Dr. Aggie Hirst

Biography

Aggie Hirst is a Reader in International Relations at King's College London, specializing in International Relations Theory and Methods. She completed her BA, MA, and doctoral degrees at the University of Manchester, focusing on the political implications of the 2003 invasion of Iraq through her ESRC-funded PhD. Hirst has previously held lectureships at the University of Leeds and City, University of London before joining King's in 2017. Her research is situated at the intersection of international political theory and critical military studies. She is currently the Principal Investigator for a Leverhulme Trust and British Academy-funded research project that explores the military's use of wargames and simulations for teaching and training purposes. Hirst's recent monograph, "Politics of Play: Wargaming Military", published in 2024 by Oxford University Press, investigates the phenomena surrounding play and immersion in military training contexts. She has contributed articles to leading journals such as Security Dialogue and International Studies Quarterly, and her current teaching includes the War Studies Online MA program. Her commitment to PhD supervision reflects her interest in the areas of play within military contexts and their implications for military policy and strategy.

Research Interests

Experience