Graduate Students

Alexandra Ages on the Urgent Need for a National Gender-Based Violence Commissioner in Canada | Policy Options

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:56:31 +0000

February 18, 2025 | MPP '21 Alexandra Ages writes how the alarming rise in intimate-partner violence and femicide across Canada, emphasizing that urgent action and accountability are needed to address this crisis. She argues that appointing a national gender-based violence commissioner would provide crucial oversight and help ensure effective implementation of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

Vincent Rigby on Canada’s Accelerated Defence Spending | CDA Institute

admin — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 15:23:32 +0000

June 9, 2025 | In an interview for the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute’s Expert Series, Vincent Rigby reacts to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement that Canada will accelerate defence spending to reach 2% of GDP by the end of the 2025–26 fiscal year. Rigby unpacks the hurdles ahead—including the recruitment and retention crisis, slow procurement processes, and the complexity of aligning new investments with operational readiness.

Pearl Eliadis on Potential United Nations Challenge to Bills 21 and 96 | Montreal Now with Aaron Rand

admin — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:50:48 +0000

June 16, 2025 | Speaking on Montreal Now with Aaron Rand, Pearl Eliadis cautioned that if Canada’s Supreme Court does not act to limit Quebec’s use of the notwithstanding clause in laws such as Bills 21 and 96, the anglophone community may need to seek recourse through the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Eliadis noted that Canada, as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has a duty to uphold principles of equality and non-discrimination—protections she believes are being undermined by the legislation.

Jennifer Welsh on Advancing Localization in Global Politics | Global Studies Quarterly

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:18:15 +0000

January 2025 | Jennifer Welsh, alongside co-authors Adam Kochanski and Emily K. M. Scott, wrote "Localization in World Politics: Bridging Theory and Practice" in Global Studies Quarterly. The article introduces a special forum on the concept of localization, exploring its significance in both international relations theory and real-world policy. It addresses why localization has gained attention, its historical roots, what and who is considered “local,” and how localization can be studied.

Chris Ragan on the end of Carbon Tax | CBC News

admin — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 15:27:49 +0000

April 1, 2025 | Chris Ragan, explained that the end of carbon tax and how it will be affect Canadians in an news article at CBC. Ragan says the drop in prices could be more gradual, though he agrees it is coming. "One of the less charming attributes of capitalism is that prices tend to fall more slowly than they rise," Ragan said.

Gabriel Blanc, Cyrus Nagra, and Kiran Gill on Rebuilding Immigration Consensus for Nation-Building | The Line

admin — Tue, 27 May 2025 16:30:41 +0000

May 23, 2025 | In a opinion piece for The Line, MPP ’25 students Gabriel Blanc, Cyrus Nagra, and Kiran Gill argue that Canada’s leaders are overlooking a critical ingredient in their bold nation-building agendas: immigration. Reflecting on the 2025 federal election, the authors note that while both major party leaders championed infrastructure and housing plans, they conspicuously sidestepped a positive vision for immigration.

Vincent Rigby on NATO, Canada’s 2% Commitment, and Alliance Readiness | CDA Institute

admin — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:48:51 +0000

June 23, 2025 | Vincent Rigby joined the CDA Institute’s Expert Series alongside former Canadian Ambassador to NATO Kerry Buck and former NATO Assistant Secretary General Wendy Gilmour to unpack what’s at stake as leaders gather in The Hague for the 76th NATO Summit. The conversation focused on Canada’s recent pledge to meet NATO’s long-standing 2% GDP defence spending target by March 2026, as well as the summit’s broader agenda—expected to include raising the defence spending floor to 3.5%, enhancing alliance readiness, and addressing industrial capacity shortfalls.

Taylor Owen on Canada’s Fragile Media Ecosystem and the Mainstreaming of Disinformation | CBC

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:38:41 +0000

March 24, 2025 | In a recent interview with CBC, Taylor Owen, Director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, warned that Canada’s online media environment is more fragile and susceptible to manipulation than ever before. As trust in journalism declines, Owen explains, disinformation that once existed on the fringes is now entering the mainstream—largely through social media platforms.

Norman Hillmer on US-Canada Relationship | Rear Vision

admin — Wed, 07 May 2025 15:30:49 +0000

March 30, 2025 | Norman Hillmer, Slater Family Visiting Scholar, along with Robert Bothwell and Diane Francis spoke about the US-Canada relationship since the Trump Administration on Rear Vision podcast.

Vincent Rigby on Strategic Autonomy Amidst G7 Uncertainty | The Globe and Mail

admin — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 15:44:41 +0000

June 14, 2025 | Vincent Rigby, quoted in The Globe and Mail, sees Carney’s foreign policy as a clear break from traditional diplomacy rooted in values. He argues that Canada is embracing a more pragmatic, hard-headed approach in response to global volatility. While diversification of defence partnerships—such as working with European suppliers—is on the table, Rigby stresses that close coordination with the U.S. remains essential.

Jennifer Welsh on Fading Western Donor Sensitivities to Global Suffering | Policy Magazine

admin — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 17:40:05 +0000

July 26, 2025 | Jennifer Welsh is quoted in Policy Magazine saying that “something cognitive has happened” to Western donor sensitivities to the misery of others. She notes that public outrage over the war in Gaza appears to be the exception rather than the rule, pointing to a broader decline in empathy and responsiveness from governments and publics alike toward global humanitarian crises.

Pearl Eliadis on the Risks of Quebec’s Secularism Report | CBC

admin — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:57:07 +0000

August 28, 2025 | In a story reported by CBC, a Quebec government committee has issued 50 recommendations, including extending the religious symbols ban to subsidized daycares and requiring people to uncover their faces for public services. These proposals have drawn criticism from community leaders, who argue they discriminate against religious minorities, particularly Muslim women.

Anil Wasif on Canada’s foreign policy reset at UNGA 80 | Policy Magazine

admin — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:15:03 +0000

September 21, 2025 | In Policy Magazine, MPP '21 Anil Wasif reflects on the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and the turbulent backdrop for this year's general assembly. While commemorations recalled the UN’s history, this year’s high-level week exposes global fractures, from rising authoritarianism to stalled progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Wasif highlights Canada’s re-engagement under Prime Minister Mark Carney, including a foreign policy reset, stronger defence commitments, and recognition of the State of Palestine.

Husein Pumaya Yakubu on Transparency as a Tool for Long-Term Governance in Ghana | Policy Magazine

admin — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:09:15 +0000

April 15, 2025 | MPP '25 Husein Pumaya Yakubu highlights the limitations of transparency in Ghana’s post-pandemic governance. While former president Nana Akufo-Addo’s transparent communication during COVID-19 initially unified citizens, Yakubu argues it masked deeper issues like economic mismanagement and rising debt. Drawing a parallel with Canada, Yakubu suggests that transparency, while crucial during crises, must be sustained through regular financial updates, stronger oversight, and grassroots participation.

Alexandra Ages on Big Tech’s Growing Power and the Urgent Need for Digital Rights and Worker Protections | Perspectives Journal

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 19:02:32 +0000

February 26, 2025 | MPP ’21 Alexandra Ages examines the growing concentration of power held by big tech companies like Meta, Amazon, and Google, highlighting their expanding influence not only in politics and geopolitics but also in everyday life through data commodification, surveillance, and labor exploitation. She underscores the urgent need for stronger regulations to protect personal privacy, ensure workers’ rights, and prevent the erosion of democratic accountability in the face of a digital oligarchy that increasingly shapes society and governance.