in from the margins of International Relations (IR) as a means of encouraging normative inquiry into the values of a changing (i.e. post-liberal) international society. As well as On Global Learning (CUP 2023), articles advancing this field have appeared in European Journal of International Relations (best article award of 2017); International Organization (2018); Global Studies Quarterly (2024); International Affairs (with Jamie Gaskarth 2025); International Theory (2025) ; Review of International Studies (2025); and chapters in Contesting the World (2024); Oxford Handbook on Norms Research in IR (2025) and Oxford Handbook on Grounded and Engaged Normative Theory (2026). Pragmatist informed commentary on world affairs has been published by The Conversation , Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs and LSE Blogs
Ralph has been the recipient of research awards from the Economic and Social Research Council, the British Academy, Research Councils UK, and the European Union, including a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship 2014-2016. His work during this fellowship was nominated for a Marie Curie Prize Award in the area of “contributing to society”. Central to this was his role as a founding director of the European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, which is based at the University of Leeds.
Responsibilities
- Director MA International Relations
Research interests
His most recent work brings philosophical Pragmatism in from the margins of International Relations (IR) as a means of encouraging normative inquiry into the values of a changing (i.e. post-liberal) international society. As well as On Global Learning (CUP 2023), articles advancing this field have appeared in European Journal of International Relations (best article award of 2017); International Organization (2018); Global Studies Quarterly (2024); International Affairs (with Jamie Gaskarth 2025); International Theory (2025) ; Review of International Studies (2025); and chapters in Contesting the World (2024); Oxford Handbook on Norms Research in IR (2025) and Oxford Handbook on Grounded and Engaged Normative Theory (2026). Pragmatist informed commentary on world affairs has been published by The Conversation , Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs and LSE Blogs
Student education
Professor Ralph teaches on the following modules:
- International Politics
- Contemporary International Relations Theory
- Diplomatic Practice
- Responsibility to Protect
Research groups and institutes
- European Centre for Responsibility to Protect