Dahdaleh grad students showcase global health research
Share
Four accomplished graduate scholars from York University’s Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research (DIGHR) will share details of their research projects, as well as insights on the progress of their research journeys, at the fourth annual Global Health Graduate Scholars Symposium on Dec. 13.
Taking place at the Keele Campus, Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholarship students Eyram Agbe, Caroline Duncan, Alexandra Scott and Nawang Yanga will offer an overview of the groundbreaking research they are undertaking in line with DIGHR’s three themes: planetary health, global health and humanitarianism, and global health foresighting.
The Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholarship was created to attract exceptional incoming and continuing domestic and international graduate research students to DIGHR. The scholarship is granted annually to graduate students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement in global health research.
This year’s presentations are:
Digital Deprivation: COVID-19, Education, and Teacher Health in Ghana – Eyram Agbe Agbe is a master’s student in the Development Studies program. Her research seeks to understand the diverse psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 on basic school teachers in Accra, Ghana, and how these factors affect their ability to support new curriculum implementation as schools have returned to in-person classes. This study seeks to centre the critical role that social vulnerability plays in education; specifically, how teachers’ health outcomes are situated within contentions over technopolitical visions by stakeholders.
Drinking Water Provision in the Canadian Arctic: Current and Future Challenges and Emerging Opportunities – Caroline Duncan Duncan is a PhD candidate at the Lassonde School of Engineering. Her research seeks to understand the complex factors that affect the quality and accessibility of drinking water in the Arctic using an interdisciplinary and participatory approach. Duncan works closely with the Municipality of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, collaborating with community members, government and non-governmental organization stakeholders involved with drinking water from source to tap to develop a model to test treatment, as well as work towards policy interventions to optimize drinking water safety.
The Myth of “Good Enough”: Law, Engineering, and Autonomous Weapons Systems – Alexandra Scott Scott is a PhD student, Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholar and Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellow at York’s Osgoode Hall Law School. Her work explores the development and deployment of autonomous weapon systems (also known as “killer robots”) under international law and the role that engineers play in both.
TB in Tibetan Refugee Settlements in India: What We Know and What Is Missing – Nawang Yanga Yanga is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Health. Her dissertation focuses on the lived experiences of Tibetan refugees with tuberculosis (TB) in Indian settlements. This is greatly motivated by her own experiences with TB and by the sheer lack of literature in this community, despite having some of the highest TB incidence rates globally. The aim of her project is to introduce a social perspective to TB discourse by highlighting the connections between social conditions and TB that are unique to Tibetan refugees in India.
The graduate students’ research is funded by the Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholarship. The 2024 competition is currently accepting applications. To learn more about the eligibility criteria and application process, visit the scholarships page: yorku.ca/dighr/scholarship.
York-developed safe water innovation earns international praise
Share
The Safe Water Optimization Tool (SWOT), an innovative technology used to help humanitarian responders deliver safe water in crisis zones, developed by two professors in York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering and Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, was recently highlighted as a success story in two international publications.
Syed Imran Ali
Built by Syed Imran Ali, an adjunct professor at Lassonde and research Fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute, in collaboration with Lassonde Associate Professor Usman Khan, the web-based SWOT platform generates site-specific and evidence-based water chlorination targets to ensure water remains safe to drink all the way to the point of consumption. It uses machine learning and process-based numerical modelling to generate life-preserving insight from the water quality monitoring data that is already routinely collected in refugee camps.
One of the SWOT’s funders, the U.K.-based ELRHA Humanitarian Innovation Fund, recently published a case study on the tool to serve as an example of a successful humanitarian innovation.
Water quality staff tests chlorination levels in household stored water at the Jamam refugee camp in South Sudan. Photo by Syed Imran Ali.
“These international recognitions highlight the impact our research is having on public health engineering in humanitarian operations around the world,” explained Ali.
As his team works to scale up the SWOT globally, he believes these publications will help increase awareness of and confidence in the technology. “We’re excited to build new partnerships with humanitarian organizations and help get safe water to the people who need it most,” he said.
For more information about the Safe Water Optimization Tool, visit safeh2o.app.
To learn more about how this innovation is advancing, read this YFile story.
Schulich triumphs in fall case competitions
Share
This semester, the Schulich School of Business sent several case competition teams to universities across North America – to much success. Each student team received coaching from alumni and faculty as part of Schulich’s highly regarded Case Competition Program, which serves as a platform to develop essential skills in strategic thinking and presentation.
Schulich School of Business Fall 2023 case competition teams. Left photo, from left to right: Ian Chang, Disha Mittal and Abilash Sathyakumar. Right photo, top row: Siddharth Dave, Jack Goodwin and Omer Rahim; middle row: Kian Rastegar and Sophia Katzell; bottom row: Sophie MacLellan, Joanne Estephan, Joe Fayt and Mikayla Wronko.
Team Schulich clinched the $10,000 top prize at Duke University’s 2023 Energy in Emerging Markets Case Competition. Ian Chang (JD/MBA ’24), Disha Mittal (JD/MBA ’24) and Abilash Sathyakumar (JD/MBA ’25) competed against 60 teams from over seven countries, including finalists from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Judget Business School at the University of Cambridge. Their winning proposal offered a practical business model addressing the electrification challenges in Nigeria’s rural areas. The team’s achievement, with support from alumna Neda Riazi (BBA ’14), reflects Schulich’s commitment to developing solutions with positive social and environmental impact.
The DeGroote Innovative Solutions Competition (DISC), which took place virtually earlier this month, saw two new Schulich case teams secure second and third place. Students Mikayla Wronko, Sophie MacLellan, Sophia Katzell, Joanne Estephan, Jack Goodwin, Omer Rahim, Kian Rastegar and Siddharth Dave tackled two real-life business cases sponsored by industry leaders. The competition tested their ability to quickly devise business strategies, with one week of preparation for the first case and a three-hour timeframe for the second. The DISC teams received guidance from alumni coaches Michael Chan (MBA ’19), Santoshi Tadanki (MMAI ’23), Kristen Ferkranus (MBA ’20), Adam Wexler (MBA ’11) and Ollie Adegbulu (MF ’23).
All student teams were coached by Professor Joe Fayt, who teaches several marketing courses at Schulich and is responsible for training the graduate-level case teams. Fayt brings over a decade of experience to the Case Competition Program and has earned over 60 international competition victories through his coaching of Schulich teams.
“Congratulations to the Schulich teams on their top-tier placements at recent national and international case competitions,” said Schulich Dean Detlev Zwick. “Kudos as well to the case competition coaches, alumni advisors and supporting faculty who did an outstanding job preparing our students to compete at the very highest levels.”
Student documentary explores climate migration, urban development crises
Share
Members of the York University community are invited to attend a documentary screening of Climate Migration and the Urban Environment: Dhaka’s Story of Development and Disaster on Friday, Nov. 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. in 140 Health, Nursing and Environmental Studies Building on York’s Keele Campus.
Mara Mahmud
To culminate the research for her master of environmental studies in York’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, York student Mara Mahmud along with photographer and videographer Emily Bruno embarked on 30 days of fieldwork in Dhaka, Bangladesh. There, they filmed and conducted interviews with academics and development practitioners focused on answering the following research question: what does Bangladesh have to teach about modelling effective adaptation strategies to respond to the climate-induced migration and rapid urban development in the Global South?
The resulting investigative documentary explores the relationship between climate change and migration within urban development and planning practices in Bangladesh, a country experiencing severe consequences of anthropogenic climate change (climate change caused by human activity). The film tells stories about the complex field of resistance and resilience in Dhaka, and Bangladesh more generally, in response to the climate crisis.
Through the examination of ongoing efforts to resolve the urban development crises in Dhaka, the film identifies innovative approaches to the environmental challenges brought on by the effects of climate change. Though this film uses Dhaka as a case study, opportunity exists for application in countries that will be facing similar crises in the near future.
Join the community for an evening filled with curiosity, knowledge sharing and an inquiry into the capacity of human resilience in the wake of climatic disaster.
For more information and to register for the film screening, visit the Eventbrite page.
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies sheds light on new projects, global opportunities
Share
In this issue of Innovatus, you will read stories about how the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) is responding to the needs of our students with innovative new projects and programs to help them succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Dean J.J. McMurty.
One such program is our 12 U Math waiver pilot class. After the COVID-19 lockdowns, it became clear that some students needed to catch up in math fundamentals. This prompted the development of the pilot class to help address the numeracy shortfall experienced by many incoming LA&PS students.
We also know that students want paid work experience in opportunities related to their field of study; this is one of the reasons paid co-op placements will replace internships and be available for all LA&PS programs starting September 2024.
And now, more than ever, we know global leaders need a global perspective. We’ve reactivated our fleet of summer abroad opportunities, offering seven study abroad courses in 2024.
Finally, educators across universities are all grappling with artificial intelligence (AI). Learn more in this issue about how we are dealing with both the drawbacks and benefits of AI.
Thank you to our entire LA&PS community for all the work you have put into making our teaching and pedagogy so great.
I hope you enjoy learning more about some of the ways we are helping our staff, students and faculty.
J.J. McMurtry Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Faculty, course directors and staff are invited to share their experiences in teaching, learning, internationalization and the student experience through the Innovatus story form, which is available at tl.apps01.yorku.ca/machform/view.php?id=16573.
LA&PS study abroad program evolves, expands its offerings
Share
By Elaine Smith
The slate of summer study abroad courses offered by the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) at York University is as popular as it was pre-pandemic and features new courses, as well as old favourites. In fact, its success has the Faculty looking toward a domestic version.
Katie Gribbons
“The program is back in full force with seven courses, and students are really excited to travel again,” said Katie Gribbons, study abroad co-ordinator for LA&PS.
In 2024, three popular intermediate language courses – language and culture in China, Italy and Spain – will be reactivated, as well as three others: Anthropology Through the Visual in Lisbon; Greece: A Modern History in Athens; and the Politics of Youth and Old Age in Seoul. In addition, a new course joins the roster, Romantics en Route: Contexts of Literary Production in England.
MJ Maciel Jorge
“We don’t offer the same courses every year,” said MJ Maciel Jorge, associate dean, global and community engagement for LA&PS. “The goal is to offer a variety of courses that engage students in global issues and provide an immersive experience they wouldn’t get otherwise. We work with instructors to promote attractive, value-added experiences and meaningful studentlearning. Our study abroad courses are very student-centric, with learning outcomes that provide added value and an opportunity to think globally.”
LA&PS organizes the program itself. Gribbons works closely with York International (YI) so that LA&PS processes and policies are closely aligned with those YI co-ordinates. She works with faculty who are proposing summer abroad courses, shepherding them through the proposal stage, evaluations, review, the formal curriculum process and approval. Gribbons also works with study abroad partner institutions and organizations to arrange accommodations, activities and day trips. She promotes the program and recruits students, too.
“We take a concierge approach to studying abroad that is tailored to student needs,” said Maciel Jorge. “In addition to being with an instructor they know while abroad, they are in contact with Katie, with whom they’ve been working for months. All of our students also get some financial support from LA&PS.”
Both Maciel Jorge and Gribbons are happy to see the current interest in the courses, because many of the students enrolling are those who were constrained by the pandemic and have never travelled on their own. Gribbons said culture shock among the students is not uncommon but, luckily, the professors are incredibly supportive and are comfortable with the location, which helps the students adjust, too.
Students from York studying in Portugal.A study aboard experience in South Korea.Students on a study abroad trip to Greece.
“Katie works with the students to build their confidence and stretch their comfort zone,” said Maciel Jorge. “They get to experience and learn from global perspectives and in doing so students are able to acquire intercultural skills and reflect on the value of global citizenship.
“Each year of the program, we learn valuable lessons and we are able to fine-tune our policies and processes for an enhanced experience for faculty and students.”
Gribbons noted that LA&PS conducts pre-departure surveys and post-trip surveys to learn about the students’ experiences.
“The top skills they gain are confidence and independence,” she said. “For many, it’s the first time they are travelling without their parents; it may be their first airline ride and first passport. They’re so nervous beforehand, but when they come back, they wish the trip was longer. They’ve been able to navigate a new place and learned to be resilient and resourceful.”
This month, LA&PS is launching a community of practice around studying abroad, targeting both instructors scheduled to teach in summer of 2024, but also colleagues considering the 2025 experience.
“We want to bring together all our colleagues who teach abroad or are interested in proposing courses for deep reflection on a student-centred approach,” said Maciel Jorge. “We will share best practices and look at how to continue providing tailored resources. We’ll also be revamping our website to include a variety of tools for students and faculty.”
A potential domestic study away program is being discussed, and the Faculty is hoping to run a pilot program in 2024.
“This is very meaningful to the Faculty and the University as a whole,” said Maciel Jorge. “It will give our students an opportunity to learn about global issues from a national perspective. Global citizenship starts at home. We plan to work with historically marginalized, immigrant and Indigenous communities on issues that often go unnoticed. We want to see how we can advance the University’s mission of decolonization, equity, diversity, and inclusion and our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. So much of what we do domestically, such as water management and sustainable economics, for example, is of a global nature.
“Either domestically or abroad, the benefits for students are immense. Learning about new ways of being and seeing the world makes one take notice of one’s own place in it, a collective human experience. We gain a notion of empathy and connectedness to the world at large from these global interactions.”
Those interested can learn more about the LA&PS Summer Study Abroad Program by visiting the website.
Summer course opens door for students missing numeracy skills
Share
By Elaine Smith
The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) at York University has created a new summer course to assist students without Grade 12 math skills to acquire the knowledge they need to enter math-dependent university programs in the fall.
In the summer of 2023, LA&PS introduced a pilot, Mathematics for Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, a 12U Math waiver class, to help address the numeracy shortfall experienced by many incoming students. The non-degree, online synchronous course was open to all incoming students required to complete a 12U Math course to meet their condition for admission, or to any York University undergraduate students required to complete a mathematics pre-requisite for an eligible program – such as economics and bachelor of commerce. Thanks to the success of the course, LA&PS plans to offer it again in Summer 2024.
Robert McKeown
“We wanted to make sure these students had the math they needed to learn more advanced topics once they arrived at York, such as linear algebra and calculus,” said Robert McKeown, an assistant professor (teaching stream) of economics, who helped create the curriculum alongside members of the LA&PS Numeracy Steering Committee. McKeown also played a pivotal role in overseeing the development of the instructors’ weekly lessons and assessment components for the course.
The course ran twice a week for 12 weeks. It covered polynomial functions and some probability and statistics, and was structured like a standard university course with two tests and a final, along with asynchronous class activities.
Mona Frial Brown
Mona Frial-Brown, director of student success for LA&PS, said the course has been a few years in the making, first proposed by LA&PS academic advisors and Sean Kheraj, the former vice-dean and associate dean of programs. It provides a pathway for LA&PS students, so they aren’t required to return to high school to obtain the necessary skills. Previously, students were able to take a relevant course at the School of Continuing Studies, but it no longer exists.
“Sean wanted us to think about a non-credit option that was equivalent to an advanced functions course,” said Frial-Brown, who also credits former associate dean Anita Lam and the LA&PS Numeracy Steering Committee, who created the Student Numeracy Assistance Centre at Keele (SNACK). “Numeracy is closely linked to student success, and this initiative is focused on improving access. It was a collaborative effort, and being a part of it from start to finish was a rewarding experience.”
The collaboration drew on the skills of a variety of people and teams. The LA&PS recruitment and academic advising teams were involved in promoting the course to students. York’s recruitment and admissions team were involved in developing offer letters and explaining to applicants that acceptance was conditional on passing the course. Once the curriculum was created, Marc Anderson, a learning technology support specialist from eLearning Services, built the content in eClass. SNACK peer tutors got involved in assisting the students who took the pilot class. Maggie Quirt, the current associate dean of programs at LA&PS, also had a hand.
“It’s a baby I delivered this summer,” Frial-Brown added with a laugh. “In addition, it’s not just a course; it marks the beginning of a non-degree framework for the Faculty. We might consider other non-degree courses, so we wanted to carefully plan this pilot program and create a structure for the non-degree landscape. We consulted with colleagues across the University, including the Faculty of Health, where non-degree courses are already offered, and established a framework for enrolment, admissions and course payment. Many factors were at play.”
Neil Bucklkey
Neil Buckley, current associate dean of teaching and learning for LA&PS, who was involved with the Numeracy Steering Committee throughout the development and launch of the class, added, “There is a huge move in education for micro-credentials, some for credit and some not. This was a great opportunity for LA&PS to pilot test a non-academic course.”
The class drew 61 students, almost half of them international students. This meant breaking the class into two sections to make it accessible from various time zones. One class met online in the mornings; the other in the evenings. All but one of the students passed the class.
“At the end of the semester, we are planning to assess the success of the participants to see how well they performed in their courses compared to students who took the course in high school and see if success varies according to discipline,” said Buckley.
The team will also follow them through the next few years to determine if the course has an impact on retention.
“This course opens the door to a larger, more diverse group of students,” Buckley said. “It helps us achieve access and equity. We pride ourselves on being student-centric, and this offers students flexibility.”
Frial-Brown is equally enthusiastic.
“I’m truly proud of this project,” she said. “It was a genuine collaborative effort aimed at achieving a common goal, which was to provide access to our students. We’ve witnessed its successful development with thanks to everyone involved and with the backing of senior leadership.”
YCAR launches lecture series on climate change
Share
The York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) is launching a new lecture series, titled “Climate Dystopias in Asia,” set to begin Nov. 22 and explore the relationship between climate change challenge and societal impact throughout Asia.
The “Climate Dystopias in Asia” series will feature scholars presenting their research and findings on the complex relationship between environmental shifts and societal impacts in Asia, focusing on the various adaptations that communities and organizations are undertaking in response to these challenges.
“Asia, as we know, is warming faster than the global average. It increasingly faces extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves that significantly impact lives and livelihoods. To put the spotlight on climate challenges that cities, coasts and hinterlands face in different parts of Asia, we will invite scholars from interdisciplinary backgrounds to offer grounded analyses of the complexities and limitations of climate adaptation strategies,” says Professor Shubhra Gururani, the director of YCAR.
Kasia Paprocki
The inaugural lecture of the series will feature Professor Kasia Paprocki from the Department of Geography & Environment at the London School of Economics & Political Science. The in-person talk, titled “Threatening Dystopias: Development, Scientific Knowledge and Adaptation to Climate Change,” will draw on Paprocki’s book, also named Threatening Dystopias, that examines the politics of climate change adaptation in Bangladesh.
By situating climate change in a longer history of growth and development, Paprocki will explore the oversimplified crisis narratives that define Bangladesh’s approach towards climate change. In global climate change policy and media circles, Bangladesh is the poster child for climate disasters related to rising sea levels and is often portrayed as “the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change.” Paprocki will critically evaluate these narratives and offer an analysis that digs deeper and shows how the prevailing storyline may overlook the political and economic forces that contour Bangladesh’s climate geography.
The talk will draw on Paprocki’s research and publications’ focus on climate change adaptation in South Asia, specifically in Bangladesh. Forging a conversation between political ecology, agrarian studies, climate change and risk narratives, Paprocki will examine the narrative of climate change as it circulates in Bangladesh and situate the responses to climatic change in the deeper histories of colonial policies and agrarian politics of land and underdevelopment.
“With this event and the series more generally, we hope to offer a platform for a deeper understanding of the nuanced interactions between environmental challenges and societal change in Asia,” says Gururani.
More information about the series can be accessed here.
OsgoodePD introduces three new courses for internationally trained lawyers
Share
Osgoode Professional Development’s Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law program is introducing a new stream of practice skills courses next fall. Developed by Audrey Fried, OsgoodePD’s director of faculty and curriculum development, in partnership with instructors Shelley Kierstead and Germán Morales Farah, the new courses offer students the opportunity to integrate their substantive knowledge and skills from several courses in a way that simulates the realities of Canadian legal practice.
“We are really excited about the opportunity to offer this suite of courses, which are unique in integrating substantive law and practice skills in a way that meets the needs of our Professional LLM students,” said Fried. “And these courses are a natural fit for OsgoodePD, building on our experience with simulated clients and problem-based learning, and drawing on the expertise of Professor Paul Maharg and experienced instructors like Professor Shelley Kierstead and Germán Morales.”
In Canadian Legal Strategy, Research and Writing (CCLW 6609), students will go beyond the basic legal research and writing skills by drawing on material from Professional Responsibility and Constitutional Law courses to develop interview, communication and strategy skills. They will learn how these skills work together with legal research and writing to serve the needs of clients. Students will deploy their newly gained knowledge in authentic tasks as they are called on to draft practice documents and write memoranda of law, opinion letters and demand letters.
In Canadian Business Transactions (CCLW 6638), students will move from a solid foundation in Canadian law related to corporate and commercial transactions into exercises involving communication, strategy, drafting and negotiation. Students will prepare practice documents, plan due diligence, conduct or review selected regulatory searches and negotiate key terms of a transaction.
The third new course, Capstone: Canadian Law in Practice (CCLW 6610), further builds on those newly acquired skills as students work in a virtual firm environment, completing both a litigation and a transactional file and engaging in structured reflection of these new skills and experiences. The course will also focus on building client relationships.
These new course offerings will help internationally trained lawyers meld practical experience from other jurisdictions with Canadian substantive law and practice techniques.
Applicants with an international law degree are encouraged to apply to the OsgoodePD Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law program by Jan. 15, 2024. For more information about the program, the new course offerings and how to apply, visit the program website.
Glendon College leads conversation about future of Arctic security
Share
La version française suit la version anglaise.
A panel of experts will debate how to best prepare for the profound changes that lie ahead in the North in a discussion on Nov. 29 organized by York University’s Glendon College.
The Glendon Global Debates return this month to examine the impact of global warming on the economic and social life of the people who call the Arctic home and for all those to the south.
The Arctic is warming faster than the global average, making the prospect of ice-free Arctic waterways open to commercial traffic a possibility in the near future. Such an ice-free east-west passage would establish the shortest route for the transfer of goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. These changes are being monitored closely by nations far from the Arctic; for example, China has declared itself to be a near-Arctic state.
Aleqa Hammond, former prime minister of Greenland and a panellist at the upcoming event, contends that “Russia and China are already eyeing the Arctic and the region risks becoming the new frontline for confrontation between great powers.” The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has warned Inuit leaders that foreign states could gain a foothold by offering to fill infrastructure gaps in the North.
Canada shares the arctic space with a number of other countries including Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the U.S. Nearly 40 per cent of Canada’s land mass is considered Arctic and northern. Canada and Russia claim ownership of three-quarters of the coastline, and this represents more than 70 per cent of Canada’s coastline.
Gabrielle Slowey
Recently named the inaugural Fulbright Chair in Arctic Studies at Dartmouth College (U.S.), Professor Gabrielle Slowey now teaches courses in Canadian, Indigenous and Arctic politics at York University. Her research investigates the intersection between Indigenous people, governance, resource extraction and the environment.
“There has to be a human dimension to Arctic security; people have to be part of the process, discussion and solution,” said Slowey, who will bring her unique perspective to the conversation.
The development of safe Arctic transportation routes also opens the possibility for increased economic development, including resource extraction. These activities will have a profound impact on the economic and social life of the people who call the Arctic home, as well as those far beyond.
Professor Kari Roberts from Mount Royal University has made the study of Russia-West relations her life’s work and has spent many years studying Russia’s interests in the Arctic and what this means for Canada and NATO.
“It is rarely in the interest of any state to disrupt geopolitical order,” said Roberts, who will join Hammond and Slowey on the panel. “And it is even less advantageous for Arctic states, including Russia, to further undermine the historically peaceful and co-operative relationships in the region, which are now being tested in the current geopolitical moment.”
Countries like Canada and Greenland have stated that the Arctic is central to their national identity, prosperity, security, values and interests. This conversation, hosted by the Glendon Global Debates, will explore what concrete actions should underpin these statements.
Moderated by Susan Pond, director of the Glendon School of Public & International Affairs, this hybrid event will explore opportunities and possible threats afforded by a warming Arctic region.
Join the event on Nov. 29, alongside distinguished guests, and become a part of this crucial conversation.
For those wishing to join virtually, the debate will also be livestreamed. A link to the event will be shared with all registered participants via email a few hours prior to the event.
The debate will be conducted in English. We invite the audience to ask questions in either French or English.
Le Collège Glendon mène la conversation sur l’avenir de la sécurité dans l’Arctique
Un panel d’experts débattront la meilleure façon de se préparer aux profonds changements qui s’annoncent dans le Nord lors d’une discussion organisée le 29 novembre par le Collège Glendon de l’Université York.
Alors que la région risque de devenir le nouveau front de confrontation entre les puissances mondiales, les Débats internationaux de Glendon sont de retour pour examiner l’impact sur la vie économique et sociale des habitants de l’Arctique et de tous ceux au sud.
L’Arctique se réchauffe à un rythme plus rapide que la moyenne mondiale, offrant ainsi la perspective de voies maritimes arctiques sans glace qui pourraient bientôt être utilisées pour la navigation commerciale. Un passage est-ouest sans glace établirait la route la plus courte pour le transfert de marchandises entre les océans Atlantique et Pacifique. Ces changements sont surveillés de près par des nations éloignées de l’Arctique. Par exemple, la Chine s’est déclarée un État proche de l’Arctique.
Aleqa Hammond, ancienne Première ministre du Groenland et panéliste invitée, affirme que « la Russie et la Chine surveillent déjà l’Arctique et que la région risque de devenir le nouveau front de confrontation entre les puissances mondiales ». Le Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité (SCRS) a d’ailleurs déjà averti les leaders Inuits que des États étrangers pourraient prendre pied en comblant les lacunes en matière d’infrastructures dans le Nord.
Le Canada partage l’arctique avec plusieurs autres pays, dont le Danemark, le Groenland, l’Islande, la Finlande, la Norvège, la Suède, la Russie et les États-Unis. Près de 40% de la géographie du Canada est considérée comme arctique et nordique. Le Canada et la Russie revendiquent la propriété des trois quarts du littoral, ce qui représente plus de 70% du littoral canadien.
Récemment nommée Chaire Fulbright inaugurale en études arctiques au Dartmouth College (États-Unis), la professeure Gabrielle Slowey enseigne maintenant des cours en politique canadienne, autochtone et arctique à l’Université York. Ses recherches examinent l’intersection entre les peuples autochtones, la gouvernance, l’extraction de ressources et l’environnement.
« Il doit y avoir une dimension humaine à la sécurité arctique : les gens doivent faire partie du processus, de la discussion et de la solution », a déclaré Slowey, qui apportera également sa perspective unique à la conversation.
Le développement de routes de transport arctiques sûres ouvre également la possibilité d’un développement économique accru, y compris l’extraction de ressources. Ces activités auront un impact profond sur la vie économique et sociale des habitants de l’Arctique, ainsi que de ceux bien au-delà.
La professeure Kari Roberts de l’Université Mount Royal a fait de l’étude des relations entre la Russie et l’Occident le travail de sa vie et a passé de nombreuses années à étudier les intérêts de la Russie dans l’Arctique et ce que cela signifie pour le Canada et l’OTAN.
« Il est rarement dans l’intérêt de tout État de perturber l’ordre géopolitique. Et il est encore moins avantageux pour les États arctiques, y compris la Russie, de compromettre davantage les relations historiquement pacifiques et coopératives dans la région, qui sont actuellement mises à l’épreuve dans le contexte géopolitique actuel », a déclaré Roberts, qui rejoindra Hammond et Slowey sur le panel.
Des pays comme le Canada et le Groenland ont affirmé que l’Arctique est au cœur de leur identité nationale, de leur prospérité, de leur sécurité, de leurs valeurs et de leurs intérêts. Cette conversation, organisée par les Débats internationaux de Glendon, explorera les actions concrètes qui devraient sous-tendre ces déclarations.
Modérée par Susan Pond, directrice de l’École des affaires publiques et internationales de Glendon, cet événement hybride explorera les opportunités et les menaces possibles liées au réchauffement de la région arctique.
Joignez-vous à nos distinguées invitées et à la conversation le 29 novembre.
Pour ceux qui souhaitent participer virtuellement, le débat sera également retransmis en direct. Un lien vers l’événement sera communiqué à tous les participants inscrits par courriel quelques heures avant l’événement.
Le débat se déroulera en anglais. Nous invitons le public à poser des questions en français ou en anglais.
