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The La Trobe International Relations Association (LIRA) is a student run organisation on La Trobe University's Bundoora Campus. It was established in 2007 following a steady increase in the numbers of students studying International Relations degrees and units, and the perceived need for a more interactive on and off campus experience. LIRA was established with the stated aims of enhancing and facilitating the study of International Relations at the University, while improving the social experiences of its members.
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Membership and activities
LIRA's members consist largely of students from La Trobe's bachelor's programs in International Relations, Arts, International Development, Economics, Health and Asian Studies programs in undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, with approximately 600 total members as of 2012. LIRA's activities include on- and off-campus events, including trivia nights, careers conferences, public lectures, and attending Model United Nations Conferences in Australia and abroad. They also act as a social and academic representative body for students studying or interest in the study of international relations.
Collaborations
Since 2009 LIRA has collaborated with La Trobe University in sending students to Model United Nations Conferences in and out of Australia, with hundreds attending Asia-Pacific Model United Nations Conferences (AMUNC), and dozens of students attending international Model United Nations conferences in The Hague, Amsterdam, New York, Taipei, Singapore, Vancouver, with financial assistance of the University. In 2010 two La Trobe students were awarded Best Delegate awards at the Harvard World Model United Nations conference. In 2012 LIRA and La Trobe University will jointly host the 2012 AMUNC conference.