Research & Impact

February 10th, 2017 The Panel on Integrated Resource Management by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) has announced that Cassie Doyle, CEO of the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI) at UBC, is now Chair of the newly appointed Expert Panel on Integrated Natural Resource Management. “Ms. Doyle has a distinguished public service career, including an […]

Faculty, students and alumni across the UBC Faculty of Arts are confronting the global refugee crisis in a myriad of ways, whether by working directly with migrants, reporting on the refugee crisis from the field or offering policy advice on refugee resettlement programs in Canada. The Faculty of Arts asked four scholars from across UBC, including Liu Faculty […]

In November 2016, the 
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 Policy presented: Sense and Debility: How disability figures in progressive social policy with Dr. Catherine Frazee. Please find a video recording of her lecture below: Splane Lecture Paper: Sense & Debility: How disability figures in progressive social policy, full transcript by Dr. Catherine Frazee […]

Did you know that one in every 113 people globally is now either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee? Wars and persecution have driven more people from their homes than ever before, according to the UNHCR 2016 report Global Trends. It is this dire reality that compelled UBC’s Opera Ensemble and the Liu Institute for […]

Lucian Go is a Yale Fox International Fellow visiting the Liu Institute for Global Issues for 2016-17. His research is focused on climate policy and innovation. A Clear Signal: Harnessing Carbon Pricing to Build Competitive Advantage Trudeau’s government made waves this month by announcing plans for a national minimum carbon price, set to rise to […]

 “The notion that the ocean I grew up with is not something that I can pass on to my kids and my grandkids is unacceptable” – President Obama Obama’s opening remarks at the 2016 Our Ocean Conference highlight an ever growing concern that the oceans that shape our world are being taken for granted. September […]

The Liu Institute for Global Issues’ video series, Seeking Refuge, focuses on different aspects of the refugee crisis we are witnessing in today’s world. The series includes a number of short videos that consist of snippets from interviews with Liu Institute and UBC Professors with legal and geopolitical expertise on refugee issues. Compelling questions such […]

On Friday, July 22nd, we were joined by the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Cabinet Committee in Environment, Climate Change and Energy for a town hall on Canada’s role in climate friendly economic development and the impacts of climate change on Canada and Asia, ahead of the Minister’s […]

The Liu Institute for Global Issues’ video series, Seeking Refuge, focuses on different aspects of the refugee crisis we are witnessing in today’s world. The series includes a number of short videos that consist of snippets from interviews with Liu Institute and UBC Professors with legal and geopolitical expertise on refugee issues. Compelling questions such […]

The Liu Institute for Global Issues’ video series, Seeking Refuge, focuses on different aspects of the refugee crisis we are witnessing in today’s world. The series includes a number of short videos that consist of snippets from interviews with Liu Institute and UBC Professors with legal and geopolitical expertise on refugee issues. Compelling questions such […]

Şule Yaylacı, Liu Scholar and PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science as well as Lily Ivanova, Liu Scholar and Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at UBC were recently recognized as Yale-UBC Fox Fellows. The Yale-UBC Fox International Fellows Program is designed to enhance mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other […]

Marjo Vierros, Visiting Fellow at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, gave a seminar on April 27th, 2016 on the changing landscape of ocean governance and the recently started negotiations at the United Nations for a new international instrument for marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, or the “global ocean commons.” Historically, our view of the […]

  Dr. Erin Baines (Associate Professor, Liu Institute for Global Issues) and Beth Stewart (Liu Scholar Alumna, PhD Candidate at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice) recently participated in a workshop at the University of Birmingham: New Directions in Research on Gender Based Violence and Children Born of War in Northern Uganda. The […]

Liu Scholar Alison James co-authored Truth, Reconciliation, and “Double Settler Denial”: Gendering the Canada-South Africa Analogy, where they expand Nagy’s recent findings by gendering the continuum of settler colonial violence in both locations and by outlining the implications of these TRCs for Indigenous and Black women in particular. Read the publication in the Human Rights Review and learn […]

On April 7, 2016, the Allard Prize and the Liu Institute for Global Issues hosted Greg Constantine, a documentary photographer from the United States. Constantine presented his 10-year project and book, Nowhere People, which documents the plight of stateless communities around the world. Constantine’s photo, “Boys and men carrying mud in open space,” was the prize winner of […]

*Please note: The Call for Applications for the academic year 2016-17 has now ended. The Liu Institute for Global Issues and Green College at the University of British Columbia invite applications for the position of Liu Institute Visiting Fellow in Residence at Green College for the academic year 2016-17. The position offers the opportunity for […]

Margaret Purdy is one of the four eminent Canadians named today by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to the national Advisory Panel on Canada’s defence policy review. The ministerial advisory panel will help craft a comprehensive plan for the military’s size and scope in the future. Learn more in the CBC article. Margaret is former associate deputy […]

Dominic Ongwen was a brigade commander in the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) but he was also one of its earliest victims, spending nearly three decades surviving the violence and tumult of war. This article, Dominic Ongwen and the Search for Justice, features research conducted by Liu Institute Professor Erin Baines and partners in Uganda, […]

No matter what happens, people still need to eat. Navin Ramankutty, Professor, Global Food Security and Sustainability, with the Liu Institute for Global Issues and Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia visited The Agenda to discuss how climate change could affect agriculture around the world and whether we can […]

Dominic Ongwen was a brigade commander in the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) but he was also one of its earliest victims, spending nearly three decades surviving the violence and tumult of war. This article, published in Warscapes, features research conducted by Liu Institute Professor Erin Baines and partners in Uganda, the Justice and Reconciliation Project. […]

Wade Davis discusses what can be done to preserve cultures at risk as part of the national Research2Reality initiative. Wade Davis is Professor of Anthropology, Faculty Associate at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, and the BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at UBC. Claiming that humanity is at a literal cusp of history, Davis explores the […]

Measuring and tracking the flow of climate change adaptation aid to the developing world Simon D Donner (Liu Faculty Affiliate, UBC), Milind Kandlikar (Liu Faculty, UBC), and Sophie Webber (Grad Student, UBC) May 3, 2016 This publication is available for download here. Source: IOP Science: Environmental Research Letters Liu Faculty Affiliate Simon Donner, Liu Faculty Milind Kandlikar, and graduate […]

Ashok Kotwal, Liu Faculty Affiliate and Professor in the Department of Economics at UBC, on Food Security and Safety Nets Food security is achievable when “all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food” (World Food Summit, 1996). This global challenge is impacted by economic growth, changing demographics, consumption […]

Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, professor,  and author, visited UBC in the fall of 2015 as part of the Lind Initiative in U.S. Studies. The Lind Initiative in US Studies is an annual dialogue series started with a $3-million donation from alumnus and long-time supporter Phil Lind. This program, led by the Liu Institute […]

Contrasting futures for ocean and society from different anthropogenic CO2emissions scenarios Rashid Sumaila (Liu Faculty Affiliate, University of British Columbia), J.-P. Gattuso, A. Magnan, R. Billé, W. W. L. Cheung, E. L. Howes, F. Joos, D. Allemand, L. Bopp, S. R. Cooley, C. M. Eakin, O. Hoegh-Guldberg, R. P. Kelly, H.-O. Pörtner, A. D. Rogers, J. […]

Professor Hisham Zerriffi was co-lead on the Financing review that contributed to the development of new indoor air quality guidelines for household fuel combustion. These guidelines aim to help public health policy-makers, as well as specialists working on energy, environmental and other issues understand best approaches to reducing household air pollution, the greatest environmental health risk in […]

Navin Ramankutty, Professor, Global Food Security and Sustainability with the Liu Institute and IRES, is co-author on a paper published in top scientific journal, Nature. The paper is titled “Direct human influence on atmospheric CO2 seasonality from increased cropland productivity.” Please find the article here.

Globalization threatens benefits of an African ‘green revolution’, says Navin Ramankutty, Professor, Global Food Security and Sustainability, Liu Institute for Global Issues and Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability. Navin co-authored an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that argued that a prospective “green revolution” in Africa could boost land use and carbon […]

Complexities and challenges in the emerging cookstove carbon market in India Hisham Zerriffi (Liu Faculty, University of British Columbia) and Olivia E. Freeman January 7, 2015 This publication is available for download here. Source: Energy for Sustainable Development, ScienceDirect, Vol. 24 This article, co-authored by Hisham Zerriffi, introduces research that examines how carbon financing is impacting cookstove dissemination […]

Direct human influence on atmospheric CO2 seasonality from increased cropland productivity Navin Ramankutty (Liu Faculty, University of British Columbia) Mark A. Friedl, Josh M. Gray, Steve Frolking, Eric A. Kort, Deepak K. Ray, Christopher J. Kucharik November 19, 2014 This publication is available for download here. Source: Nature Navin Ramankutty, Professor, Global Food Security and Sustainability with […]

Armed conflict in the early 21st century tends to be asymmetrical and protracted, fought by an array of armed groups on both physical and political battlefields, and causing disproportionate suffering and death to civilians. The Edges of Conflict Project worked to better understand the nature of such conflict and to improve respect for the rule of […]

Modern Warfare: Armed Groups, Private Militaries, Humanitarian Organizations, and the Law Benjamin Perrin, Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, Peter A. Allard School of Law (Past Liu Faculty Associate) July 11, 2012 The face of modern warfare is changing as more and more humanitarian organizations, private military companies, and non-state groups enter complex security […]

India is one of the most energy poor countries in the world. In rural India, about one in five villages are not connected to the electrical grid. Even in villages with grid connectivity, about 100 million households do not get power from the electrical grids due to a lack of last mile connectivity. Many parts […]

Not just about the money: corporatization is weakening activism and empowering big business The corporatization of activist groups, including Greenpeace, is the focus of a new op-ed co-authored by Liu Institute Director, Peter Dauvergne, and former Postdoctoral Fellow, Genevieve LeBaron. “Corporatized activism is shoring up big business, sustaining capitalist states, and building support for a […]

Life for sale? The politics of lively commodities Rosemary-Claire Collard, Jessica Dempsey (Liu Scholars Alumni, University of British Columbia) December 4, 2013 This publication is available for download here. Source: Environment and Planning A, 45(11) 2682 – 2699 A publication in Environment and Planning A, co-authored by Rosemary-Claire Collard and Jessica Dempsey, with support from the […]

LISTEN: Jane Lister speaks to Radio New Zealand about Eco-Business Jane Lister, Past Faculty Affiliate, UBC June 19, 2013 Jane Lister, co-author (with Peter Dauvergne) of “Eco-Business: A Big-Brand Takeover of Sustainability”, speaks to Radio New Zealand about whether the recent corporate embrace of ‘sustainability’ is making any environmental impact on the earth.  [16’ 12″] Listen […]

The Eco-Business Market Advantage Peter Dauvergne (Former Liu Director, University of British Columbia), Jane Lister (Past Liu Faculty, University of British Columbia) May 29, 2013 This publication is available for download. To download a copy of this publication, please visit the World Financial Review. Source: The World Financial Review, May 2013 Worldwide, firms are looking for […]

Energy poverty creating a respiratory disease ‘epidemic’ for almost half the world’s population Limited access to clean sources of energy, known as energy poverty, makes nearly half the world’s population reliant on burning wood, animal waste, coal or charcoal to cook. This leads to severe respiratory diseases that kill roughly two million people worldwide each […]

The Corporatization of Sustainability Jane Lister (Past Faculty Affiliate, University of British Columbia) Peter Dauvergne (Former Liu Director, University of British Columbia) January 17, 2013 This publication is available for download here. Peter Dauvergne and Jane Lister show that sustainability efforts by large multinational retail corporations limit the potential for finding deeper solutions to pressing environmental problems […]

Shopping for Sustainability at the Canton Fair Jane Lister, Genevieve LeBaron (Past Liu Faculty Affiliates, University of British Columbia) July 6, 2012 This publication is available for download. To download a copy of this publication, please click here. In recent years, big brand companies have competed to adopt far-reaching sustainability goals. They are now racing to […]

The Liu Institute hosted a group of experts for a symposium on Food Security in Asia and the Pacific. Hosted in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), the Symposium brought together academics, policy makers, and private sector representatives to further understand […]

Coal, wood burning kills more people than malaria Hisham Zerriffi (Liu Faculty, University of British Columbia) February 17, 2012 This publication is available for download here. Source: The Hindu Burning coal, wood or charcoal for cooking kills two million people worldwide, each year — more than malaria — thanks to severe respiratory diseases this causes through […]

Improved stoves in India: A study of sustainable business models Hisham Zerriffi, Liu Faculty, UBC November 24, 2011 This publication is available for download. To download a copy of this publication, please visit: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421511005556 Burning of biomass for cooking is associated with health problems and climate change impacts. Many previous efforts to disseminate improved stoves – […]

Apply scientific rigour to climate change aid decisions, UBC academics argue Simon Donner, Liu Faculty Affiliate, UBC Milind Kandlikar, Liu Faculty, UBC Hisham Zerriffi, Liu Faculty, UBC November 19, 2011 This publication is available for download. To download a copy of this publication, please visit:http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Apply+scientific+rigour+climate+change+decisions+academics+argue/5737936/story.html Source: The Vancouver Sun, Saturday November 19, 2011, Page B3 As […]

Experts advise on managing climate change aid Milind Kandlikar, Liu Faculty, UBC Hisham Zerriffi, Liu Faculty, UBC Simon Donner, Liu Faculty Affiliate, UBC November 17, 2011 This publication is available for download. To download a copy of this publication, please visit: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Experts_advise_on_managing_climate_change_aid_billions_999.html Source: Agence France Presse A group of climate science experts from the Liu Institute have recommended […]

Who Participates in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Why Milind Kandlikar, Liu Faculty, UBC Hisham Zerriffi, Liu Faculty, UBC September 30, 2011 This publication is available for download. To download a copy of this publication, please visit: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.05.007 Abstract: This paper presents a quantitative analysis of international representation in the activities of the Intergovernmental Panel […]

Corporate Social Responsibility and the State Jane Lister, Past Liu Faculty Affiliate, UBC June 9, 2011 This publication is not available for download. To purchase a copy of this publication, please visit: http://www.ubcpress.ca/search/title_book.asp?BookID=299173310 Public concern about worsening global environmental and social conditions has led to skepticism about the efficacy of voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, […]

Timber is a vital resource that is all around us. It forms our homes and furniture, our disposable diapers and newspapers, and boxes our cereal and new appliances. The way we produce and consume timber, however, is changing. With international timber companies and big box discount retailers increasingly controlling through global commodity chains where and […]

Timber Jane Lister, Past Lu Faculty Affiliate, UBC Peter Dauvergne, Former Liu Director, UBC March 3, 2011 This publication is not available for download. To purchase a copy of this publication, please visit: http://www.amazon.ca/Timber-Peter-Dauvergne/dp/0745649289/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1299187499&sr=8-6 Timber is a vital resource that is all around us. It forms our homes and furniture, our disposable diapers and newspapers, and […]

In Asia and the Pacific, despite rapid economic growth and ongoing structural transformations, providing enough safe and nutritious food remains a challenge. This report – “Food Security in Asia and the Pacific” – aims to investigate key policy options for dealing with the food security challenges in the region. For a free download, or to […]