The Policy Brief program with GAC is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain mentorship and guidance from senior scholars as they advance their own policy research and writing skills.

Under the program, clusters of three to four students are selected to participate in projects led by BSIA faculty that engage them in both independent and collective research and policy analysis. The program is divided into three phases. The first is the research phase, during which students develop a high degree of substantive expertise on the subject matter of the project. The second phase is the policy brief stage, when students co-author a briefing note that draws on their collective research from the first phase. The third phase is the presentation phase, which includes a day of oral briefings at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa. Students will be given an opportunity to present their briefing notes and the findings of their research to, and receive critical feedback from, policy experts with global experience. Following the presentation in Ottawa, students are invited to revise their briefing notes based on the feedback they received prior to submitting the notes for publication.

2021 Individual Policy Briefs

An Illiberal Order

Liberalism and Illiberalism in the Rules-based International Order: Navigating Their Co-Existence in Canadian Policy and Practice
Emaan Ali, Brittany Ennis and Danielle Wood
Supervisors: Dr. Jasmin Habib and Dr. Michael Howard

An Arctic Focus for Canada’s Post-COVID Multilateralist Posture
Ariela Collins, Carly MacArthur and Khurram Shamim
Supervisors: Dr. Ann Fitz-Gerald and Julie Clark

Energy Transitions, Climate Justice and Geopolitics

Canada’s Vulnerabilities in the Case of a Rapid Energy Transition
Kristen Gracie, Shawna-Rae McLean, Jacqueline Mah and Sarah Norton
Supervisors: Dr. Simon Dalby and Roger Boyd

Adding Value with Climate Compatible Development
Cassandra Hayward, Lauren MacDonald, Claire Perttula and Micah Winter
Supervisors: Dr. Marie-Claire Cordonier-Segger, Dr. Alexandra Harrington and Indra Noyes

China

Post-COVID-19 Possibilities: The Beginning of a New Relationship with Asia?
Felicia Clement, Varkpeh Gonowolo, Aniska Graver and Tesfaldet Mehreteab
Supervisors: Dr. Anton Malkin and Kristen Csenkey

A Superpower Tug of War: Canada’s Challenges and Opportunities in a post-COVID-19 World
Ashleigh Kong, Camelia Touzany, Jeremy Vander Hoek and Mengyun Zhang
Supervisors: Dr. Kimie Hara and Dr. Andrew Thompson

Trade and Development

Diversifying Inclusive and Mutually Prosperous Trade: The Case for Africa
Kaleigh Campbell and Angela Fangeat
Supervisor: Dr. Patricia Goff

The Importance of Transparency, Accountability and Intersectionality in the Implementation of International Assistance
Lydia Callies, Alexandra Giorgis-Audrain and Laura Krizan
Supervisors: Dr. Alistair Edgar and Jennifer Kandjii

Global Nurse Migration Pathways
Lena Gahwi, Savannah Guilbeault, Araba Maanan Blankson and Anjali Shanmugam
Supervisors: Dr. Margaret Walton-Roberts, Nelson Graham and Neil Amber Judge