Practitioner Fellowship Program

In the spirit of facilitating knowledge exchange, strengthening community ties, and building an ethos of practice into our professional graduate programs, SPPGA’s Practitioner Fellowship program hosts several practitioners in full-time residence for periods of four to eight months, with start dates each year in September and January.

Practitioner Fellows are distinguished practitioners with 10+ years of leadership experience in public policy, international development, global affairs and/or government, across a variety of issue areas and sectors.

Fellows pursue student and community engagement, research and collaboration, as well as teaching and learning, and return to the workplace with new expertise to inform their professional practice.

Practitioner Fellows

Given that my experience and interests lie at the intersection of transportation and analytics, I am excited to work on a data-driven policy project that addresses a relevant and urgent transportation challenge for the region

Binoy Mascarenhas

Practitioner Fellow

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The SPPGA practitioner fellowship provides a rare opportunity to take a step back from the role of public servant and consider how best to combine the expertise derived from practical field experience in foreign policy with the knowledge of leading academics.

Julia G. Bentley

Practitioner Fellow

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Practitioner Fellowship Highlights

Since 2020, the Practitioner Fellowship program has welcomed distinguished practitioners working in roles with municipal governments (Vancouver, Canada and São Paulo, Brazil), the BC provincial government (Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Forests), and the Canadian Federal government (Global Affairs Canada; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; Privy Council Office). The program facilitates open exchange and a dynamic learning environment between academics, and present and future policy makers. This knowledge-sharing is vital to designing just, equitable and sustainable public policies that address society’s most pressing issues. Here are some of the many initiatives our practitioner fellows have engaged in:

• Ask Me Anything: Andrea Reimer engaged with the community on Twitter (#AMASPPGA) and by email, sharing insights and answering questions on power and public policy. Read more
• Matriarch Illuminations: Jessica Wood Si Sityaawks ran a five-part online series that featured Anishinaabe journalist and speaker Tanya Talaga among others. Watch the recording
• Institution-led Social Reform and Justice: Natasha Thambirajah hosted an event that called for the modernization of gender expression on government ID. Watch the recording
• Global Migration Podcast: “If Not Gender Mainstreaming, Then What?” Thea Bracewell shared research on the intersection between gender equality and migration integration policies in the EU. Listen to the podcast
• Community of Practice: Meggin Messenger established a Policy Community of Practice for the Office of the Chief Forester, connecting students with staff at the province of British Columbia.
• Engagement in the Classroom: Binoy Mascarenhas worked with students in PPGA 505: Domestic and Global Policy Process to develop a simulation exercise on road safety in India.
• Asia Career Trajectories: Julia G. Bentley provided career guidance for students including a roundtable event with industry experts. Read More