Newsletter of the Master s in International Public Policy

Newsletter of the Master’s in International Public Policy Laurier Centre for Global Relations Waterloo ON N2L 3C5 Phone: 519-884-0710 x 3680 Master’s in International Public Policy V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1 A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: • The MIPP Experience • MIPP on the Road… • Upcoming Events • Balsillie School of International Affairs Message from the Director As the summer term draws to an end and the first MIPP class wraps up, this is a perfect time to look back over the past year and highlight some of the student activities, program events and other endeavours that have contributed to a wonderfully successful first year. From orientation in September to the final class conference in August, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with such dynamic and engaging students. We are also very fortunate to have had such a talented group of faculty from departments all across campus teach in the program, sharing their time and energy and helping launch the program with great success. And as you all know, Kelly, the program’s administrative assistant, was the unstoppable force that made everything run smoothly. Thanks for a great year! -Dr. Tracy Snoddon, MIPP Director MIPP Student Representative 2007-08 I think most people would agree that MIPP is not your typical graduate program. It combines so many facets of academic and work life, challenging students in a way that offers both theoretical and practical experience. In a one -year program you are able to specialize in a specific area and are given the flexibility to tailor your research. Graduating as part of the inaugural MIPP class will be extremely rewarding and we look forward to using the knowledge and skills we have attained in our future endeavours. -Sarah Roberts PAGE 2 Policy Case Learning Canadian policy on agriculture, trade and seasonal labour was on the agenda in this summer’s International Economic Relations’ interdisciplinary seminar. The seminar ran two problembased learning exercises where the students presented their findings to visiting policy practitioners. The first case focused on Canada’s international agricultural trade policy; the second considered the question of whether Canada should continue to expand agricultural labour migration. Students workshopped draft policy briefs with policy experts from the Public Health Agency of Canada , the NGO Justice for Migrant Workers, and the former chief Canadian agriculture trade negotiator, Mike Gifford. Our guests admired the depth of knowledge on relevant policies and programs, and the originality and potential of some of the proposals. Many thanks to all of our guests and to ACUNS Director Dr. Patricia Goff, the recipient of the WLU Instructional Development grant that made all of this possible! -Dr. Derek Hall Associate Professor Political Science Dr. Derek Hall and MIPP student Brodie Ross “The days were filled with heated negotiations, side deals, politics, and most importantly, laughter.” ...see MIPP at the WTO, pg.3 First Recipient of the Siklos Award Join us in congratulating Brodie Ross (MIPP 2007/08) as the first recipient of the Andrew and Agnes Siklos Master’s in International Public Policy Award. Brodie entered the program in September 2007 after completing an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at Laurier. We thank Dr. Pierre Siklos, Professor of Economics at Laurier, for creating this award in memory of his parents and in support of the program. -Award Recipient Brodie Ross and MIPP Director, Dr. Tracy Snoddon Social Activities Throughout the year, the twelve of us have gotten to know each other extremely well. Our program was quite intense, but we still managed to find time to participate in intramural dodgeball (to say we struggled is an understatement, but we had a great time!), MIPP Student Stephanie Ryan softball and volleyball. We have also had a great time celebrating each other’s birthdays and occasionally relaxing with a cool drink or heading out for a night of dancing. Though we are a diverse group, we have been able to enjoy each others company both inside and outside of the classroom. -Nicole Desmarais -Tiffany Kizito VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PAGE 3 Taking MIPP on the road... INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM… Accompanied by Mokhtar Lamani, Senior Visiting Fellow at CIGI and former Special Representative of the Arab League in Iraq, the Global Governance students traveled to Ottawa to participate in the symposium, Cosmopolitan Identity in the Islamic World. The students had the unique opportunity to witness firsthand dialogue between policy-makers, academics, diplomats, and the private sector. They capitalized on the opportunity to network with senior UN officials, leading scholars, and members of various North American research centres and think tanks. As well, they were privileged to be the guests of His Excellency Mohamed Tangi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, at a reception held at his official residence. Thanks to Mr. Lamani for including the students, and for the generous financial support of Laurier’s Economics Department. -Frederick Caldwell SECURITY CONFERENCES… MIPP in BERLIN… With the support of CIGI and the hard work of Dr. Snoddon and Kelly Brown, Frederick Caldwell, Rob Chapman and Brodie Ross traveled to the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany to present papers at a student conference hosted by the Hertie School on topics related to international environmental accords and global public goods. Accompanied by Dr. Derek Hall, the students visited many Berlin sites including the T.V. Tower, the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag and the chilling Sachenhousen concentration camp in Orianenberg. There was not much sleep involved, as the students experienced the vibrant nightlife of Berlin, sampling much of the local cuisine. The trip also proved that it is a small world, with visits from Canadian friends, old roommates, and students from UW on exchange at Hertie. -Brodie Ross Two MIPP students (Human Security field) attended the Security, Policing and Justice conference in Ottawa, hosted by the Metropolis Organization. There they heard from academics and policy makers, and participated in roundtable discussions. Nicole Desmarais went on to the CERIS Graduate Student Conference, hosted by the Ontario subsidiary of the Metropolis Org., where she was a panellist. “These experiences are some that Tiffany and I will never forget and they enabled us to network with a wide array of academics as well as government officials”. Nicole and Tiffany were excellent ambassadors for WLU and MIPP. -Nicole Desmarais & Tiffany Kizito MIPP Students and Dr. Derek Hall at the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin MIPP at the WTO… Under the guidance of faculty member Derek Hall and two former Canadian trade negotiators, Patricia Close and Pierre Gosselin, a group of MIPP and one PhD Global Governance student participated in the 2nd Annual Ottawa Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations organized by the Center for Trade Policy and Law. Representing the EU, the students negotiated the EU’s position at roundtable discussions and tried to resolve key challenges facing the current Doha Round. Teams embraced their characters and the days were filled with heated negotiations, side deals, politics, and most importantly, laughter. Overall, it was a great learning experience. -Christy White MIPP Class at CIGI Dec. 2007 Contact us for further information Master’s in International Public Policy Wilfrid Laurier University 165 Albert Street Waterloo ON N2L 3C5 Up and coming events -MIPP Class of 2008-09 Orientation September 2-5, 2008 Various locations on campus -International Governance Series “Sovereign Wealth Funds and National Security: The Great Trade-Off” Prof. Benjamin J. Cohen, University of California Phone: 519-884-0710 x 3680 Fax: 519-884-6487 Email: MIPP@wlu.ca September 26, 2008, CIGI -PolicyNet Seminar Series (videoconference) “Climate, Energy and Global Security” Find us at www.wlu.ca/mipp Thomas Homer-Dixon, Balsillie Chair of Global Systems Thursday October 16, 2008 8PM Balsillie School of International Affairs The Master’s in International Public Policy (MIPP) program is pleased to be associated with the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA). The school will cultivate an interdisciplinary learning environment that develops knowledge of international issues from the core disciplines of economics, political science, environmental studies and other disciplines. Also associated with the school are the joint PhD in Global Governance and UW’s MA in Global Governance programs. The Balsillie School was founded in 2007 by Jim Balsillie and is a collaborative partnership between the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Wilfrid Laurier University, and the University of Waterloo. The school will be located next to CIGI in uptown Waterloo and is expected to open in 2010. Jim Balsillie, founder of BSIA