Emily Ferk

BSIA Faculty Members and Fellows Receive SSHRC Research Grants

The Balsillie School of International Affairs congratulates its faculty members and fellows who have received research funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. Wilfrid Laurier University Audra Mitchell – Confronting Contemporary Eugenics: Resistance and Redefinition Izabela Steflja – Shaping Global Security:

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BSIA Students Recognized for Outstanding Academic Achievement

The Balsillie School warmly congratulates our graduates, Anastasia Townshend, Yazgulu Sezgin and Taylor Reilly-Smith, on their outstanding academic achievements. All three graduates were recognized at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Fall 2026 Convocation: Anastasia Townshend (Master of International Public Policy) – Gold Medal for Academic Excellence Yazgulu Sezgin (PhD) – Award for Outstanding Graduate Work Taylor Reilly-Smith

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PhD Candidate Sarah Greene Successfully Defends Her Dissertation

The Balsillie School community extends warm congratulations to Sarah Greene, who successfully defended her dissertation, “Disruptive Climate Policy From Wells to Wheels: Integrating Demand- and Supply-Side Climate Governance in Oil-Producing States” on September 29, 2026. We extend thanks to Carla’s supervisors Dr. Angela Carter and Dr. Dan Henstra, internal/external examiner Dr. Jennifer Lynes, committee members

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Call for Abstracts: Canada Defence 2035 Symposium

The Balsillie School of International Affairs and the University of Waterloo’s School of Social, Political and Historical Research invite submissions for its Canada Defence 2035 Symposium, which will take place January 19–20, 2027. As Canada enters a period of significant defence transformation, the symposium will bring together scholars, policymakers, industry leaders, defence practitioners, and allied

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PhD Candidate Yazgulu Sezgin Successfully Defends Her Dissertation

The Balsillie School community extends warm congratulations to Yazgulu Sezgin, who successfully defended her dissertation, “Between Policy and Practice: Gendered Precarity and the Experiences of Syrian Refugees in Türkiye” on August 20, 2026. We extend thanks to Lana’s supervisor Dr. Kim Rygiel, committee members Dr. Secil Dagtas and Dr. Suzan Ilcan, internal/external examiner Dr. Bree

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PhD Candidate Lana Gonzalez Balyk Successfully Defends Her Dissertation

The Balsillie School community extends warm congratulations to Lana Gonzalez Balyk, who successfully defended her dissertation, “Everyday Infrastructures of Negotiation: Borders, Xenophobia, and Belonging among Latin American Migrant Women in Portugal” on August 14, 2026. We extend thanks to Lana’s supervisor Dr. Suzan Ilcan, committee members Dr. Secil Dagtas and Dr. Kim Rygiel, internal/external examiner

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Dispatch from the UN Development Programme in Lao PDR: Prishaa Rajalathan’s Third Blog From the Field

Photo credit: Prishaa Rajalathan By Prishaa Rajalathan, MDP In my last blog, I wrote that mobilizing finance is a capability problem before it is a money problem, and that capability gets built one concept note at a time. This final dispatch picks up from there. Once the money arrives, or once a country decides to raise

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PhD Candidate Sarah Murray Successfully Defends Her Dissertation

The Balsillie School community extends warm congratulations to Sarah Murray, who successfully defended her dissertation, “Constructing Access: Canada and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” on August 7, 2026. We extend thanks to Sarah’s advisor Dr. Alistair Edgar, committee members Dr. Bree Akesson and Dr. Andrew Thompson, internal/external examiner Dr. Stacey Wilson

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Dispatch from the UN Development Programme in Lao PDR: Prishaa Rajalathan’s Second Blog From the Field

Photo credit: Prishaa Rajalathan By Prishaa Rajalathan, MDP I ended my first blog with the idea that a climate plan is only as strong as the communities it is built with. This blog explores what happens upstream of that, the point where an idea becomes a proposal, and a proposal becomes the investment needed to turn

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MIPP Student Named 2026 International Policy Ideas Challenge Winner

The Balsillie School is proud to congratulate Master of International Public Policy student Matthew Sunil, who has been named one of the winners of the International Policy Ideas Challenge 2026. Managed by Global Affairs Canada in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, this annual initiative celebrates Canada’s emerging policy leaders by inviting

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The BSIA is closed Monday, January 26th due to severe weather and local travel conditions.