BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Balsillie School of International Affairs - ECPv6.16.4//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Balsillie School of International Affairs X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://balsillieschool.ca X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Balsillie School of International Affairs REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260807T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260807T140000 DTSTAMP:20260628T133827 CREATED:20260624T183737Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260624T183737Z UID:68025-1786096800-1786111200@balsillieschool.ca SUMMARY:PhD Dissertation Defence: Constructing Access: Canada and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities DESCRIPTION:Sarah Murray‘s dissertation defence. \nThis dissertation examines Canada’s relationship with the international disability rights movement\, investigating the gap between the country’s international commitments and its domestic implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Grounded in social constructivism and the Norm Life Cycle Model (NLCM)\, and drawing on archival records from Global Affairs Canada\, this research traces the evolution of disability rights from norm emergence to contested internalization. \nThe dissertation is composed of three interconnected manuscripts. The first manuscript explores the “norm emergence” stage\, demonstrating how Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (DPOs) acted as norm entrepreneurs to successfully challenge entrenched medical models and reframe disability as a fundamental human rights issue during the drafting of the CRPD. The second manuscript analyzes the “norm cascade” by contrasting Canada’s enthusiastic diplomatic support for the CRPD with its obstructionist stance toward the regional Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (CIADDIS). It argues that Canada’s engagement was driven more by a desire to preserve its global human rights reputation than a uniform commitment to disability rights. \nThe third manuscript assesses the “internalization” of the CRPD in Canada post-ratification\, finding that despite legislative milestones like the 2019 Accessible Canada Act\, disability rights remain in a state of dynamic contestation. By examining Canada’s COVID-19 critical care triage protocols and the expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)\, the research reveals that utilitarian and biomedical norms continually conflict with the state’s disability rights obligations. Ultimately\, this dissertation argues that for Canada to bridge the gap between “norm talk” and “norm action\,” the state must shift from rhetorical adherence to structural transformation. \nChairperson: Dr. Sunny Wang\nAdvisor: Dr. Alistair Edgar\nCommittee: Dr. Bree Akesson and Dr. Andrew Thompson\nInternal/External: Stacey Wilson Forsberg\nExternal: Dr. David Ross Black\, Dalhousie University \nIf you are interested in attending this defence\, please email events@balsillieschool.ca. Please note that spaces are limited. Confirmation will be sent to selected attendees prior to the defence date. URL:https://balsillieschool.ca/event/phd-dissertation-defence-constructing-access-canada-and-the-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/ CATEGORIES:PhD Dissertation Defence ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://balsillieschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sarah-Murray-Dissertation-Defence.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260810T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260820T160000 DTSTAMP:20260628T133827 CREATED:20260527T194652Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260626T192501Z UID:67548-1786352400-1787241600@balsillieschool.ca SUMMARY:2026 Technology Governance Summer School DESCRIPTION:Course Director:\nProfessor Ann Fitz-Gerald \nThis course provides graduate students with an in-depth understanding of the technology-policy nexus—an interface that is critical for effective policy analysis and implementation. \nEnrolled students will participate in expert-led lectures\, interactive discussions\, applied case studies\, and policy-oriented group exercises. The course will also include presentations by leading scholars and practitioners\, examining the governance challenges and opportunities arising from society’s digital transformation. Upon successful completion\, participants will receive a certificate. \nProgram Structure \nWeek 1: The New General-Purpose Infrastructure \nThis first week explores the foundational building blocks of the digital age and the governance challenges emerging from them. \n\nArtificial Intelligence\, Adoption\, and Semiconductors\nExploring AI’s developmental trajectory\, practical applications\, adoption challenges\, and the semiconductor technologies that underpin modern computing and AI systems.\nData Privacy\, Economic Prosperity\, and Intangible Assets\nExamining how privacy frameworks\, data governance\, and the valuation of data and intangible assets shape innovation\, productivity\, and economic growth.\nCybersecurity\, Sovereign Compute\, and Governance Risk\nIntroducing cybersecurity fundamentals\, Canada’s cyber posture\, sovereign compute capabilities\, and emerging challenges related to trust\, resilience\, and technology governance.\nIntellectual Property and Standards Setting\nUnderstanding how intellectual property strategies and technical standards influence innovation ecosystems\, market access\, and technological leadership.\n\nWeek 2: Navigating Digital Policy in an Era of Intangibles \nThe second week examines how emerging technologies are reshaping international trade\, economic systems\, privacy frameworks\, and security policy. \n\nA New Era of International Trade\nThe changing landscape of international trade policy in a world increasingly driven by digital assets and services.\nThe New Economy and Intangible Capital\nExploring how intangibles\, digital platforms\, and technological transformation are reshaping economic systems.\nIndustrial Policy\, Foreign Affairs\, and National Security Innovation\nAnalyzing the intersection of emerging technologies\, industrial policy\, foreign affairs strategies\, and technological innovation in the national security domain.\nSpace Governance and Emerging Frontiers\nAddressing the governance challenges and opportunities emerging in the space domain. Program wrap up.\n\nLearning outcomes: \nStudents will gain knowledge of the key concepts underlying artificial intelligence\, data economies\, cybersecurity\, digital trade\, and emerging technologies\, which are reshaping global governance\, economic competitiveness\, and national security. \nWho should attend: \nThis interdisciplinary course is designed for graduate students at Canadian universities from policy\, social science\, and STEM backgrounds who wish to deepen their understanding of the technology-policy nexus. \nDelivery: \nThe course will be delivered in-person at the Balsillie School of International Affairs\, with sessions held from August 10th to August 20th\, Monday through Thursday\, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Daily lunch and refreshments are included in the registration fee. \nGraduates receive verifiable and traceable certificates through MyCreds® to help them showcase the skills gained in the program to their networks and future employers. \nRegistration and Fees: \nInterested students must register and pay the course fee by July 31\, 2026. \n\nStandard Fee: $499\nEarly Bird Rate: $399 (use code EARLYBIRD – valid until June 30\, 2026)\nBSIA student rate: $250\n\n\n\n \n \n 2026 Technology Governance Summer School Registration\n \n \n Full Name(Required)\n \n \n First\n \n \n \n \n Last\n \n \n \n E-mail address(Required)Please use your institutional email address.University(Required)Please write the name of your university.Program(Required)Please write your program title.Please provide a short statement of interest in this program\, indicating your research interests and what you hope to learn or achieve from it:(Required)Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions:(Required)(e.g. vegan\, vegetarian\, gluten-free\, nut allergy\, other allergies or N/A)\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nPay here\nThis button will take you to an external website to pay with a credit card. \nIf you would like to pay via e-transfer\, please contact info@balsillieschool.ca. \n\nRegistrations are open until July 31.\nParticipants have until August 3rd to withdraw from the program and receive a full refund. Withdrawals after this date will not be refunded.\nPartial refunds for missed days during the program due to illness or personal reasons may be issued on a case-by-case basis\, upon request to the program organizer. URL:https://balsillieschool.ca/event/2026-technology-governance-summer-school/ CATEGORIES:Technology Governance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://balsillieschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CampusCrtyard_blueskies-cropped.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR