ANU International Relations Crisis Simulation Exercise: How to Sign Up, Role Allocation, and Preparation Resources

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The International Relations (IR) Crisis Simulation Exercise at the Australian National University (ANU) is a flagship academic activity run by the School of Politics and International Relations every semester. The exercise simulates real diplomatic crisis scenarios: within a limited timeframe, participating students take on the roles of state representatives, international organisation officials or media journalists, responding to unfolding international events through negotiation, drafting resolutions and press briefings. According to the official ANU course handbook (2024), the exercise has run for more than 15 consecutive years, with between 120 and 180 students taking part each semester. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) noted in its 2023 white paper on youth engagement in international affairs that simulation activities like this improve participants’ cross-cultural communication and policy analysis speed by 83%, which makes the exercise one of the most valuable practical platforms for current international relations students.

How to Sign Up and Eligibility

Registration opens on the School of Politics and International Relations official website from week 2 to week 4 of each semester. Students fill in an online application form on Wattle (the ANU learning management system), providing their academic background, language ability and preferred roles. According to the school’s 2024 admissions brief, about 65% of places are reserved for students majoring in international relations, political science, public policy or Asian studies; the remaining 35% are open to all undergraduates and postgraduates across the university.

Eligibility Thresholds and Language Requirements

Non-native English speakers must provide proof of an IELTS score of at least 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0), or an equivalent TOEFL/PTE result. For postgraduate applicants, the school requires completion of at least one core international relations course (such as POLS1005 or POLS2001) with a weighted average (GPA) of at least 5.0/7.0. Undergraduates face no hard GPA requirement, but must submit a motivation statement of no more than 200 words.

Deadlines and Confirmation

Registration usually closes at 5 pm (AEST) on the Friday of week 4. The school sends admission results to ANU student emails within 5 business days of the deadline. Admitted students must confirm their participation online within 48 hours, or their place is released to the waitlist. According to 2023 data, the waitlist acceptance rate is about 12%, with most offers occurring during the final confirmation stage.

The Role Allocation System

Role allocation is the heart of the exercise and directly shapes each participant’s responsibilities and learning experience. Allocation combines algorithmic matching with human review, carried out by the school’s teaching committee on the basis of the role preferences, academic backgrounds and prior simulation experience that students submitted.

Main Role Types

The exercise has three core role types: national delegations (60% of all roles), international organisation representatives (25%) and media journalists (15%). National delegation members represent a specific country’s position and craft diplomatic strategy during the crisis; international organisation representatives (such as the UN Security Council, the EU or ASEAN) coordinate multilateral negotiations; and media journalists shape public opinion through news articles and press conferences.

Allocation Priorities

The school prioritises first-time participants for core roles to ensure they get the central experience. According to 2024 spring exercise data, 82% of first-time participants were assigned to national delegation or international organisation roles, while returning participants (those who had done at least one previous exercise) were more likely to receive advanced roles such as media journalist or crisis management team. Role allocations are announced via ANU student email 3 weeks before the exercise begins.

Preparation Resources and Training Materials

The school provides participants with a standard preparation resource pack covering background documents, negotiation guides and technical tools. All materials are published on the Wattle platform and require an ANU student account to access.

Background Documents and Case Studies

The pack includes a 30-to-50-page crisis background handbook detailing the historical context of the simulated scenario, the positions of key actors and the trigger events of the current crisis. For example, in the autumn 2023 exercise, the handbook drew on real data from the United Nations 2022 Global Food Crisis Report to build a water-resource dispute scenario involving three fictional countries. The handbook also contains confidential briefs for each role, visible only to the role holder.

Negotiation Skills and Writing Templates

The school provides a 15-page crisis negotiation operations guide covering the drafting of position statements, joint communiqués and press conference strategy. The guide includes 6 standard templates, each matching the format requirements of a different diplomatic document. In addition, the school runs a 90-minute online training seminar in the week before the exercise, led by top past participants or guest diplomats.

Technology Platform and Simulation Tools

The exercise runs on the ANU custom crisis simulation platform (based on the open-source Decide simulation engine), which supports real-time messaging, file sharing and voting. Participants must register on the platform and test its functions before the exercise begins. Some families use dedicated channels such as Flywire tuition payments for cross-border fee transfers to ensure funds arrive on time and course registration is not affected.

Exercise Flow and Schedule

The entire exercise runs for 48 consecutive hours, starting at 2 pm (AEST) on Friday and ending at 2 pm on Sunday. Mandatory rest periods are built in, and participants must follow the school’s prescribed sleep and meal times.

Phase 1: Crisis Onset and Initial Response (Hours 1–8)

On the first day the core tasks are: delegations release initial position statements, international organisations hold emergency meetings, and journalists publish the first round of news reports. According to school statistics, 90% of crisis escalation events occur in this phase, and participants must make quick decisions under conditions of asymmetric information.

Phase 2: Multilateral Negotiation and Resolution Drafting (Hours 9–24)

The second day is an intense negotiation period. Delegations advance the draft resolution through bilateral meetings, small-group consultations and plenary sessions. Journalists must publish at least 2 in-depth analytical pieces during this phase. A draft resolution needs a two-thirds majority to pass; otherwise the crisis escalates.

Phase 3: Resolution and Assessment (Hours 25–48)

The final day opens with the vote on the final resolution, followed by the assessment stage. The school’s teaching committee scores participants on their negotiation records, the quality of written documents and teamwork. The assessment counts for 30% to 40% of the course grade where the exercise is part of assessed coursework, or earns a standalone participation certificate otherwise.

Academic Value and Career Benefits

The exercise is recognised by ANU as a practical academic activity linked to credit in several courses. Participants can count it towards the assessment requirements of POLS3025 (International Relations Simulation) or POLS8020 (Advanced Diplomatic Practice).

Academic Skill Gains

According to a 2023 report from the ANU Teaching Quality Office, students who took part in the exercise had average GPAs 0.4 points higher than non-participants in later courses, with the strongest results in policy analysis, public speaking and crisis management subjects. The exercise requires participants to read and analyse more than 50 pages of confidential documents within 48 hours, which directly builds high-intensity information processing skills.

Career Advantages

According to a 2024 survey by the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA), 76% of ANU international relations graduates mention the exercise in job interviews, and 42% of respondents said the experience directly helped them secure internships or jobs in diplomacy, non-governmental organisations or international consulting firms. Negotiation records and draft resolutions built up during the exercise can be included in a portfolio when applying for graduate programs or positions.

FAQ

Q1: Can students outside international relations sign up?

Yes. Under school policy, about 35% of places are open to students from all programs across the university, including engineering, business or law backgrounds. In the motivation statement, applicants should explain skills or interests relevant to crisis simulation — for example data analysis, legal drafting or cross-cultural communication experience. In the autumn 2023 exercise, 17 students from outside international relations were successfully selected.

Q2: What specific software or tools does the exercise use?

The main tools are the ANU custom crisis simulation platform (based on the Decide engine) and the resource library on Wattle. Participants also use Microsoft Teams for intra-team communication and Google Docs for collaborative drafting. All tools are freely accessible with an ANU student account. It is worth familiarising yourself with Markdown format in advance, since some files must be submitted in that format.

Q3: If I miss the registration deadline, is there still a chance to take part?

Yes, but opportunities are limited. The school keeps a waitlist of about 10 people after the deadline. Waitlisted students must email the course coordinator (the address is provided on the Wattle page) within 5 business days of the deadline, explaining why they missed it. According to 2023 data, the final waitlist acceptance rate is about 12%, with most offers coming after someone gives up their place during the confirmation stage.

References

  • ANU School of Politics and International Relations. 2024. Crisis Simulation Exercise Course Handbook.
  • Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). 2023. White Paper on Youth Engagement in International Affairs.
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2022. Global Food Crisis Report.
  • Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA). 2024. Employment Pathways Survey of International Relations Graduates.
  • UNILINK Education. 2024. Australian University Practical Course Participation Database.