Can Technology “Save” Us? Opportunities to Advance Water Security and Health in a Changing Climate
2024-11-07 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Toronto) | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
This lecture is a part of the STEM for Global Resilience Research Cluster Coffee Chat Series.
About the Speaker
Dr. Monica Emelko is a Professor and the Canada Research Chair in Water Science, Technology & Policy at the University of Waterloo. She is a Professional Engineer and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Her research is focused on water treatment and risk analysis for public health protection and has informed water regulations globally including the suite of U.S. Surface Water Treatment Rules and their international equivalents. Her team was the first globally to describe wildfire effects on water treatability and received the Canadian Council of the Federation Award of Excellence in Water Stewardship in 2014. Monica leads “forWater” a Canada-wide and internationally-partnered research network of academics, water utilities, government agencies, industrial, and NGOs focused on maximizing benefit from concurrent landscape management approaches for drinking water source protection and enhanced resilience in water treatment, operations, and risk management.

Book Launch: Gender and the Global Land Grab: A Feminist Global Governance Approach
2024-11-12 12:00 - 13:20 | Room 1-42, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Please join us for panel discussion to celebrate the launch of Gender and the Global Land Grab: A Feminist Global Governance Approach.
Panelists include Dr. Derek Hall (WLU), Dr. Helena Shilomboleni (UWaterloo), Rachael Vriezen (PhD Candidate, BSIA/UWaterloo), and Andrea M. Collins (UWaterloo)
Gender and the Global Land Grab introduces a feminist conceptual framework to analyze land governance policy around the world. Andrea M. Collins shows how gender norms, biases, and expectations shape land politics at different levels of governance and the implications for women in rural communities. Drawing on examples from sub-Saharan Africa and with an in-depth case study of land politics in Tanzania, the book assesses guidelines developed by institutions such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Bank to highlight essential considerations for developing and implementing gender-transformative policy.
About the Speaker
Dr. Andrea M. Collins is an Associate Professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo and the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Dr. Collins researches gender and global environmental governance, with a focus on agriculture, land, and food politics. Her research has been published in Journal of Peasant Studies, Global Governance, International Feminist Journal of Politics, Journal of Agrarian Change, and Globalizations. Her first book – Gender and the Global Grab – was published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in 2024.

Local Politics in an Authoritarian State: The Significance of Municipalities in Turkey
2024-11-14 12:00 - 13:30 | Hybrid – Zoom and room 142, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Most commentary on Turkish politics has focused on the government’s increasing authoritarian nature at the national level. Despite their limited authority, however, local governments are important sites for understanding the limits of state power and mobilizing new political alliances, as seen in the unexpected victory of opposition candidates in the 2019 municipal elections and the prominent role of the mayors of Ankara and Istanbul in the general elections of 2023. The main opposition party won the 2024 local elections in most provinces, leading to the worst electoral defeat for the government of Erdogan in over two decades. This talk will examine the significance of local politics as spaces for contesting democratic backsliding in Turkey.
About the Speaker
Zeynep Kadirbeyoglu, a Remote Visiting Researcher at Wilfrid Laurier University and an IPC-Mercator Fellow at Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey, is a political scientist interested in political ecology, decentralization, local governments, civil society organizations, and citizenship. She worked as a faculty member at the Department of Political Science and International Relations (Boğaziçi University) and was the Faculty Leave Fellow at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University during the academic year 2023-24. She is a member of Turkey’s interdisciplinary political ecology working group and the Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice based in the UK. She is the country expert (Turkey) for the European University Institute Global Citizenship Observatory. She received her PhD from McGill University and her MPhil from the University of Cambridge.

A Conversation with the Honourable Michael Chong on Canadian Foreign Policy Issues
2024-11-14 14:00 - 15:00 | Room 1-42, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
The Balsillie School and CIGI communities are invited to join the Honourable Michael Chong, Minister of Parliament and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, for a conversation about Canadian foreign policy issues.
The Honourable Michael Chong, P.C., M.P., Wellington-Halton Hills
Michael Chong was first elected to Parliament in 2004 and represents the riding of Wellington-Halton Hills. He currently serves as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs for the Official Opposition.
Michael has served in the federal cabinet as President of the Queen’s Privy Council, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Minister for Sport. Michael has also served as Chair of several House of Commons Standing Committees (Industry, Science and Technology; Canadian Heritage; Official Languages). He is a co-founder and member of the All-Party Climate Caucus since it was formed in 2011.
In 2015, Michael’s Reform Act passed Parliament and became law. The Reform Act begins to address a long-standing problem in Ottawa: the concentration of power in party leaders. It gives MPs more power to represent their constituents and Canadians. Michael was able to reach across the aisle and work with members from other parties to secure the bill’s passage.
Before his election, Michael was the Chief Information Officer for the National Hockey League Players’ Association and an advisor to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority for the redevelopment of Pearson International Airport. Prior to these positions, he held senior IT roles in the financial services sector.
Michael co-founded the Dominion Institute, now known as Historica Canada, an organization committed to raising Canadians’ awareness of history and civics. He currently sits on its Board of Governors. Michael also sits on the Board of the Friends of Rouge National Urban Park and the Advisory Committee for the Institute for Change Leaders.
Michael attended Trinity College in the University of Toronto where he obtained a degree in philosophy.
Born in 1971, Michael grew up just outside of Fergus in Wellington County, Ontario, where he and his family continue to live. In 2002, Michael married Carrie Davidson and together they have three sons, William, Alistair, and Cameron.

Digital Media, Coups, and Power Grabs in Africa: Implications for Leadership
2024-11-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
The Africa Forum, in collaboration with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, presents a thought-provoking panel discussion on the impact of digital media in the context of recent coups and power shifts across Africa. As political dynamics shift rapidly, the role of digital platforms has become more critical than ever in shaping both perception and reality. This event will delve into the essential function of digital media in influencing governance, leadership, and public perception throughout the continent. Join us as experts explore how digital media shapes narratives, empowers voices, and potentially reshapes Africa’s political landscape in this transformative era.
About the Panelists

Dr. Nicodemus Minde is a researcher and academic specializing in peace, security, governance, and international relations in East Africa. He works with the East Africa Peace and Security and Governance Project (EAPSG) at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Nairobi, Kenya. He is also an adjunct lecturer in International Relations at the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) in Nairobi. Dr. Minde holds a PhD in International Relations from USIU-Africa. His research interests include major powers in Africa, foreign policy, peace and conflict in the Horn of Africa, political parties, democratization, and the political history of Tanzania and Zanzibar. In 2023, he was a visiting InteRussia Fellow at MGIMO University in Moscow. He has also received notable recognition, including the Africa Peacebuilding Network (APN) Research Grant in 2013 and the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships (2017/2020).
Melaine Nsaikila is an economic policy analyst and development professional with deep expertise in policy analysis, research, monitoring and evaluation, and custom software engineering. He earned a Master’s in Economics as a Fulbright Scholar at Western Illinois University and has experience across INGOs, NGOs, IGOs, and the corporate sector. Melaine has held pivotal roles, including Researcher at the African Union and Senior Analyst in Custom Software Engineering at Accenture in Mauritius, where he led projects in research, predictive analytics, and policy engagement. Currently, he serves as Senior Assessment Officer and focal point for Site Management for IMPACT Initiatives’ Sudan Mission, focusing on research for internally displaced populations. With skills in Power BI, Salesforce, SAS, and SQL, he adeptly navigates complex policies and data analysis. Melaine has written and reflected on issues in relation to but not limited to governance, education and the need for the adoption of an evidence framework to African policy-making. His analytical rigor and dedication to driving development impact stand out.
Halima Ahmed is a seasoned peace, security, and development practitioner with six years of experience in the Horn of Africa region, focusing on Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. Her work spans policy development, advocacy initiatives, and research, addressing complex developmental challenges across the region. Passionate about staying abreast of the latest research and trends in her field, she possesses the ability to synthesize complex information for diverse audiences. In her previous role as an Independent Consultant in Policy and Research Analysis, she made significant contributions to the development of policy recommendations and reports. Through her adept rapporteuring, these outputs have played a crucial role in informing decision-making at both national and regional levels.
Currently pursuing a PhD in Global Governance at Balsillie School of International Affairs, she focuses on areas of migration, citizenship, and identity crisis, and contributes as a researcher for MiFood Networks. With a bachelor’s degree in international relations and diplomacy and a master’s degree in Development Studies, Ms. Ahmed brings a wealth of academic knowledge and practical experience to her role. Over the past six years, she has immersed herself in Policy Advocacy, Research, and Academia, consistently engaging with developmental issues in Sub-Saharan Africa to empower local communities with knowledge. Ms. Ahmed previously served as a Peace, Security, and Development Early Career Fellow at the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London.
Ms. Ahmed has a proven track record of collaborating with government agencies, CSO’s, NGOs, and think tanks. Proficient in various policy-oriented research analysis and skilled in using statistical software and tools, she effectively visualizes and communicates data to inform policies.
Moderator: Ann Fitz-Gerald, Director, Balsillie School of international Affairs
Discussant: Abdi Issa, PhD in Global Governance Candidate

Mapping Out the Global Innovation Landscape Conference
2024-11-21 09:00 - 15:00 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Register now for Mapping out the Global Innovation Landscape live-streamed panel discussions on November 21st!
Hear from scholars, experts, and innovators about international opportunities in emerging tech sectors like AI, biotechnology, quantum, and more. This one-day conference will feature three panels to help develop a report on how Canada can strategically engage with international partners in science and technology.
For more information: Mapping out the global innovation landscape conference | Waterloo International | University of Waterloo
To register: Registration for live-stream panels | Waterloo International | University of Waterloo
This workshop is partially funded by a Balsillie School workshop grant.

Violent Intimacies: The Trans Everyday and the Making of an Urban World
2024-11-28 12:00 - 13:30 | Hybrid – room 143 and Zoom, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
In Violent Intimacies, which won the 2024 Ruth Benedict Prize from the Association for Queer Anthropology, Aslı Zengin traces how trans people in Turkey creatively negotiate and resist everyday cisheteronormative violence. Drawing on the history and ethnography of the trans communal life in Istanbul, Zengin develops an understanding of cisheteronormative violence that expands beyond sex, gender and sexuality. She shows how cisheteronormativity forms a connective tissue among neoliberal governmentality, biopolitical and necropolitical regimes, nationalist religiosity and authoritarian management of social difference. As much as trans people are shaped by these processes, they also transform them in intimate ways. Transness in Turkey provides an insightful site for developing new perspectives on statecraft, securitization and surveillance, family and kin-making, urban geography, and political life. Zengin offers the concept of violent intimacies to theorize this entangled world of the trans everyday where violence and intimacy are co-constitutive. Violent intimacies emerge from trans people’s everyday interactions with the police, religious and medical institutions, street life, family and kinship, and trans femicides and funerals. The dynamic of violent intimacies prompts new understandings of violence and intimacy and the world-making struggles of trans people in a Middle Eastern context.
About the Speaker
Aslı Zengin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Before joining Rutgers, she held postdoctoral positions at Brown, Harvard, and Brandeis Universities. Her first book, Intimacy of Power: Women Prostitutes, Sex Work and Violence in İstanbul (Iktidarin Mahremiyeti: Istanbul’da Hayat Kadinlari, Seks Isciligi ve Siddet), was published in Turkish. Her new book, Violent Intimacies: The Trans Everyday and the Making of an Urban World is recently published by Duke University Press. Her research lies at the intersection of ethnography of sex/gender non-conforming lives and deaths; medico-legal regimes of sex, gender and sexuality; critical studies of violence and sovereignty; politics of mourning and grief; as well as transnational feminist and LGBTQ movements in the Middle East with a special focus on Turkey.
This event is co-hosted with the Anthropology Department at the University of Waterloo.

MIPP and MAGG Degree Information Session
2024-11-29 12:15 - 13:30 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Looking for a Graduate degree where you can make a difference?
Join us for a virtual information session to learn about the Graduate degrees at the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

Master of International Public Policy (Wilfrid Laurier University)
Master of Arts in Global Governance (University of Waterloo)

A Zoom link will be sent to you in advance of the session.
The next intake is for Fall 2025. Now is the time to apply.

PhD Dissertation Defence: “Heaven is quiet and technics are everywhere: Chinese cosmotechnics and dyadic approaches to technological practice in international relations theory”
2024-12-11 10:00 - 14:00 | Hybrid – Zoom and room 123, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Jonathan Hui‘s dissertation defence.
Abstract
What constitutes the “practical” nowadays and how is it to be assessed? Can the concept of “cosmotechnics”, how technologies align with broader cosmic goals, be refined by recourse to Chinese traditions? In responding to these questions, I argue for a relational approach that considers technology and practical thinking, or techno-praxis, as a lens for interpreting political affairs. Drawing from philosopher Yuk Hui’s concept of cosmotechnics and the Neo-Confucian ti-yong (essence – function) dyad, a framework is proposed that synthesizes the technological and practical (qi-yong) in a dyad of its own. This dyad centers practices of power as conducted via technologies and institutions, which together are dominant forms of
knowledge and action in contemporary societies. As demonstrations, the qi-yong dyad is deployed within the field of international relations and the study of world orders to see how different senses of practicality (Chinese IR theories and CCP mandates, respectively) make sense of and relate to their instruments of interest (technological use and the CCP as organization). This dissertation helps situate discussions around technology, politics, and strategic behaviour, with the aim of contributing cosmotechnics and cosmopolitics as frameworks for the 21st century. By elevating dyadic thinking and its patterning through the Chinese philosophical tradition, I aim to contribute towards analyzing, practicing, and exploring international studies within turbulent and changing times.
While qi-yong or techno-praxis are the primary dyadic center of this framework, how and in what fashion they relate are the other major theoretical focus of the dissertation. Drawing on Gregory Bateson’s theory of cultural contact, this involves making explicit the patterning of technical activities as an analytical space, and as part of general theorizations of patterning and their significance. Put succinctly, patterns are living abstractions that guide the conduct of technical activities, serving to highlight aspects of the relation of technics and practice. Such patterns can be reciprocally generative, symmetrically competitive, openly complementary, highly distanced, lopsidedly consuming, etc. As such, the patterns of techno-praxis are primarily constituted through technical knowhow and the ways they’re institutionalized and legitimized, with statecentric IR and global governance scholarship being one possibility. This dissertation sets out a framework for studying the patterned relations of technics and practices via readings of Chinese IR theorists and CCP approaches to technology under Deng Xiaoping and Xi Jinping, and attempts to bring Yuk Hui’s cosmotechnics into conversation with IR. Following his contention that the ti-yong dyad of “Western science, Chinese culture” forwarded after the Opium Wars remains dominant, there remains a desperate need for responding to how technics and technologies are integrated with human activities and practices, with practices of power being the focus of this project. In so doing, the hope is to not transcend (or discard) binaries like East/West, mind-body, or techno-praxis, but to shift towards the variety of possible relations and how their changing patterns can be constructively engaged from within.
Supervisor: Dr. Audra Mitchell
Committee: Dr. Christina Han and Dr. Jennifer Liu
Internal/External: Dr. Byron Williston
External: Dr. Astrid Nordin, Kings College London
Chairperson Dr. Tristan Long
There are limited spaces available to attend the defence. Email events@balsillieschool.ca if you would like to attend in person or virtually.

Hand in Hand? Canada at the Human Rights and Peacebuilding Nexus Book Launch
2025-01-07 12:00 - 13:30 | Hybrid – Zoom and room 142, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Please join us for a conversation with the authors and editors of Hand-in-Hand? Canada at the Human Rights and Peacebuilding Nexus. This book brings together authors from civil society and academic backgrounds who explore how foreign policy actors develop and implement policy; undertake advocacy and diplomacy and; contribute to peace and justice efforts at the nexus, in sometimes contradictory ways.
Opening Remarks
Kirsten Van Houten, Assistant Professor, School of Social Justice and Global Stewardship, University of the Fraser Valley, Adjunct Research Professor, University of Guelph and Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
Robert Engel (Sam McSammerson), Local Artist.
Overview of Chapters
Alistair D. Edgar, Associate Professor, Political Science, Associate Dean, School of International Policy & Governance, Balsillie School of International Affairs, Wilfrid Laurier University.
Deborah Stienstra, Jarislowsky Chair in Families and Work, Director, Live Work Well Research Centre, Professor, Political Science, University of Guelph.
Andrew S. Thompson, Program and Partnerships Manager, Balsillie School of International Affairs, Adjunct Professor, Political Science, University of Waterloo.
Valerie Oosterveld, Western Research Chair in International Criminal Justice, Professor, Western University Faculty of Law.
Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director, Project Ploughshares, Chair, Canadian Pugwash Group.
Concluding Remarks
Alex Neve, Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa and Dalhousie University.

9/11 and the Emerging Global Order
2025-01-09 12:00 - 13:30 | Hybrid – Zoom and room 142, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Since the late 1980s, the world has experienced a turbulent and prolonged transition to a new international order. If 9/11 demonstrated anything it is that extraordinary national power is no guarantee against political and security challenges in an interconnected world. But it must be acknowledged the massive military response of the Bush leadership to 9/11 and also the counterterrorist policies of subsequent administrations have cast a long shadow. The ‘war on terror’ emphasized pre-emptive war and US global primacy and generated expensive, bloody and unproductive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Islamophobia, the global financial crisis of 2008/09, the rise of national populism, increasing attacks on the multilateral rules-based system and COVID-19 are among the factors shaping the international transition. The trajectory of change is toward a post-hegemonic world in which small and middle powers play a larger international role, but the journey ahead is an uncertain and complex one.
About the Speaker
Robert Patman is one of the University of Otago’s Inaugural Sesquicentennial Distinguished Chairs and a specialist in international relations. He is the Director of the Master of International Studies programme. Robert has authored or edited 14 books with the most recent being a co-edited volume titled New Zealand’s Foreign Policy under the Jacinda Ardern Government: Facing the Challenge of a Disrupted World (World Scientific Publishing, March 2024). He is currently writing a book on Rethinking the Global Impact of 9/11. Robert is an Honorary Professor of the New Zealand Defence Command and Staff College and makes regular contributions to the national and global media on international issues. He is also the winner of the New Zealand Universities’ 2024 Critic and Conscience of Society Award.

Saving Their Homes, Saving Their Forest: Environmental Justice in İkizköy, Turkey
2025-01-13 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Development projects, particularly those related to mining and energy production, often result in profound environmental injustices including the displacement of local populations. These injustices can manifest in various forms—distributive, recognitional, and procedural—disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. In many cases, standardized programs designed to address Development-Induced Displacement and Resettlement (DIDR) are lacking or offer little relief while ecological modernization and technological fixes fail to achieve justice for affected communities. These are mainly driven by profit motives and economic growth imperatives of states and corporations. This talk will explore the resistance of the İkizköy peasants against mining-related injustices in Turkey, who have been fighting against the expansion of a local coal mine that threatens their homes, land and the surrounding forest. In focusing on İkizköy, I aim to illustrate how grassroots movements can challenge both environmental degradation and socio-economic displacement, emphasizing the need for more equitable and inclusive approaches.
About the Speaker
Baran Alp Uncu is a political sociologist who is currently one of the Remote Visiting Researchers with the Balsillie School and Department of Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University. His main fields of interest are social movements, civil society, globalization, climate politics, political ecology, and urban studies. He holds an MA from McGill University and a PhD from the London School of Economics. He worked as a faculty member at Marmara University between 2007-2017. He continues his academic work as an independent researcher in collaboration with civil society organizations and research institutions. He is also the editor of IPA Istanbul Journal, an urban affairs journal by Istanbul Planning Agency.

PhD Dissertation Defence: “Foreign Models and Discordant Outcomes in Nairobi's Food System”
2025-01-15 14:00 - 18:00 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Jeremy Wagner‘s dissertation defence.
Abstract
This dissertation critically examines the transformation of Nairobi’s food system within the context of rapid urbanization, retail liberalization, and the growing influence of supermarket economies. Drawing on extensive data from household surveys, policy analysis, and documentation research, it investigates the application of food system models—such as the supermarket revolution and food desert concepts—within the specific socio-economic and cultural dynamics of Nairobi. The findings reveal significant discordance between theoretical models developed in Global North contexts and the lived realities of Nairobi’s food system, which remains deeply intertwined with informal food economies. Despite the proliferation of supermarkets, informal food vendors continue to play a critical role in ensuring food security for low-income residents. Moreover, the study highlights the nuanced interplay of governance, inequality, and market dynamics, calling into question the efficacy of conventional models for addressing urban food security in the Global South.
The findings reveal the limitations of Global North-centric models in capturing the complexities of Nairobi’s food landscape. The supermarket revolution framework, which assumes linear retail formalization and enhanced food security, fails to account for the resilience of informal food economies. Informal vendors remain central to food security for low-income residents, offering accessible and culturally appropriate options. Conversely, supermarkets cater primarily to middle- and upper-income groups, with minimal impact on the food access challenges faced by lower-income households. The study also critiques the food desert concept, traditionally based on supermarket proximity, as inadequate for Nairobi’s context. Diverse food sources—including kiosks, street vendors, and informal markets—play a vital role in meeting residents’ food needs. Supermarkets contribute to the nutrition transition by promoting processed foods rather than addressing malnutrition or inequality. The persistence of informal food economies challenges assumptions of their displacement by formal retail development, demonstrating their enduring importance.
Governance emerges as a central theme, highlighting the tension between formal retail growth and the livelihoods of informal food vendors. The study critiques the exploitative practices of multinational retailers in local supply chains and the policy focus on formalization at the expense of inclusivity. Contributing to the fields of Southern urbanism, food systems, and global governance, this research challenges Eurocentric models and emphasizes the need for context-specific approaches in the Global South. It applies systems thinking to provide a nuanced understanding of Nairobi’s food system, underscoring the dynamic interplay between formal and informal systems. The dissertation concludes with a call for a paradigm shift in urban food security research and policymaking. Moving beyond simplistic, one-size- fits-all models, it advocates for inclusive strategies that prioritize local realities, equity, and resilience, providing a pathway for more sustainable and equitable urban food systems in the Global South.
Supervisor: Dr. Jonathan Crush
Committee: Dr. Andrea Brown and Dr. Bruce Frayne
Internal/External: Dr. Chris Anderson
External: Dr. Godwin Arku, University of Western Ontario
Chairperson Dr. Kathleen Clark

The Dilemma of Driving Energy Transition through Markets: Insights from the Chilean Experience
2025-01-16 11:00 - 12:00 | ON
One strong belief across various energy transition strategies in several countries is the principle of ‘letting markets work.’ By conducting the energy transition through markets, governments often expect that competition and entrepreneurship will lead to the emergence of new actors, technologies, and patterns capable of ‘unlocking’ what was previously inaccessible. Markets are seen as way to fix the energy transition in a single step. However, in practice, it becomes evident that as countries advance in their energy transition and renewables take on a significant share, markets become increasingly complex with multiple dimensions. The ‘letting markets work’ principle proves insufficient to address the nuanced challenges of the energy transition effectively. In this presentation, we explore this concept through empirical lessons drawn from the Chilean context.
About the Speaker
Dr. Shahriyar Nasirov. Dr. Nasirov holds a PhD in Economics and Policies and has over 15 years of interdisciplinary research experience in the energy industry, primarily in Europe and Latin America. Currently, he is a visiting professor at the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) at the University of Waterloo. Additionally, he serves as an Associate Research Professor at the Center for Energy Transition (CENTRA UAI) at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI) in Chile. Dr. Nasirov led the creation of the Executive Master’s Program in Technologies and Management of Renewable Energies (MERE) and served as its first director. Previously, he was a visiting PhD researcher at the Department of East Asia (Energy Division) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, Philippines.

Book talk: My Brother, My Land: A Story from Palestine
2025-01-20 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
In 1967, Sireen Sawalha’s mother, with her young children, walked back to Palestine against the traffic of exile. My Brother, My Land is the story of Sireen’s family in the decades that followed and their lives in the Palestinian village of Kufr Ra’i. From Sireen’s early life growing up in the shadow of the ’67 War and her family’s work as farmers caring for their land, to the involvement of her brother Iyad in armed resistance in the First and Second Intifada, Sami Hermez, with Sireen Sawalha, crafts a rich story of intertwining voices, mixing genres of oral history, memoir, and creative nonfiction. Through the lives of the Sawalha family, Hermez confronts readers with the politics and complexities of armed resistance and the ethical tensions and contradictions that arise, as well as with the dispossession and suffocation of people living under occupation and their ordinary lives in such times. Whether this story leaves readers discomforted, angry, or empowered, they will certainly emerge with a deeper understanding of the Palestinian predicament.
About the Speakers
Sami Hermez, PhD, is the director of the Liberal Arts Program and associate professor of anthropology at Northwestern University in Qatar. He obtained his doctorate degree from the Department of Anthropology at Princeton University. He is the author of War is Coming: Between Past and Future Violence in Lebanon (UPenn 2017), which focuses on the everyday life of political violence in Lebanon and how people recollect and anticipate this violence, and My Brother, My Land: A Story from Palestine (Stanford 2024), that tells the story of a Palestinian family resisting ongoing Israeli settler colonialism. His broader research concerns include the study of social movements, the state, the future, memory, violence, and critical security in the Arab World.
Sireen Sawalha, born in the small village of Kufr Rai in Jenin, Palestine, comes from a family deeply connected to the region’s rich history. She moved to the US in 1990 and completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Rider University. Recognized by Cornell University for her outstanding contributions to education in 2022, Sireen serves as a social studies teacher in New Jersey. Beyond academia, she is a passionate chef and compelling storyteller, sharing her family’s experiences under occupation. Sireen raises awareness about Palestinian culture and actively contributes to the struggle for Palestinian freedom. My Brother, My Land is the story of her family.

Book Launch: Proprietary Settler Colonialism and the Making of North America
2025-01-21 11:30 - 12:30 | Room 1-42, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
This event is open to the BSIA community, including all UW and Laurier faculty and students, and CIGI colleagues.
Please join the Global Political Economy Research Cluster for a lunchtime conversation about Heather Whiteside ‘s new book Proprietary Settler Colonialism and the Making of North America. Dr. Whiteside will provide an overview of the book, followed by reflections on the book by Dr. Susan Brophy (St. Jerome’s University) and Dr. Eric Helleiner (University of Waterloo). A light lunch will be provided to attendees.
The mythic story of English America’s origins has long focused on the Mayflower pilgrims and their 1620 democratic compact. Less well known are the activities of the leading joint-stock royal charter companies that established colonial settlements like those of the Virginia and Hudson’s Bay Companies. Operating in ways often independent of the Crown, these for-profit companies established communities, trade routes and legal regimes in what Whiteside terms “proprietary settler colonialism,” all of which were pivotal in shaping the political-economic transformation of British North American colonies and their capitalist evolution. The fortunes of these company colonies were built on unfree labour, the appropriation of land and displacement of Indigenous peoples. The book explores the consequences of colonizing companies’ activities by connecting their historical significance to contemporary struggles for reconciliation, decolonization and reclamation.
About the Speakers
Dr. Heather Whiteside is Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo. Before this latest book, her previous single-authored book, Capitalist Political Economy: Thinkers and Theories (Routledge, 2020), won the 2022 Rik Davidson/Studies in Political Economy Book Prize.

Dr. Susan Brophy is Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Legal Studies, St. Jerome’s University. Her latest book, A Legacy of Exploitation: Early Capitalism in the Red River Colony, 1763-1821 (UBC Press, 2022), won the 2023 Clio Prize, The Prairies, Canadian Historical Association.

Dr. Eric Helleiner is Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo. His latest book, The Contested World Economy: The Deep and Global Roots of International Political Economy (Cambridge University Press, 2023), won the 2023 IPE Best Book Award of the International Studies Association.

Tariffs and Trade in the Wake of a New Trump Administration
2025-01-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Join the webinar, starting at 12:00 pm ET, using this link: https://cigionline-org.zoom.us/j/81072347870?pwd=[REDACTED]
Should we take President Trump’s trade threats seriously? What’s the real source of America’s trade troubles? And do we know – does Trump even know – what he wants?
About the Speakers

Dr. Patricia Goff specializes in international political economy, international relations theory, and international organization, with a particular interest in trade and the cultural capacity of international organizations. She is co-editor (with Kevin C. Dunn) of Identity and Global Politics: Theoretical and Empirical Elaborations (Palgrave, 2004) and co-editor (with Paul Heinbecker) of Irrelevant or Indispensable?: The United Nations in the 21st Century (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2005). She is also author of Limits to Liberalization: Local Culture in a Global Marketplace (Cornell University Press: 2007) and co-author (with Jörg broschek) of The Multilevel Politics of Trade (University of Toronto Press: 2020).
Dr. John Hancock works at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, where he has served as senior policy advisor to the Director-General, representative to the IMF and World Bank, and head of policy development. He spearheaded the launch of the WTO’s Aid-for-Trade Initiative, as well as the recent ‘Joint Initiatives’ on investment facilitation and other emerging issues. Prior to joining the WTO, John was senior advisor to Canada’s trade minister. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University, has written and spoken frequently on international issues.
Dr. Bob Koopman is currently Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer at American Universities School of International Service where his research focuses on the impact of trade and trade policy on economic development and growth. Bob previously served as the Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization and an Adjunct Professor of International Economics at the Graduate Institute, Geneva from 2014 to 2022. At the WTO Bob served as Chief Economic Counsellor to the Director General, and provided the WTO Secretariat and Member Countries with analysis and information that promoted a deeper understanding of trade and trade policy’s role in economic growth and development. Bob also served as the WTO representative to the G20 Trade and Investment Working Group and the G20 Framework Group. He is a research associate of CEPR, London, serves on numerous advisory boards, and is an editor of the Springer Series on Advances in Applied General Equilibrium Modeling.
Dr. Miguel Ángel Santos is the Dean at Monterrey and sits on the APSIA Executive Committee. An expert in public development policies and the author of numerous academic and media articles and collective books, he worked for seven years at Harvard Kennedy School, as an adjunct professor and director of applied research at the Harvard Growth Lab. From there, he led multidisciplinary teams in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to assist national and regional governments in their growth and development strategies. He was a visiting professor at the London School of Economics, LSE, in the United Kingdom, and director of the Growth Co-Lab, a joint initiative of LSE and Harvard.
This event is co-hosted by American University and the Global Political Economy and STEM for Global Resilience Research Clusters at the Balsillie School.

Net Zero and Canadian Climate Policy Speaker Series: Foundations
2025-02-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Hybrid – Zoom and room 142, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Please join the Environment and Resources Research Cluster as they kick off their Net Zero and Canadian Climate Policy Speaker Series!
The series is intended to provide a forum for reflecting on Net Zero as a key climate policy tool for Canada and understanding the challenges associated with its implementation, as we move into a more uncertain climate policy future.
Dr. Donner will provide background on the Net Zero concept, how it works as a policy tool for mitigation and transformation, and what role it plays in Canada’s climate policy approach. He will then discuss the role of the Net Zero Advisory Body in Canada’s climate policy architecture.
About the Speaker

Dr. Simon Donner is a climate scientist focused on helping the world prevent and prepare for climate change. His research program lies primarily at the intersection of climate change science, marine science, and policy. The specific research areas evolve over time in response to advances in climate change knowledge and to real-world events. Donner takes his privileged position as a Professor of Climate Science at the University of British Columbia seriously, and spends a lot of his time translating the science of climate change to different audiences in hopes of helping people make better decisions about the future. He was a lead author on the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment and serves as an appointed member of Canada’s Net-Zero Advisory Body, which advises the federal government on achieving net-zero emissions.

Protecting Civilians in Turbulent Times: An Interdisciplinary Workshop
2025-02-06 09:00 - 2025-02-07 13:30 | In Person, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Featuring Jennifer Welsh (McGill University), Daniel Levine-Spound (Harvard University), Emily Paddon Rhoads (Swarthmore College), Diego Da Rin (International Crisis Group) and more.
With more than 100 active armed conflicts currently raging around the world, the international crisis-response toolkit seems no longer fit for purpose. Parties to armed conflict display little concern for international humanitarian law, the UN Security Council is once again paralyzed by great-power discord while the Responsibility to Protect doctrine – adopted by UN member states in 2005 as a means of preventing mass atrocity crimes – now appears to be an artefact of a more hopeful era of liberal internationalism. At the same time, the most prominent contemporary agents of civilian protection – peacekeepers and humanitarians – are increasingly underfunded, unsupported, and under pressure to do more with less in the world’s most dangerous and difficult environments. Little wonder, then, that the UN Secretary General recently described the global landscape for civilian protection as ‘resoundingly grim.’
In the wider context of a multilateral system in crisis, this two-day workshop aims to take stock of the human consequences of an era marked simultaneously by a steep rise in violent conflict and a sharp decline in the will and capacity to alleviate the human suffering generated by such conflicts. The workshop will include thematic sessions on the state of the wider civilian protection toolkit, on both UN and African Union peacekeeping and protection of civilian mandates, on civilian self-protection strategies in the world’s ‘forgotten conflicts,’ and on the geopolitics of protection in light of ongoing crises in Ukraine and Gaza.
Workshop times:
Thursday, February 6, 9:00 am – 4:45pm
Friday, February 7, 8:45 am – 1:30pm
AGENDA
Keynote Address
For further details, contact Timothy Donais at tdonais@wlu.ca or Sophie Greco at sgreco@balsillieschool.ca

Keynote Address: Protecting Civilians in Turbulent Times
2025-02-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Room 1-42, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Professor Jennifer M. Welsh is the Canada 150 Research Chair in Global Governance and Security at McGill University in Montreal. She was previously Professor and Chair in International Relations at the European University Institute (Florence, Italy) and Professor in International Relations at the University of Oxford, where she co-founded the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict. From 2013-2016, she served as the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, on the Responsibility to Protect.
Professor Welsh is the author, co-author, and editor of several books and articles on humanitarian intervention, the evolution of the notion of the ‘responsibility to protect’ in international society, the UN Security Council, and Canadian foreign policy. Her most recent books include The Return of History: Conflict, Migration and Geopolitics in the 21st Century (2016), which was based on her CBC Massey Lectures, and The Responsibility to Prevent: Overcoming the Challenges of Atrocity Prevention (2015). She was a former recipient of a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship and a Trudeau Fellowship, and from 2014-2019 has directed a five-year European Research Council-funded project called “The Individualisation of War: Reconfiguring the Ethics, Law and Politics of Armed Conflict”. She is also a frequent media commentator on international affairs and Canadian foreign policy.
For further details, contact Timothy Donais at tdonais@wlu.ca or Sophie Greco at sgreco@balsillieschool.ca.

Argentina, Caves and Shortcuts: How Cryptocurrencies Thrive in Crisis
2025-02-11 12:00 - 13:20 | In Person, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Bitcoin, the most important and well-known cryptocurrency, was born out of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008-2009. According to its proponents, in a context of institutional mistrust, cryptocurrencies emerged as part of a larger wave of criticism toward governments and banks. Recent works in International Political Economy (IPE) and political geography explore how financial crises have pushed the embrace of these alternative monetary tools to protect people’s incomes and facilitate payments in contexts of inflation and currency controls. Argentina is a notable case of the recent uptake in bitcoin and stablecoins as a consequence of major inflationary pressures and other distortions in the economy. Argentina reveals how cryptocurrencies are not just a response to crisis, but these tools also thrive in contexts of upheaval and distortions. Crypto-coins in Argentina serve as shortcuts to access US dollars, and as concealed channels to avoid government regulation, through exchanges and wallets –known as caves– that protect regular Argentines from the hardship of economic distortions. The businesses that promote cryptocurrencies leverage arbitrage, lean toward centralization and succeed in alliance with traditional financial institutions. Rather than being antithetical to banks and governments, as their promoters often argue, cryptocurrency businesses benefit from these institutions. Drawing on field research in Buenos Aires and interviews with Argentina’s booming cryptocurrency business sector, in this presentation, Dr. Rosales explains how cryptocurrencies expand in contexts of crisis and benefit from the institutions their proponents seemingly oppose.
About the Speaker
Dr. Antulio Rosales is an Assistant Professor, Department of Social Science, York University. His research agenda focuses on the political economy of cryptocurrencies, natural resource extraction and democracy, with a special focus on Latin America. His research has appeared in journals such as the Review of International Political Economy, Energy Research and Social Science, and Development and Change.

Technicians of Culture and State: Theorizing Technopraxis in Mainland China
2025-02-13 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
This presentation theorizes the relational character of technology and authority through the concept of ‘technopraxis’: the technological expression of practical or applied thinking. Common approaches in IR consider technology in terms of material power and as tools for actors to use, however tend to neglect the co-constitutive relationship of technology and techniques with collective understandings of practicality and practical action. Drawing from Yuk Hui’s notion of ‘cosmotechnics’ and Chih-yu Shih’s framing of ‘Confucian autocracy’, I look towards mainland China and its contemporary prioritization of technological know-how alongside renewed visions of political authority in practice. Technologies are interpreted as durable cultural expressions and functional beings, and therefore mediators of practical power available to state authority. From this analysis, I theorize a relational technopraxis, one that sees Chinese state-building and technological development as part of the same process: a narrativized return towards a strong China and position of filial authority in East Asia (and beyond). Examples for such a technopraxis include the mid-19th century contrast of “Chinese learning for essence, Western learning for application” and its logical fate in a world of shifting international and neglected post-global relations, particularly regarding technological and practical thinking.
Dr. Jonathan Hui has a Ph.D from the Balsillie School of International Affairs, with research interests in the fields of futures studies, international relations, and sociology, specializing in Chinese approaches to technology and practice. His dissertation is titled “Heaven is Quiet and Technologies are Everywhere: Chinese Cosmotechnics and Dyadic Approaches to International Structure”, which sketches a theory bringing together technics and practices, as a springboard for understanding international distributions of technological and state authority. Jonathan’s longer-term work seeks to imagine technopraxis beyond (inter)nation-states towards planetary or post-global technopraxes, and the cultural and political knowledge needed for such tasks.

Net Zero and Canadian Climate Policy Speaker Series: Pathways
2025-02-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Hybrid – Zoom and room 142, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
The Net Zero and Canadian Climate Policy Speaker Series is intended to provide a forum for reflecting on Net Zero as a key climate policy tool for Canada and understanding the challenges associated with its implementation, as we move into a more uncertain climate policy future.
In this second meeting in the Series, Rick Smith will focus in on what Canada has thus far achieved with its Net Zero policy aims and reflect on what lies ahead for Canada, in the context of international political dynamics and global economic forces.
About the Speaker
Rick Smith has been President of the Canadian Climate Institute since 2021. He has spent 25 years leading organizations dedicated to improving public policy through the creation and communication of the best research and evidence. Rick has played a key role in the creation of many important new laws including Ontario’s Greenbelt, and Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan and Consumer Product Safety Act. Rick is a noted expert on the human health effects of pollution and has co-authored two books on the topic, including the international best-seller Slow Death by Rubber Duck. He holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Guelph and lives in east end Toronto.

Petroleum & Politics, Policy & Politics
2025-02-27 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
The old saying… “To pour oil on troubled waters…”, may seem appropriate in our era of inflammatory petropolitics, yet it seems more a propos to say… “To throw oil on the fire…” as we discuss petroleum policy. But, before attempting insightful commentary on Canada’s petroleum and pipelines policies, or making bad puns (sorry), drilling down into some of the facts and issues around Canada’s oil and natural gas (O&G) industries seems warranted.
Canada is the World’s 4th largest petroleum and 5th largest natural gas producer. O&G fuels our economy, forming by far our largest economic and export sectors. Yet Canadians, especially east of Winnipeg, know far more about the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens than they do about these economic pillars of Canada’s prosperity. Hockey is part of our national fabric, but O&G also produce a lot of fabric (polyester, rayon, plastics…), and keeps us mobile and warm besides.
At current production rates, Canada likely has enough oil for a century or more and certainly enough natural gas for several centuries. We export most of our oil and gas production. So why do oil tankers steam up the St Lawrence, threatening beluga, minke and humpback whales, to deliver foreign crude oil to the refineries at Levis, Québec? Why does Canada’s largest refinery in St. John, NB, rely almost entirely on foreign oil? Why do Ontario, Québec and the Maritimes import most of their natural gas from the USA? Why is there such a strong anti-pipeline lobby in Canada? Do we want or need new pipelines? And what about fueling global warming?
I have no real satisfactory answer to many of these questions, but I will try to present a few facts, a bit of history, and some random observations about the Canadian O&G industry to fuel your interest and lubricate your brain cells. Remember that between you and the dangerous outside world is a layer of oil that keeps it all together: your skin is made of cells with hydrophobic lipid (oil) walls, keeping out the water. Also, oil comes from algae – small single-celled animals with cell walls made of lipids: their bodies, plus geological processes, are responsible for the oil and much of the natural gas we produce, consume and export. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, and sometimes, oil to oil…
About the Speaker
Maurice Dusseault is Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo. Maurice started his work life as a roughneck, working a couple of years in the oil industry before returning to University in Alberta. His research over the last five decades has focused on subsurface geo-engineering, including oil and gas production.

Zainab’s Traffic: Moving Saints, Selves, and Others across Borders
2025-02-28 12:00 - 13:30 | Room 1-42, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
What is the value—religious, political, economic, or altogether social—of getting on a bus in Tehran to embark on an eight-hundred-mile journey across two international borders to the Sayyida Zainab shrine outside Damascus? Under what material conditions can such values be established, reassessed, or transgressed, and by whom? Zainab’s Traffic provides answers to these questions alongside the socially embedded—and spatially generative—encounters of ritual, mobility, desire, genealogy, and patronage along the route. Whether it is through the study of the spatial politics of saint veneration in Islam, analysis of cross-border gold trade and sanctions, or examination of pilgrims women’s desire for Syrian lingerie accompanying their pleas with the saint in marital matters, the book and this talk develops the idea of visitation as a ritual of mobility across geography, history, and category. Iranian visitors’ experiences on the road to Sayyida Zainab—emerging out of a self-described “poverty of mobility”—demonstrate the utility of a more capacious anthropological understanding of ritual than current anthropological predicaments allow for. Rather than thinking of ritual as a scripturally canonized manual for pious self-cultivation, Zainab’s Traffic approaches ziyarat as a traffic of pilgrims, goods, and ideas across Iran, Turkey, and Syria.
About the Speaker
Emrah Yıldız (he/him/o) is a sociocultural anthropologist of cross-border mobility and region formation, and author of Zainab’s Traffic: Moving Saints, Selves, and Others across Borders (University of California Press, 2024). Editor of “kaçak | qaçax | قاچاق : Fugitive Forms of Bureaucracy and Economy across Southwest Asia” (Journal of Cultural Economy 17(2) 2024) and co-editor of “Resistance Everywhere”: The Gezi Protests and Dissident Visions of Turkey (JadMag 1(4) 2014), Yıldız published research articles on saint visitation and mobility in Islam; contraband commerce and currencies under sanctions; and queer asylum, borders and their territorial states with Cultural Anthropology, d i f f e r e n c e s, Journal of Cultural Economy, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, International Journal of Middle East Studies, and Toplum ve Bilim. His short-form analyses, translations, and interviews featured in Asoo, Bianet, Counterpunch, and Jadaliyya. Yıldız works as assistant professor of anthropology and Middle East and North African studies at Northwestern University, where he serves as faculty board member for the Keyman Modern Turkish Studies Program, and founding co-convener of the Colloquium for Global Iran Studies (CoGIS). He is the 2024-2025 Global Horizons Junior Fellow at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study.
This event is hosted in partnership with the Department of Anthropology, University of Waterloo.

Film Screening and Expert Panel: “Theater of Thought”
2025-03-04 18:30 - 21:00 | CIGI Auditorium, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
The Balsillie School is pleased to partner with the Centre for International Governance Innovation to bring Werner Herzog’s documentary, “Theater of Thought” to Waterloo.
In this documentary, Werner Herzog explores the human brain, seeking to understand how it produces complex thoughts and emotions, while also considering the philosophical, ethical and social implications. The film “illuminates the technological advances that are helping people overcome brain-related illnesses, confronting conspiracy theories over implanted chips, and questioning the politics of mind control.”
The screening will be followed by a panel of experts who will explore the implications of emerging neurotechnologies.
Watch the Trailer

Higher Education Reform in Africa: Technology, Governance, and Innovation
2025-03-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
BSIA’s Africa Forum and CIGI are excited to host a dynamic conversation on higher education reform in Africa, bringing together experts in higher education policy, postcolonial studies, African development, and distance learning innovation. Drawing on practical insights from the Pan-African University Institute for Governance, Humanities, and Social Sciences (PAUGHSS) and Distance Education for Africa (DeAfrica), the discussion will explore how technology, governance, and policy intersect to reshape African universities, showcasing practical EdTech solutions while spotlighting challenges such as limited infrastructure, lingering colonial structures, and the digital divide. By examining workforce education initiatives designed to close skills gaps and promote gender equity, this exchange will highlight pathways toward equitable, future-ready institutions in alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA).
About the Panelists
Dr. Ngenge Ransom Tanyu will discuss his research on the Pan-African University Institute for Governance, Humanities, and Social Sciences (PAUGHSS) and how this institution exemplifies both the achievements and ongoing challenges in higher education transformation within the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). Drawing on interviews, policy papers, and course materials, he reveals how innovative curricula, scholarships, and diverse student populations have bolstered PAUGHSS’s prestige, while limited infrastructure and entrenched pedagogical practices continue to hinder progress. Dr. Tanyu is the founder of Africa Online & Publications Library (AOPL) and Ngenge-PostGrad Solutions (NPGS) and has authored several publications on higher education policy, postcolonial studies, and African development.
Mr. Sidiki Traore brings two decades of distance education expertise from his career starting at The World Bank to founding Distance Education for Africa (DeAfrica). Through initiatives such as the Africa Scholarship Cohort (ASC), in partnership with the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, he has awarded over 60,000 Coursera scholarships to learners across the continent, helping bridge the digital divide and promote gender equity. DeAfrica has published multiple books on program design and outcomes, along with regionally and internationally sourced business case studies contributed by participants. Mr. Traore’s work exemplifies how accessible, technology-driven education can foster sustainable development and workforce readiness in African communities.
Brandon Dickson’s doctoral research explores how sustainability decision-making in universities is shaped by multiple levels of governance, with a special focus on how institutions can effectively integrate sustainability principles. He has contributed to various academic, policy, and consulting initiatives – ranging from responsible investing in public-sector organizations to open educational resources – and published widely on education and sustainability topics. An experienced educator and community volunteer, Brandon brings a multidisciplinary perspective to the conversation.

Navigating Food Insecurity: The Impact of Remittances in Kingston During COVID-19
2025-03-11 10:00 - 11:00 | ON
MiFOOD webinar no.21
This seminar presents data on a recent city-wide study examining the role of remittances in households in Kingston. Conducted as part of a survey for the project entitled “Food (in)accessibility among remittance receiving households in Kingston in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic”, the presentation sheds light on the frequency and use of remittance among those left behind. The study therefore contributes to existing literature examining family dependence on remittances and the links between food security and remittances. The discussion offers new insight into the role of remittances in crisis scenarios, in-kind versus cash remittances, and remitting of senders based in Jamaica. The presentation is especially timely given the recent deportation policy agenda in the main destination country of Jamaican migrants. The analysis points to the need for more updated information on remittance practices in small island developing states.
About the Speakers
Natalie Dietrich Jones is Senior Research Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at the University of the West Indies Mona campus. Her interests include geographies of the border, governance of migration, and intra-regional migration in the Caribbean. Natalie is Chair of the Migration and Development Cluster, an interdisciplinary group of researchers exploring contemporary issues concerning migration in the Caribbean and its diaspora. Natalie holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in Development Policy and Management from the University of Manchester. She is currently undertaking a multi-sited project on the response to Venezuelan migration in small island developing states in the Southern Caribbean. She is also Principal Investigator for the Jamaica (Kingston) component of South-South Migration and Migrant Food Insecurity: Interactions, Impacts and Remedies (MiFood Project), a multi-city research initiative which is led by the Wilfrid Laurier University.
Dr. Stephen Johnson is an accomplished researcher with extensive experience in research methods and monitoring and evaluation methodologies. With a vast portfolio of projects and research publications focused on confronting developmental issues in Jamaica, the wider Caribbean, and the developing world, Dr. Johnson is committed to taking a pragmatic approach to development challenges. His expertise lies in advanced research methods, monitoring and evaluation, voting behaviour, user experience analysis, predictive analytics, harm reduction and behaviour modification campaigns. The British Commonwealth Scholar holds a Ph.D. in International Development from the University of Sussex, UK. He also obtained an MSc in Government and a BSc in International Relations from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. Dr. Johnson currently holds the position of Research Fellow, where he delivers lectures on Research Methods and equips graduate students with the necessary skills to conduct rigorous research. Dr. Johnson also serves as the chair of the youth development research cluster, where he fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and drives research initiatives focused on youth development.
MiFOOD is hosting a series of webinars on various topics about migration and food security that highlight the progress of the project. These webinars include conceptual discussion, empirical findings and policy analysis. Through these webinars, we intend to build a community with various stakeholders for knowledge sharing, deepen the understanding of the complex intersections between migration and food security, and facilitate the discussion of effective policy interventions. Follow the MiFOOD Twitter (Moving on Empty), Like the MiFOOD Facebook page to be notified about upcoming webinars.

Book Launch: "Titans of Industrial Agriculture"
2025-03-11 12:00 - 13:20 | Room 1-42, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Sponsored by the Waterloo Political Economy Group and the Waterloo Food Issues Group.
Please join us for a lunchtime conversation about Jennifer Clapp’s new book Titans of Industrial Agriculture: How a Few Giant Corporations Came to Dominate the Farm Sector and Why it Matters. Professor Clapp will provide a brief overview of the book followed by a panel discussion with Prof. Sarah J. Martin (Memorial University of Newfoundland, and BSIA Global Governance PhD Graduate), Prof. Bruce Muirhead (University of Waterloo), and Anastasia Papadopoulos (PhD student, Global Governance, University of Waterloo).
The event will be held in-person, and a light lunch will be served for people who register. The event is open to the BSIA community, including all UW and Laurier faculty and students, and CIGI colleagues.
About Titans of Industrial Agriculture
Every year, hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of farm machinery, fertilizer, seeds, and pesticides are sold to farmers around the world. Although agricultural inputs are a huge sector of the global economy, the lion’s share of that market is controlled by a relatively small number of very large transnational corporations. The high degree of concentration among these agribusiness titans is striking, considering that just a few hundred years ago agricultural inputs were not even marketed goods. In her new book, Titans of Industrial Agriculture (MIT Press, 2025), Dr. Jennifer Clapp explains how we got from there to here, outlining the forces that enabled this extreme concentration of power and the entrenchment of industrial agriculture.
Dr. Clapp reveals that the firms that rose to the top of these sectors benefited from distinct market, technology, and policy advantages dating back a century or more that enabled them to expand their businesses through mergers and acquisitions that made them even bigger and more powerful. These dynamics matter because the firms at the top have long shaped industrial farming practices that, in turn, have generated enormous social, ecological, and health impacts on the planet and the future of food systems. Beyond analyzing how these problems have arisen and manifested, the book examines recent efforts to address corporate power and dominance in food systems and assesses the prospects for change.
About the Speaker
Jennifer Clapp is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability and the Balsillie School of International Affairs at the University of Waterloo. She has published widely on the global governance of problems that arise at the intersection of the global economy, food security and food systems, and the natural environment. Professor Clapp is a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food). From 2019-2023, she served on the Steering Committee of the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN) of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and was Vice-Chair of that body from 2021-2023.

Independent, but sanctioned: the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
2025-03-17 12:00 - 13:30 | Hybrid – Zoom and room 142, 67 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6C2, Canada
Join the webinar here: https://cigionline-org.zoom.us/j/87034674314?pwd=[REDACTED]
The establishment of the International Criminal Court was a singular achievement, even a revolutionary one. The Court has no territorial limits on the conflicts it chooses to address or how long it takes to do so. And uniquely within the realm of international criminal justice, the ICC Prosecutor can initiate investigations independently of any state’s wishes.
Why would sovereign states agree to such sweeping powers? To answer that question, The Independence of the Prosecutor dives deeply into the origins of the international body. Laszlo Sarkany draws on interviews with key participants to analyze the negotiations that produced the novel institutional design of the Court. Case studies of Canada and the United Kingdom, which supported prosecutorial independence, and the United States and Japan, which opposed it, demonstrate that state positions depended on the values and principles of those who wielded the most power in national capitals at the time. Appendices to the book build an empirical record of the arguments made by state delegations.
The ICC offers a bulwark against the high politicization of our era. This astute investigation demonstrates that now, over twenty years after its establishment, the ICC’s innovative arrangement of having an independent prosecutor continues to move law and international criminal jurisprudence forward and directly combats impunity for mass atrocities.
About the Speaker
Dr. Laszlo Sarkany obtained a Ph.D. degree in Political Science at Western University in London where he focused on question dealing with the institutional development, evolution and design of the ICC. His publications pertain to the ICC, diplomatic efforts to support the ICC and the engagement of states with the Court. In addition, he has written a number of book reviews, including the recently published review of Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire’s ‘The Peace’ in the Canadian Journal of Political Science. Dr. Sarkany is currently teaching at Huron University College and at King’s University College at Western. Previously he taught courses at the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Renison University College. His research interests include questions dealing with the domestic impact of joining the ICC, the meaning of ‘politics’ in the work of the Court, as well as the nature and meaning of cyberwar, artificial intelligence, and, ‘skiddies.’
