Hope Elizabeth Tracey is a Ph.D. candidate at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and the University of Waterloo, specializing in the field of Global Environmental Governance. Hope earned an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Waterloo in 2022, and a B.A. in History from the University of Western Ontario in 2019.

Hope’s Master’s Research Paper (MRP) “Fragmentation & The Frozen Commons: The Regime Complex for Bioprospecting in Antarctica” sought to further understandings as to why bioprospecting governance has faced stagnation under the Antarctic Treaty System over the past twenty years. The paper utilized regime complex theory, exploring the relevant regulatory regimes of the CBD, UNCLOS, and TRIPS to describe the macro-level of governance that contributes to legislative discussion and policy formulation for the subject area. Ultimately, the paper explored the extent to which the structure of the regime complex governing bioprospecting in Antarctica provides an integrated or disconnected approach, pointing to key areas of tension/incoherence that must be considered in future regime design.

During her M.A., Hope worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Department of Political Science, assisting in the second-year undergraduate courses of ‘World Politics’ and ‘Modern Political Theory.’ Additionally, Hope completed a co-op term as a Research Assistant for the sustainability social enterprise ‘EnvironFocus Incorporated,’ where she worked as the lead on the Safe Drinking Water Project, an ESG initiative to help Nigerian communities gain access to safe, clean drinking water. Hope also worked as the lead on a Sustainability Webinar Series, educating the public on the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals via monthly webinars hosting guest speakers from all across the globe.

Since completing her M.A., Hope has worked as a Research Associate for Dr. Neil Craik (in affiliation with the SEED Department of UW) on the SSHRC Insight Grant Project “The International Law of the Commons: Towards a Global Constitutionalist Framework.” Research undertaken has included a further analysis of the Antarctic bioprospecting regime complex; an analysis of the institutional structure of the ISA; the regime complex governing marine geoengineering; and the BBNJ negotiations and Draft Treaty.

Hope’s doctoral research will continue to expand upon the work completed during her MA studies, specifically exploring the potentially disruptive impact of transformative technologies (geoengineering [CDR/SRM], deep-sea mining, and bioprospecting) on the resource governance of global commons spaces via an interdisciplinary, regime complexity, and global constitutionalist framework.