November 2020
Dispatch from the United Nations Development Program in Cambodia: Lydia Callies’ second blog from the virtual field
In her second blog from the virtual field, MAGG student Lydia Callies talks about her involvement in a three-month long project that is getting close to the implementation phase.
Dispatch from UNICEF ROSA in Nepal: Aniska Graver’s first blog from the virtual field
In her first blog from the virtual field, MIPP student Aniska Graver talks about her work on the UNICEF virtual learning series at the Regional Office for South Asia.
Dispatch from UNDP Cambodia: Markus Hellborg’s first blog from the virtual field
In his first blog post from the virtual field, MAGG student Markus Hellborg describes his unique situation of working from his home town of Stockholm, completing an internship for UNDP Cambodia, while reporting to the UN Association in Ottawa, Canada!
Bibliography of political economy research launched
The WatPEG/GPE research cluster is pleased to announce the launch of a new bibliography of political economy research on the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications.
PhD Candidate Diana Zacca Thomaz successfully defends her thesis
Congratulations to Diana Zacca Thomaz for successfully defending her dissertation.
Dispatch from the UN Population Fund in Mozambique: Michael Pulford’s first blog from the virtual field
In his first blog from the virtual field, MIPP student Michael Pulford describes the benefits and challenges of working from home.
Balsillie Papers website wins two awards
The BSIA is pleased to announce that the Balsillie Papers website has won two awards in the 2020 MarCom Awards program.
October 2020
Balsillie School Director appointed to the Canadian Board of Directors for the Ditchley Foundation
Ann Fitz-Gerald was recently appointed to the Canadian Board of Directors for the Ditchley Foundation.
Dispatch from UNDP Cambodia: Lydia Callies first blog from the virtual field
In her first blog from the virtual field, MAGG student Lydia Callies talks about the ways in which her organization is keeping her feeling connected and included.
Dispatch from the Office of Drugs and Crime in Myanmar: Alexandra Giorgis-Audrain’s first blog from the virtual field
In her first blog from the virtual field, MAGG student Alexandra Giorgis-Audrain talks about the challenges of working in different time zones from many of her colleagues.
Dispatches from the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law: Lauren MacDonald’s first blog from the virtual field
With international adventures on hold, Laura talks about the ways she, and a number of her MAGG colleagues, are making the best of their virtual internships.
BSIA faculty member recognized with a Minister’s Award of Excellence
The Balsillie School community warmly congratulates faculty member Ken Jackson, who was recently recognized for his dedication to supporting students by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
Documentary produced by BSIA faculty member wins CAFF Award
The Balsillie School community wishes to congratulate faculty member Alison Mountz, producer of the documentary “Safe Haven”, for winning “Best Feature Documentary” at the Central Alberta Film Festival (CAFF) 2020.
BSIA PhD candidate wins Medal of Academic Excellence
The BSIA offers warm congratulations to PhD candidate Ousmane Diallo for receiving the doctoral Medal of Academic Excellence from Wilfrid Laurier University.
September 2020
New BSIA Fellows Lead International Partnership on Climate Action
Congratulations to BSIA Fellows, Randy S'ad and Manuel Riemer, on their new climate action project.
BSIA launches new Balsillie Papers website
The aim of the Balsillie Papers is ultimately to connect policymakers with research offering the empirical and intellectual tools needed to build, navigate, and strengthen, mechanisms of national and global governance.
Call for proposals: Sixth PhD Dissertation Workshop in Global Political Economy
Call for proposals are due November 23, 2020.
BSIA Faculty member named to the Royal Society of Canada
The BSIA congratulates Susan Horton for being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
BSIA establishes a Global Justice and Human Rights Research Cluster
BSIA adds an eighth research cluster that will study the relationship between global justice and human rights.
August 2020
BSIA launches high-level panel series with new institutional partner
The BSIA is pleased to announce a new institutional partnership with the Canadian Ditchley Foundation.
Diplomat-in-Residence completes first term at the BSIA
The BSIA community acknowledges the many contributions of Roy Norton, Diplomat-in-Residence.
PhD Candidate Tracey Wagner-Rizvi successfully defends her thesis
Congratulations to Tracey Wagner-Rizvi, who successfully defended her thesis on
July 2020
Jenna Hennebry appointed SIPG Associate Dean
The BSIA congratulates Dr. Jenna Hennebry on her new role as Associate Director of SIPG and thanks Dr. Alistair Edgar for leading SIPG for three years.
BSIA community members organize tutorials for ‘stranded’ students in the U.K.
BSIA Fulbright Fellow, Fellow and student organize tutorials for secondary students.
June 2020
Balsillie School to offer online Foundations in International Public Policy course this August
The BSIA will again offer the Foundations in International Public Policy non-credit course during the month of August, this time entirely online.
PhD Candidate Ousmane Diallo successfully defends his thesis
Congratulations to Ousmane Diallo, who successfully defended his thesis on June 17, 2020.
PhD Candidate Selected as a 2020 L’Oréal Canada-FCRF Laureate
Warm congratulations to Justine Salam, who has been named a 2020 L’Oréal Canada-FCRF Laureate by the Executive Committee of the France-Canada Research Fund.
Congratulations Graduates!
Although convocation will look a little different this year, both UW and Laurier are making efforts to ensure this important milestone is still recognized, until an in-person celebration can be held.
Pandemic Policy, Protests and the Meaning of “Security”
Simon Dalby discusses state failures that have revealed predictable human vulnerabilities and argues for a redefined concept of security supported by collaborative planning and sensible preparation.
Racism and Violence: A Message of Support for the BSIA Community
Ann Fitz-Gerald's message to the BSIA community.
May 2020
Dispatch from UN Women in Istanbul: Adnan Ali’s third blog from the field
In his final blog, MAGG candidate Adnan Ali talks about a working paper he edited on gender stereotypes and violence during the last weeks of his internship.
BSIA Fellow Receives International Justice Award
Congratulations to Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, BSIA Fellow, and Laureate of the prestigious new Weeramantry International Justice Award.
PhD Graduate Nominated for the Governor General’s Gold Medal
The Balsillie School offers warm congratulations to Matthew Gaudreau, PhD [...]
Tackling Multiple Disasters in an Insecure World
Simon Dalby emphasises the importance of anticipating the wider consequences of economic and disease disruptions, which the existing economic system has been unable to accommodate.
PhD Candidate Awarded the 2020 ACUNS Dissertation Fellowship
Congratulations to Eric Tanguay who has won the 2020 ACUNS Dissertation Fellowship Award.
A Seat, a Voice, and a Vote: Canada’s Security Council Bid
BSIA Faculty member Alistair Edgar discusses Canada’s 2020 bid for a seat on the UN Security Council and underscores the importance of a second ballot strategy and beyond.
BSIA graduate Andrés García Trujillo publishes a new book
Congratulations to BSIA graduate Andrés García Trujillo on the publication of his new book.
April 2020
After the Virus: Building Back Better?
Simon Dalby examines governments' responses to the pandemic and the lessons that can be applied to the next crisis, the rapidly looming threat of climate change.
Pandemic Geography: What Happens Where
Simon Dalby underscores the importance of analyzing the individual country and community-based circumstances characterizing each of the large red dots on the maps illustrating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
BSIA Professor awarded IPE Distinguished Scholar Award
Congratulations to Professor Eric Helleiner who has been awarded the 2020 IPE Distinguished Scholar Award by ISA.
Bureaucratic politics, two-level games, Jane Austen, and the South China Sea
David Welch examines the struggle between internationalists and nationalists in China's bureaucracy and the lingering impact this has had on their perceived threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea.
The New Security Agenda in the time of COVID19
Simon Dalby argues that a new security agenda must support a more robust global health care system.
COVID-19 and Food Security Progress Report
Jonathan Crush and Zhenzhong Si provide an update on their Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funded project "Assessing and Mitigating the Food Security Consequences of COVID-19 in China".
COVID-19: The ‘Black Swan’
Professor Alan Whiteside views COVID-19 as a 'black swan', the impact of which is changing the world in completely unforeseen ways, on a scale greater than anyone could have imagined.
COVID-19 and the Global Migration Regime
Professor Jonathan Crush examines the disruptive impacts of COVID-19 on global and intra-regional migration, on various migration corridors, and on vulnerable migrants themselves.
Globalization, Pandemics and Shared Insecurity
Professor Simon Dalby highlights how the pandemic has demonstrated the need for a robust and coordinated global public health system.
March 2020
COVID-19 and global human health resources
Professor Margaret Walton-Roberts reminds us not to forget the value of local and global health care workers after this pandemic ends.
Lessons from Wuhan? The Politics of “Intelligence Failures”
Professor Simon Dalby hopes that society will heed and apply the lessons learned from the pandemic to the climate crisis.
Will COVID-19 Keep Out of Africa?
University Research Professor Jonathan Crush examines the spread of COVID-19 across Africa.
A #RingingEndorsement: Evening chimes for front-line care
Schools, churches and all other institutions in Waterloo Region with bell towers are invited to ring their bells for a full minute each day at 7:30 p.m. to show appreciation for health-care workers and others on the front lines of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Dispatch from Breaking the Silence in Guatemala: Laura Robinson’s third blog from the field
In MAGG student Laura Robinson's last blog post, she moves to Rabinal to work for two Breaking the Silence partners.
New Global Challenges and Potential Conflict Triggers
BSIA Director Ann Fitz-Gerald worries that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a further potential trigger for both ‘inter’ and ‘intra’ state conflict for the East African region, which has struggled with ethnic conflict for centuries.
The Significant Insignificance of International Sport in a Global Crisis
BSIA Fellow Tim Elcombe comments on the Canadian Olympic Committee's decision to refuse participation in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Pandemics, Borders and Crisis in a Globalized World
Professor Dalby examines the dangers and opportunities of the current crisis.
BSIA Associate Professor awarded grant to study gender-responsive implementation of the GCM with Canada’s GBA+
Congratulations to Jenna Hennebry for receiving funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
UN Association Canada (UNAC)-BSIA Speakers’ Series launched in Ottawa
On Friday, March 13, the BSIA launched the new quarterly UNAC-BSIA Speakers' Series in Ottawa, with the inaugural event on the topic "UN Security Council Membership: Opportunities and Challenges for a Non-Permanent Member of the Council."
BSIA update on classes and events for March and April 2020
All in-person instruction has been discontinued at all campuses, including the BSIA, effective March 16.
BSIA professor receives federal funding to study impact of coronavirus on food security in China
Congratulations to Jonathan Crush for receiving funding from the Canadian Institute of Health Research.
BSIA PhD candidate receives prestigious fellowship
Congratulations to Kristen Csenkey, recipient of the 2020 CGAI-WiDS Professional Development Fellowship.
February 2020
Employment Opportunity: BSIA Research Coordinator
The Balsillie School welcomes applications for a BSIA Research Coordinator by Friday, March 6, 2020.
Dispatch from the Global Arena Research Institute in the Czech Republic: Logan Miller’s third blog from the field
MAGG student Logan Miller reflects on his time in Prague, and his longing for a good PB&J sandwich!
Call for Submissions: 23rd Annual International Security Conference
The Conference of Defence Associations has issued a call for submissions for their International Security Conference on May 11-12, 2020.
Dispatch from the Vaccine Alliance in Geneva: Clare Urquhart’s third blog from the field
In her final blog from the field, MAGG student Clare Urquhart reflects on how her internship has shaped her lens on gender equality and equity.
January 2020
Dispatch from the United Nations Development Programme in Viet Nam: Cassandra Bangay’s third blog from the field
In her final blog post from the field, MIPP student Cassandra Bangay talks about understanding the language/cultural gap that exists, and its importance to her projects.
Dispatch from the Global Arena Research Institute in the Czech Republic: Nathaniel Welch’s third blog from the field
In his final blog post, MAGG student Nathaniel Welch reflects on his time at GARI and how he's grown from this experience.
Dispatch from the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine: Alison Reiszadeh’s third blog from the field
In her final blog post from the field, MIPP student Alison Reiszadeh reflects on the unusual weather in Kyiv in December, and why working on issues related to climate change is so important.
Dispatch from the United Nations Development Programme in Cambodia: Ambika Opal’s third blog from the field
In her final blog post, MAGG student Ambika Opal shares a few areas where she thinks STEM disciplines are well integrated into social, global, and development issues, based on her experiences at UNDP Cambodia.
Dispatch from UNICEF in Nepal: Katelyn Forsyth’s second blog from the field
In her second blog from the field, MAGG student Katelyn Forsyth talks about a three-day retreat in Pokhara that she was fortunate enough to attend with her UNICEF colleagues.
Dispatch from The Vaccine Alliance in Geneva: Clare Urquhart’s second blog from the field
In her second blog from the field, MAGG student Clare Urquhart discusses her role and responsibilities as an Intern for the Policy Team.
Dispatch from UN Women in Istanbul: Adnan Ali’s second blog from the field
In his second blog from the field, MAGG student Adnan Ali talks about his interactions with UN headquarters in New York.