Ricardo Tranjan and Manjana Milkoreit, both international students, have each been awarded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, Warren Clarke and Jessica West have each won Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships, and Branka Marijan has won the Canadian Council on International Law's (CCIL's) John Humphrey Student Fellowship in International Human Rights. The Vanier and Bombardier awards are the most prestigious scholarships available to Ph.D. students through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), while the John Humphrey prize is the most esteemed Canadian scholarship in the field of human rights.

All five are enrolled in the Balsillie School's Ph.D. in Global Governance program. The program is one of three based at the Balsillie School, which is a partnership between the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo.

"We're very proud of our students' accomplishments," said Dr. Ramesh Thakur, Director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs. "Their success is both an acknowledgment of the crucial need for interdisciplinary research on global issues, and a reflection of the Balsillie School's commitment to fostering academic excellence."

Currently in his second year of the program, Ricardo Tranjan's dissertation research is on the emergence of participatory democracy at the municipal level in Brazil, and its relationship with the progressive fulfilment of economic and social rights.

The other four students are all in their first year of the program: Manjana Milkoreit will be carrying out research on the effects of climate change on international cooperation and conflict; Warren Clarke will be looking at governance relating to the intersection between state sovereignty and offshore finance; Jessica West will be examining the current governance architecture relating to the weaponization of space; and Branka Marijan will be conducting a comparative analysis of peacebuilding initiatives in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ireland.

"The Global Governance Ph.D. program is attracting some of the finest doctoral students in Canada and internationally," said Dr. Gerard Boychuk, Director of the Global Governance Ph.D. program. "Great students want to study in Waterloo. They are drawn to the world-class faculty at both universities, and to the opportunity to be a part of cutting-edge research taking place at CIGI."

"Waterloo has become a centre of excellence for research on the most pressing global problems of the day, such as regulation of the global financial system, the pursuit of sustainable solutions to the world's environmental challenges, and the mitigation of threats to international peace and security," said Dr. Terrence Levesque, Associate Dean of the Balsillie School at Laurier. "All of the students at the Balsillie School are a big part of this success."

Background

Founded in 2007 by Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM (Research In Motion), the Balsillie School of International Affairs is a collaborative partnership among Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Waterloo, and the Centre for International Governance Innovation, an independent, nonpartisan think tank that addresses international governance challenges. Three academic programs are based at the Balsillie School: the joint-Wilfrid Laurier University/University of Waterloo Ph.D. in Global Governance; the University of Waterloo Master's of Global Governance; and the Wilfrid Laurier University Master's of International Public Policy. For more information on the school, go to www.balsillieschool.ca

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program is designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by offering them a significant financial award to assist them during their studies at Canadian universities. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health-related fields. Canadian and international students are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier Scholarship, which is valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years. For more information on the Vanier scholarships, see http://www.vanier.gc.ca/hp-pa-eng.shtml

Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarships are valued at $35,000 per annum for 36 months. The Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarships program aims to develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of scholarly achievement in undergraduate and graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities. http://www.sshrc.ca/site/apply-demande/program_descriptions-descriptions_de_programmes/fellowships/doctoral-doctorat-eng.aspx

The Canadian Council on International Law awards annually up to four John Peters Humphrey Student Fellowships in International Human Rights Law or International Organization. The Fellowships are awarded to outstanding students in order to permit them to pursue full-time graduate studies at leading graduate institutions in Canada or world-wide. Students in Canadian law and political science (or the equivalent) faculties are eligible to apply for the Fellowship. Each Fellowship will fund the recipient up to CDN$35,000 - up to a maximum of CDN$25,000 for tuition and fees, plus a stipend of CDN$10,000 for living expenses. Fellowship holders will be eligible to apply for the Fellowship in open competition for a second term. For more information on the award, see http://www.ccil-ccdi.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=94

For media inquiries, please contact:

Dr. Andrew Thompson
Program Officer, Global Governance Programs
Balsillie School of International Affairs
519-888-4567 ext. 38689
asthompson@balsillieschool.ca