John de Bhal is originally from Brisbane and is currently a Doctor of Philosophy candidate in International Relations at Oxford. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours Class I) in International Relations from the University of Queensland and a Master of Philosophy in International Relations from Oxford with a thesis on Brazil’s relationship with the West. His research focus is on social status in international relations, the international order, and West/Non-West relations. He has published in the journals Third World Quarterly and Contemporary Politics. He is passionate about shaping public debate around Australia’s place and role in international affairs and in the future hopes to work in a foreign affairs related field such as academia, defence, or the foreign ministry. When not studying at Oxford, John can usually be found on a cricket pitch. In 2021 he was awarded a Blue for Cricket and he hopes to achieve another Blue for cricket at Oxford this year.