Yes, Canada Is Guilty of Genocide. Now It’s Time to Act
“Canada is guilty of genocide… Now it’s time to be shocked out of complacency about ongoing structural violence against Indigenous peoples, as well as the belief that we get a free pass on human rights issues,” writes Professor Sheryl Lightfoot in The Tyee.
How Vancouver Was Forever Changed by the Tiananmen Square Massacre
We remember the Tiananmen Square massacre and how its impact changed Vancouver forever. Professor Yves Tiberghien is featured in this Daily Hive story.
A Breath of Clean Air Should Be a Human Right
Every minute of every day, a young child dies of illness caused by air pollution. Read more on actions that we can take to protect what UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment David Boyd calls our human right to clean air.
Thirty Years After Tiananmen: It’s Time to Face Facts and Join Forces
In a thought-provoking piece for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Professor Timothy Cheek writes that the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Incident is a reminder and invitation for us to review the 30 years of our relations with China.
Canada in the Crosshairs: Yves Tiberghien on The Arlene Bynon Show
Professor Yves Tiberghien is interviewed by SXM Canada Talks on Canada’s extradition treaty and how CFO Meng Wanzhou’s arrest falls within the purview of US foreign policy rather than rule of law.
Is the BC Court’s Decision on the Pipeline Bad for Climate Change?
On Friday, the BC Court of Appeal ruled against the provincial government’s attempt to introduce environmental laws that would essentially block the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. Professor George Hoberg weighs in on The Lynda Steele Show.
At Vancouver’s Clean Energy Summit, Nuclear Is Making a Play
“Note to ministers from 25 nations: Prepare to be dangerously greenwashed,” says Professor Ramana about the Clean Energy Ministerial held in Vancouver this week.
Professor Nadja Kunz Features in UBC Trek Story: Precious Resources
Assistant Professor Nadja Kunz, CRC in Mine Water Management and Stewardship, is featured in a new story in the UBC Trek magazine about sustainable development on Tahltan First Nation land.
The Country That Exiled McKinsey
Professor Julian Dierkes speaks to Propublica about a dubious project undertaken by consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and about its involvement in Mongolia.
Assistant Professor Nadja Kunz Receives Prestigious Title of Canada Research Chair in Mine Water Management and Stewardship
Assistant Professor Nadja Kunz (SPPGA, Mining Engineering) has received the prestigious title of Canada Research Chair in Mine Water Management and Stewardship at UBC. Learn more about her research.
Relations Between Canada and China at ‘Worst Since Tiananmen Square’
Relations between Canada and China are the iciest they’ve been since Tiananmen Square in the 1970s, SPPGA Professor Paul Evans tells Global News.
Student Reflections from The UBC Women in House Program
Read the reflections from UBC students who participated in the UBC Women in House Program, an innovative program hosted by the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs that is aimed at promoting a greater level of female representation in the Canadian government.
Applauding Youth Involvement in the Climate Change Fight
Following the UN Human Rights Committee’s resolution on the empowerment of children-led initiatives for the environment, SPPGA Professor and UN Rapporteur David Boyd underlines the importance of environmental advocacy by future generations.
Expelled by the Liberals, Wilson-Raybould Could be Courted by Other Parties
Justin Trudeau’s decision to expel Jody Wilson-Raybould has dealt a huge blow to the Liberal Party’s agenda. CSDI Director Max Cameron speculates about Wilson-Raybould’s party options in the upcoming election.
Rematch: Islamic Politics, Mobilisation, and the Indonesian Presidential Election
Conservative segments in Indonesia have mobilized to garner more support in the 2019 election. Observers should expect significant changes. SPPGA Professor Kai Ostwald discusses why the country’s Islamic vote has previously been under-mobilized.
B.C. Targets Asian Alternatives in Diversification Plan
“This is the year to do business with Japan.” In a time of shifting loyalties, SPPGA Faculty Associate Yves Tiberghien discusses the opportunities that the Trans-Pacific Partnership has opened up between Canada and Japan in Business in Vancouver. This story also appeared in Richmond News.
A New Boot Camp Aims to Make Politics Palatable to Canadians
The Institute for Future Legislator’s launches at Ryerson this year! IFL founder and CSDI Director, Max Cameron talks about a non-partisan boot camp that teaches students about the day-to-day life of Canadian politicians and experiments with new concepts to improve our democratic institutions.
Yves Tiberghien on CBC: The Huawei Case and Canada-China Relations
With the beginning of the Meng Wanzhou hearings, tensions between Canada and China continue to run high. SPPGA Faculty Associate Yves Tiberghien discusses the current situation with CBC RDI Economie and CBC Radio Canada.
2019 UBC National Opinion Poll on Canadian Views of China
Read the February 2019 UBC Report on Canadian Public Attitudes on China & Canada-China Relations here.
Credit Risk for Canadian Schools Over Tense Canada-China Relations Exaggerated, UBC Experts Say
In the midst of tense China-Canada relations, some fear that fewer Chinese students will choose to enroll in Canadian universities. SPPGA Faculty Associate Yves Tiberghien and Professor Paul Evans say that credit risk worries over Chinese citizens studying at Canadian universities are unwarranted. This story also appeared in the Ming Pao (Chinese only).
UN: Time to See Air Pollution as Human Rights Threat
According to SPPGA Professor David Boyd, air pollution is leading to 7 million premature deaths a year around the world, including 600,000 among children. He tells Voice of America it’s time air pollution was taken seriously as a human rights threat. This story was also featured on Arab News, India TV News and Yahoo News.
If You Don’t Like Eating Fish, You Might Be a Fan of Global Warming
“Curtailing global warming, and keeping the fish alive, is not just an ethical duty, it’s also in everybody’s best financial (and culinary) interests.” SPPGA Professor Rashid Sumaila discusses the impact of global warming on the world’s fisheries with Popular Science.
The Uncertain Future of Venezuela
MPPGA student Alessia Rodríguez Di Eugenio reports on the political landscape in Venezuela, which is in the midst of a massive humanitarian crisis, as the 30-day limit to call for elections approaches.
Donald Trump’s Policy Intensifies against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
Following the State of the Union address, UBC CSDI Director Maxwell Cameron talks Venezuelan-American relations, citing a possibility of military intervention and rejection of Nicolas Maduro’s presidency.
Can Ottawa and Beijing De-escalate?
With the Meng Wangzhou affair, Canada-China relations have been tense. SPPGA Faculty Associate Yves Tiberghien shares his thoughts on the latest news, the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, with CBC News.
PhD PhotoVoice Project Showcases Experiences of Displacement
UBC PhD Candidate Neila Miled’s photo gallery provides context for the lived experiences of young Muslim refugee women.
Apply to the 2020 Yale-UBC Fox International Fellowship Program
The Liu Institute for Global Issues at the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs invites applications from UBC graduate students for the 2020 UBC-Yale Fox International Fellowship Program. Apply by February 2, 2020.
Province to Partner with Post-secondary Schools on New Climate Action Plan
The province is set to partner with several post-secondary institutions on a new climate action plan. However, SPPGA Professor George Hoberg asserts that the province will also have to put in work outside of this plan in order to meet emission reduction goals.
Canadian Officials Going Ahead with China Trip & China’s Presence on the World Stage
Despite the fact that Canada-China relations are rather tense at the moment, Canadian MPs and Senators are still going ahead with their upcoming visit to China. SPPGA Professor Paul Evans says that this is the right move, and that Ottawa should be openly communicating with China.
The Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project
The Indian government faces hurdles with the idea of importing six nuclear European Pressurized Reactors amidst opposition to the Jaitapur nuclear power project. SPPGA faculty, M.V. Ramana co-wrote an article in the Hindu on the topic.
Predicting the Direction of BC’s Political Stage in 2019
Director of CSDI and SPPGA Faculty Associate, Maxwell Cameron, provided commentary in a Vancouver Star article predicting the direction of BC’s political stage in 2019 as shaped by global political trends.
George Hoberg: Carbon Taxes Work
Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer recently claimed that carbon taxes are ineffective. SPPGA Professor and climate policy expert George Hoberg says otherwise in an interview with Lynda Steele.
Cyber Vulnerabilities and Nuclear Weapons Risks
Nuclear weapons, like many other crucial industries in today’s digital world, are vulnerable to cyberattacks. SPPGA Professor M.V. Ramana and Postdoctoral Fellow Lauren Borja recently wrote an article on how nuclear weapons risk cyber-related problems.
VISION20 Fellows at the T20 Japan Inception Conference
Four students from UBC’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs participated in the T20 Japan Inception Conference held in Tokyo from December 4, 2018 to December 5, 2018 as Fellows of the VISION20 Initiative.
Solving the Fundamental Problems of Nuclear Security and Energy
SPPGA Professor M.V. Ramana is the voice of expertise in issues surrounding nuclear energy and atomic weapons, but his research has informed the broader, fundamental problems of today—specifically, international security and energy supply.
It’s Time for French Museums to Return Cambodian Artifacts
A new report recommends returning artifacts seized from French colonies in Africa. MPPGA student Darren Touch says Cambodia should also be included. Read more about what this could mean for the Asian nation in The Diplomat.
Expertise, Labour and Mobility in Nepal’s Post-Conflict, Post-Disaster Reconstruction
As a part of her SSHRC-funded research, Sara Shneiderman recalls the devastation wreaked by Nepal’s earthquakes in 2015, and how the process of reconstruction is still ongoing 3 years after the disaster.
Paris Peace Forum No-Shows Prove Liberal Global Order Is in ‘Crisis’
The absence of the US and UK leaders was keenly felt at the Paris Peace Forum this month. MPPGA student, Tommy Koh, and SPPGA Faculty Associate, Yves Tiberghien, call this trend of retreating from multilateralism a global order crisis.
New Narratives: 2018 VISION20-Brookings Blue Paper
MPPGA students Susanne Beilmann and Tommy Koh are co-authors of the recently published “New Narratives: 2018 VISION20-Brookings Blue Paper”. The paper discusses key disruptions to the current global order and offers bold new solutions to strengthen multilateralism and global cooperation, including urgent action by the G20. It builds on key insights and observations from the […]
Unlocking Value in the Early Mine Life Cycle
Report: Creating and Sharing Value with Communities in the Early Mine Life-Cycle: The Case Of Erdene Resource Development Corporation In Mongolia
MPPGA Student Chiamaka Mọgọ Appointed as Director of CRRF
We are excited to announce that second year MPPGA student, Chiamaka Mọgọ, has been appointed Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) by the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.
Report Release: Child Tracing in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda
SPPGA & the Women’s Advocacy Network in Uganda have released a report, “Child Tracing in post-conflict northern Uganda” and highlights from their advocacy trip to the UN.
UN Urged to Recognize Healthy Climate As a Human Right
On October 25th, David Boyd addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Mitigating Canadian Election Interference
Professor Taylor Owen co-authors report on combating digital manipulation in politics.
Making Sense of Competitive Authoritarianism: Lessons from the Andes
A number of Andean cases are found to fall on the spectrum of defective democracies. Given leaders’ reliance on electoral legitimacy, however, even defective democracies may prove surprisingly resilient.
Canada and China: Beyond Engagement
The fundamentals of Canada’s approach to the PRC were put in place by the government of Pierre Trudeau after recognition in 1970. They engendered a durable consensus that lasted for a generation, writes SPPGA Professor Paul Evans.