NPSIA Fellows Vincent Rigby and Alan Barnes published a new op-ed in the Globe & Mail to draw attention to the problem caused by Canada’s lack of a systematic process for declassifying historical government records.

The World Refugee & Migration Council has released a new report entitled “A Renewed Call to Action” on the global response to forced displacement.

“Over 30 million people have been forcibly displaced within and across borders, since the World Refugee & Migration Council released A Call to Action: Transforming the Global Refugee System, in 2019. Now, in 2022 that number exceeds 100 million — not including the millions of migrants forced to move by worsening economic conditions, famine, corruption, police brutality, and climate change. Simply put, the situation has gone from dire to disastrous.”

Prof. Fen Hampson, Chancellor’s Professor & Professor of International Affairs at Carleton University currently serves as the President of the World Refugee & Migration Council.

To read the full report

Professor Fen Hampson and journalist Michael Blanchfield‘s book “The Two Michaels: Innocent Canadian Captives and High Stakes Espionage in the US-China Cyber War” has won the 2022 Ottawa Book Award in the non-fiction category.

The winning books are selected by a jury of peers.  During the selection process, the jury stated that “The Two Michaels” is a riveting read from the first page, blending together a timely, fast-paced telling of political drama and harrowing personal strife. Blanchfield and Hampson leave no stone unturned as they stitch together how two Canadian men in China become the unfortunate faces of international tension in a changing world.”

Congratulations!

For more information on the book

For the full list of award winners

Professors Stephanie Carvin and Leah West of NPSIA were both on Power and Politics last Friday discussing whether the use of the Emergencies Act was justified.

Check out the full interview here!

TVO.org speaks with Westminster expert and NPSIA Professor Philippe Lagassé, about what parliamentary privilege is and whether it applies to Premier Doug Ford’s fight against a summons to testify at the federal Emergencies Act inquiry.

Read the interview here

Prof Michael Manulak and uOttawa Senior Fellow Kerry Buck have published a piece entitled “Friend-Shoring Canada’s Foreign Policy?” in Policy Magazine on the ‘Freeland Doctrine’ and the need for clearer articulation of Canadian international priorities.

NPSIA is thrilled to learn that one of our Ph.D. graduates, Michael Shkolnik, was awarded the Terrorism Research Initiative’s bi-annual “Best Doctoral Dissertation on Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism, 2019 & 2020.” Michael was invited to publish aspects of his dissertation in Perspectives on Terrorism, linked here and summarized below:

Rival Consolidation in Nascent Insurrections: Why Some Militant Groups Wage Sustained Insurgencies

 Why do some militant groups wage sustained insurgencies while other groups do not? This study shows that shifts in nascent rival relations between militant groups, from competition to consolidation, are key to understanding this puzzle. A militant group which has consolidated its rivals—whether by destruction, merger, or hegemonic dominance—should be in a stronger position to fight the target state than groups preoccupied with counterproductive violence against rivals within a militant movement.

This study uses a multi-method, three-stage, research design starting with a novel quantitative regression analysis of 246 prominent militant groups worldwide from 1970–2007, featured in the Global Terrorism Database. I find that, on average, organizational capacity and constituency dominance are stronger indicators for engagement in sustained insurgencies than traditional proxies for observable group capabilities, thereby challenging conventional wisdom. The second stage focuses on a more bounded population (Middle Eastern and North African insurgent groups) and uses cross-case comparative methods to build my theory based on three forms of primary rival relations: competition (infighting or outbidding), strategic alliance, and hegemonic consolidation. Process-tracing methods are also used to explore within-case inferences and identify causal mechanisms in three diverse case studies: Hezbollah, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood.

Rival consolidation helps dominant groups mobilize resources effectively and overcome two major organizational hurdles: collective action and principal-agent problems. Without major competitors, dominant groups attract recruits and support, while militant leaders divert their attention to strengthening organizational capacity and preparing for war with the target state. My temporal theory of rival consolidation offers a more compelling explanation that accounts for the timing of insurgency onset, compared to scholarly arguments that rely on largely static factors or remain incomplete. From a policy perspective, this study challenges assumptions and presents a generalizable framework identifying nascent rival relations as a pragmatic indicator that can help counterterrorism analysts and practitioners better anticipate potential insurgent threats.

Prof Lama Mourad was interviewed for the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) Podcast about her chapter entitled “Migration and Displacement” in the new book “The Political Science of the Middle East: Theory and Research Since the Arab Uprisings”

Migration in the region is complicated, to say the least. But this region has a long history with migration, and this shouldn’t be forgotten in our current context.
Listen to the whole episode here

Internships can have a significant impact on a graduate student’s experience and Daniel Nikoula is getting quite the introduction to international security at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Operational Headquarters in Brunssum, The Netherlands.

The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) master’s student is currently an intern for the Office of the Political Advisor, Allied Joint Force Command at Headquarters Brunssum—the NATO command responsible for the security of the eastern part of the Alliance, a key part of NATO’s overall deterrence and defence posture.

Read the rest of the story here

We had the pleasure of hosting the 25th anniversary of the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines on Monday, December 5th, 2022 at Carleton University. The event included a screening of a new film by Richard Fitoussi entitled “The Treaty”, which chronicles the bold diplomatic gamble that brought together governments, multilateral organizations and civil society in a global movement to end the scourge of landmines.

We were thrilled to host the Hon. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yuliya Kovaliv, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada, Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon, Jill Sinclair a Foreign Service Officer who led the Ottawa Treaty Process, and Gniep Smoeun, who lost a leg to landmine when she was 10 and is an ambassador for Humanité Inclusion/Handicap International, who were also present for this event.

Watch the video of the evening:

NPSIA and the 25th Anniversary of the Ottawa Treaty Banning Landmines

Music Credit: Strawberry – Prod. By Rose

NPSIA Hosts the US Ambassador to Canada

We had the opportunity to host the US Ambassador, his Excellency David. L Cohen for our second Ambassadors Speaker Series of 2022-23. It also happened to coincide with the 1-year anniversary of his arrival to Canada! He spoke about renewing the partnership between Canada and the US and emphasized our shared values.

He graciously took the time to meet with many of our students and we look forward to strengthening the relationship between NPSIA and the US Embassy in Ottawa

Our most enthusiastic congratulations to Dr. Casey Babb (Alum 2022), who was recently named as an International Fellow at the Glazer Centre for the Israel-China Policy at the Institute for National Security Studies.

His research focuses on the ways in which authoritarian regimes differ in how they use cyberattacks, technological and industrial espionage, cyber conflict, weaponizing outer space and the impact emerging technologies are having on great power competition and warfare.

Congratulations Dr. Babb – we look forward to more to come from your fellowship!

The Canadian Defense and Security Network (CDSN) hosted the 2023 Year Ahead Conference on Friday at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.  The conference consisted of academics, practitioners, and expert panelists from across Canada, the United States, and parts of Europe discussing looming threats, future challenges, and Canada’s changing position in the world.

CDSN The Year Ahead Conference 2023

On November 23rd, Senior Fellow Alan Barnes appeared before the House of Commons Committee on Access to Information and Privacy to discuss the challenges posed to historical research by Canada’s lack of a system for the declassification of government records after a certain period of time.

A record of the hearing is available on the committee’s website, as well as video of the meeting (Dr. Barnes’ testimony begins at the 16:37 mark)

When asked a bit about himself, Marshall Palmer doesn’t shy away from any aspect of his upbringing:  whether it’s sharing his “addiction to outdoor adventure” that he inherited from his father’s side of the family or his sense of “vergangenheitsbewältigun”, German for “the struggle to overcome past” that he inherited from his mother’s side (where his maternal grandparents grew up under the Third Reich in Germany).  He has used these aspects of his life, as well as “simply following my interests” during his pursuit of a PhD at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.

Five years of hard work are culminating as he defends his thesis on foreign election intervention this week.

After Donald Trump was elected in 2016 with Russian help, Marshall wanted to see if there was a broader pattern to such interventions. “If a foreign power helps a candidate/party into office, does that candidate/party then cooperate with that foreign power? Under what circumstance do they cooperate? When do they renege?”  These initial questions then lead him to reassess some existing research on why these interventions happen in the first place, and how interveners decide on their methods of intervention.  He knew he was on the right track when he serendipitously happened upon a statue of Jean Jaurès, a pre-WWI French politician. “I casually looked him up on Wikipedia wherein I discovered that the Russian Tsar intervened quite heavily in French elections ahead of World War I, to keep Jaurès and his party out of power. Given that Jaurès was stridently anti-war, Russia’s interventions count as one of many contingencies upon which history turned before 1914. It illustrated so well my argument that I used that anecdote from French history to open my dissertation.”

Marshall is also the managing editor of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, where they are in the process of publishing two special issues on the conflict in Ukraine and on Canadian foreign policy in Southeast Asia. He has also converted one of his PhD chapters (on U.S. intervention in the Canadian elections of 1962 and 1963) into a standalone paper and is awaiting peer review.  He continues to work on his French every chance he gets.

The best advice he can offer to students who are considering NPSIA or who are considering a PhD is to “Follow your interests. Don’t be shy: engage with the scholarly community that works on similar questions. Treat the PhD as a full-time job. Get outside: take full advantage of Gatineau Park and the Canal. Write, write, write.”

Congratulations Marshall on all your hard work, we are rooting for you!

This past November, professor Michael Manulak spoke at a GLOBE Webinar Series on his new book “Change in Global Enviornmental Politics: Temporal Focal Points and the Reform of International Institutions” (Cambridge).  Watch the talk here:

Michael Manulak: GLOBE Webinar Series (Nov 8, 2022)

Growing up, Karina Juma always knew she wanted to be a lawyer.  She loved social studies in high school, and she decided to pursue her undergrad at the University of Ottawa in History and Political Science.  But it was her undergrad honors seminar in international relations and a trip to New York for National Model United Nations that solidified her next goal: get an MA/JD from NPSIA.

“I learned about the JD/MA program from an alumnus of the program, Ali Tejpar. After talking to him about his experiences and the benefits of the program (e.g., distinguishing yourself from other law students, learning from world-renowned policy experts, being part of a large network of professionals in Ottawa and beyond), I was sold on applying.”

She was accepted to the University of Ottawa Law School first, and then received her acceptance to NPSIA a few weeks later into the Health, Displacement and Humanitarian Policy (HDHP) stream.  Now in her 2^nd year at NPSIA, “what I enjoy most about the JD/MA stream is the personalized feedback and mentorship I received from professors like Lama Mourad during my MA year, as well as meeting other like-minded students in my cohort and in other JD/MA cohorts”.

Karina has also recently published a book called Ordinary People, Extraordinary Actions: Refuge Through Activism at Ottawa’s St. Joe’s Parish. It is based on the 30+ years of activism and support for refugees and newcomers offered by the Refugee Outreach Committee (ROC) at St. Joe’s Parish, located directly across from the University of Ottawa. The book chronicles the history of Canada’s immigration and refugee landscape; a sanctuary case the ROC undertook in 2005; the ROC’s advocacy for the implementation of a refugee appeal division at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB); the Syrian refugee initiative in 2015; and the longevity of the ROC.

Her best advice to future students is to connect with current or former JD/MA students to learn about their experiences, what classes they enjoyed, memorable or unique opportunities they had while they were in the program, where the program led them after graduation.

Patrick Leong is in his last year of NPSIA’s International Organizations and Global Public Policy (IOGP) stream. He recognizes that one of the major advantages of selecting the IOGP stream is its interdisciplinary approaches which allows one to explore many different aspects of global public policy, including health, migration, trade, conflict, and social policy. Patrick has also learned a lot about the theory, structure, and policies of international organizations throughout his core courses. Overall, he states that the IOGP stream provides flexibility, but also allows one to select electives that focus on specific interests.

NPSIA prides itself in hosting students that come from a variety of different academic backgrounds. In particular, before coming to NPSIA, Patrick’s major interest was history as well as politics, social justice, migration, among several others. Patrick is currently writing a Major Research Essay (MRE) at NPSIA which examines the purpose and impact of China’s regional environmental initiatives in Asia.

He is also currently working in the Federal Government as a Junior Policy Analyst in the Policy & Negotiations Division (P&N) in the Multilateral Affairs and Climate Change Directorate (MACC) of the International Affairs Branch (IAB) within Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Within his work, he has  contributed to the preparation of Canada’s delegation to COP27, which took place from November 6 to 18 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. In addition, some of his responsibilities include help drafting and editing briefing documents for negotiators and senior management, including the Prime Minister, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Canada’s Chief Negotiator on Climate Change, on issues related to climate change and the UNFCCC. Patrick hopes to work full-time post-graduation.

When asked for advice for anyone considering the MA at NPSIA Patrick states; “NPSIA has a talented faculty and interesting courses to offer, alongside a fantastic co-op program and great cohorts of students. If you’re interested in working in a career related to global affairs, particularly with the Government of Canada, I would highly recommend the M.A.”

I was born and raised in El Salvador. I grew up with an acute awareness of the socioeconomic and political issues that affected my country and region at large. In 2016, I moved to Canada to study a BA in International Affairs, driven by a desire to learn about and influence the international fora. Upon arriving to Canada, I quickly became involved in refugee and migrant rights advocacy, including through coordinating public education projects with UN agencies, and later publishing research on immigration policy with Canadian and US think tanks.

After graduating in 2019, I worked for 2.5 years at ParlAmericas, the institution that promotes parliamentary diplomacy in the 35 national legislatures of the Americas and the Caribbean, supported by Global Affairs Canada. There, I implemented programs and helped organize hemispheric summits to promote gender-responsive legislation and youth political leadership. This solidified my interest in International Affairs, as I witnessed first-hand the crucial role that diplomacy plays in advancing shared objectives among countries.

I decided to pursue my Masters at NPSIA in recognition of its strong faculty, networks, and curriculum. I had also worked with stellar NPSIA alumni who spoke highly of it. As soon as I received my Canadian Permanent Residence, and thus became eligible to pursue further studies as a domestic student, I submitted my application to the program. I am currently in my first year, pursuing the Diplomacy and Foreign Policy specialization.

I balance my studies at NPSIA with a full-time role as the Policy Analyst for Refugee and Migrant Rights at Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ). In this role, I set CPJ’s strategic direction and policy recommendations related to Canadian immigration, author policy briefs, op-eds and reports, organize advocacy campaigns, and participate in national coalitions of civil society organizations. While certainly challenging, I appreciate the opportunity to pursue my studies and work simultaneously, as it allows me to put the theory to practice.

I am also finding important areas of overlap. As part of my role at CPJ, I am writing a book on Canadian immigration policy, compiling the perspectives of key advocates and policy leaders across the country. My classes at NPSIA, including the Global Governance of Displacement course taught by Prof. Lama Mourad, are proving important insights and contacts that will further solidify the content of the book.  

I think the study and practice of International Affairs is enriched by the perspectives of people from equity-seeking groups. I approach my studies at NPSIA aware of my positionality as a Global South citizen and believe that my life experiences and cultural awareness help me to be more effective. My advice to current and prospective NPSIA students from equity-seeking groups is to recognize, embrace, and communicate the distinct strengths that they bring to the table, which are certainly needed in the International Affairs field.