India’s First Applied IR Programme
Learn IR by practising it.
Not another theory course. IR Observatory teaches the actual craft, OSINT, geopolitical analysis, policy briefing, and live simulation, in one applied programme built for India.
OSINT signal detected — South China Sea
01
What universities don't teach
IR degrees give you theory. They do not teach you to write an intelligence brief, run an OSINT investigation, or brief a decision-maker under time pressure.
02
What think tanks assume you know
Think tanks hire analysts who already have applied skills. Nobody in India is building those skills before the first job. That is the gap.
03
What IR Observatory builds
The actual craft. Structured analysis, OSINT methodology, policy writing, geopolitical simulation — practised, not just studied.
The Programme
Six weeks. Six skills. One portfolio.
Every module produces something real. No passive consumption.
Week 01
Reading the World
News analysis frameworks, source evaluation, signal vs. noise — the foundation of rigorous analysis.
Week 02
OSINT Fundamentals
Open-source intelligence tools, verification methodology, geolocation — the most in-demand skill in geopolitical work.
Week 03
The Analyst's Toolkit
SitRep, intelligence brief, policy memo — the three documents every practitioner must know how to write.
Week 04
Strategic Frameworks
Stakeholder mapping, escalation ladders, red-teaming, scenario planning. Structured thinking under uncertainty.
Week 05
War Game Simulation
A live, multi-actor geopolitical simulation. Country roles, evolving crisis, binding decisions. The centrepiece of the programme.
Week 06
Crisis Briefing & Portfolio
Breaking scenario under time pressure. Final policy memo. Peer review. Portfolio compiled and issued.
Analysis & Intelligence
Weekly geopolitical analysis from IR Observatory.
Applied perspectives on international developments, written to inform, not just describe. Published on Substack, embedded here.