Interviews
with Scholars & Professionals
about their Research & Work
in International Relations
Writing, Analysis & Research
on International Organizations,
Psychological Distance, Foreign Policy Decision Making, Communications
& Elite Discourse
Image of the PhD thesis cover, archived at the library of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland.
Coming soon!
Example of documents folder containing French speeches, located at the Library of the Center for Diplomatic Archives at La Courneuve, Paris, France.

What is Persuasive Discourse?
First, P&D is an online database for research, analysis, and interviews with scholars and professionals on the themes of foreign policy, communications, persuasion, perception, United Nations, psychological distance, decision making, diplomacy, public speaking, international security, and other international relations (IR) related topics. Its goal is to teach about eloquent and persuasive public speaking and create an online community for those interested to share their research.
Second, the platform has an activist undertone as it urges readers to contribute to girls’ education and donate to organizations (such as, She’s the First) which help underprivileged girls attend school in various countries.
Third, the website offers public speaking research and analysis, based on over 300 speeches made by political elites representing the U.S., Australia, and France.
And, fourth, P&D is a platform that showcases work from the 2019 PhD manuscript by Sorina Crisan, titled: "The Politics of Intervention: The Role of Psychological Distance in Foreign Policy Decision Making."
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PhD Thesis
Abstract: Although much has been written to explain a superpower’s rationale when deciding to engage in a military intervention, not enough research has been conducted to analyze why their allies choose to support such foreign policy decisions. This thesis combines mathematics with social psychology and international relations to describe a ...
Interviews
Many scholars, researchers, and companies conduct their work within the fields of persuasive public speaking, perception, psychological distance, foreign policy, and other IR topics. In this section, you will be able to read short interviews and articles highlighting the work of young scholars, as well as that of established academics and practitioners, along with their vision for the future of their field.
About Founder
Sorina Ioana Crisan, PhD, created the Persuasive Discourse in 2020, as a means to teach about effective and persuasive public speaking. Persuasive Discourse not only showcases Crisan's doctoral work but also stands as a platform for related research on persuasive public speaking and decision making.
Illustrations: Courtesy of Sorina I. Crisan, PhD, and Wix.com photo gallery.