Canada 150: UBC is a Place of Mind for Politics

With the launch of the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA), The Ubyssey explores the historical role that UBC has played in Canadian politics and delves into the exciting future that lies ahead in their recent article. Tying together reflections from Maxwell Cameron, Professor and Director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions, Barbara Arneil, head of the department of Political Science, and Mike Harcourt, former Mayor of Vancouver and Premier of BC, the article highlights how UBC has shaped policies and politics over the past 100 years. In the beginning of its second century, the university is drawing that capacity together into an integrated, interdisciplinary, publicly engaged, and highly collaborative new School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. 

The Policy School is an opportunity for UBC to continue advancing solutions on problems of local importance and global consequence at the nexus of governance and scholarship. The goal is to go beyond creating an excellent research centre; the school will become an essential hub for scholars from across UBC to engage with students, government, business leaders, and civil society through research, teaching, and practice. As Professor Cameron states: “UBC is really a place that wants to be a pioneer of thinking of how we can improve the practice of politics by creating opportunities for people to learn experientially to learn by doing.” The Policy School is also an opportunity to continue breaking down the barriers between the ivory tower and the public by inviting the community to share what problems they think need to be addressed, then testing, disseminating. and evaluating policy solutions with members of the community, governments, non-profits, and businesses.

As the founding units of the UBC Policy School, the Liu Institute for Global Issues (Liu) and the Institute of Asian Research (IAR) will contribute their expertise in the study of global affairs and Asia policy and act as active hubs for research, community engagement, and teaching in the professional Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA) program. They are joined by the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions (CSDI), whose Summer Institute for Future Legislators connects aspiring leaders with inspiring practitioners and serves as a laboratory for democratic experimentation and innovation in legislation and policy-making. The Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI) will also be located in the new Policy School and contribute expertise around working with developing countries to improve how they develop, manage, and benefit from their natural resources.