CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HONOURS STUDENTS!
Congratulations to D’Andre Farrell (POLI), Charis Gration (GDS), Ian Hiltz (POLI), Rae Millis (GDS), and Raida Rozana Rashid (GDS) on the successful presentation of their Honour thesis research on April 2nd!
The event was extremely well-attended by fellow students, faculty members, thesis supervisors, friends, and family. All join in commending the Honours cohort in Political Science and Global Development Studies of 2025-26!
Honours Cohort of 2026. From left to right: Charis Gervais, Rozana Rashid; D’Andre Farrell; Rae Millis; Ian Hiltz; and Professor Stella Gaon
Panel 1: From left to right, Ian Hiltz, D’Andre Farrell, Rae Millis
Panel 2: From left to right: Rozana Rashid, Charis Gervais
Honours Seminar in Political Theory – Class of 2026
Audience members at the 2026 Honours presentation event
Darcy Eygun is a recent graduate of the Honours Programme in Political Science at Saint Mary’s University with minors in Global Development Studies and Philosophy. Recently, Darcy was accepted into the Parliamentary Internship Programme (PIP), a highly competitive national programme with only 12 candidates selected out of over 400 applicants across the country.
This comes after a successful year since completing his Honours thesis, "Extracting Profit, Exporting Harm: Canadian Mining and the Capitalist State in Ecuador,” after which Darcy went on to complete an internship as a Development Advisor with the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada, and recently published an article in The Hill Times on the Canada-Ecuador FTA, based on his Honours research.
Congratulations, Darcy, on your ongoing success!
Dr. Lyubov Zhyznomirska is pleased to announce the second edition of her co-edited book, The Routledge Handbook of the Politics of Migration in Europe (Routledge, 2026). Along with her co-editors, Zhyznomirska applies a critical, pan-European perspective to the examination and comparison of human mobility in Europe with regard to the recent impacts of asylum seekers, the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, and the Russian war on Ukraine.
Zhyznomirska and her colleagues capture the breadth, nuances, and exceptionality of European migration by exploring the various political dimensions of migration, including governance, institutions, belonging, asylum, and labour.
More information and a preview of the book can be found on the Routledge website here
Dr. Gavin Fridell and Dr. Patrick Clark are excited to announce their new book, Trade Fetishism: Magical and Materialist Thinking in Global Political Economy (Routledge, 2026). Based on years of research on trade, Fridell and Clark argue that “trade” not only meets material goals, but also simultaneously works as a fantasy that seeks to satisfy and soothe our unconscious desires and anxieties.
In the book, Fridell and Clark:
Challenge the idea that trade is driven ultimately by rational economic, political, and strategic logics. They argue that non-rational beliefs and unconscious desires are equally motivating in our obsession with trade and its promises of enjoyment.
Explore trade agreements and trade justice movements in North America, between Europe and the Caribbean, and at the World Trade Organization.
Engage with a wide range of trade thinking, arguing trade and trade agreements are increasingly “fetishized”: offered up as near-magical objects that meet our desires, soothe our anxieties, and offer simple solutions to complex problems, even if they disappoint.
Chapter one of the book is freely available here
More on the book is here
The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
The Department would like to congratulate three of our students who became published authors in the international affairs magazine, Release Peace: The Magazine (link), in the current academic year.
Through collaboration between SMU and The Hague-based, non-profit organisation Release Peace, our students received in-depth editorial support from their team and were able to publish on issues they feel passionate about. These students are:
The magazine’s target readership consists mainly of professionals at think tanks, the UN, other international institutions, and NGOs. Our students’ articles are thus disseminated to a distinguished audience. Students were guided by editors from Release Peace in a process designed to enhance their writing skills and their critical thinking alike. Each student had an introductory video call with their editor, submitted a bullet point outline for their article, and produced two draft versions. At each step of their journeys, the editors provided feedback on style, content, and structure of the piece. Aside from writing skills, it was a valuable experience for students to receive challenging feedback from journalists who naturally are critical thinkers.
The Department of Political Science and Global Development Studies is glad to be counted among the small group of universities Release Peace has worked with to provide publishing opportunities to students. Their other partners include such universities as Columbia University, Dartmouth College, the University of Liverpool, and Middlebury College. This cooperation provides “hands-on” experience with the publishing process to our interested students and exposes them to research and an investigative style of work that can be used in their future careers.
This cooperation has been possible thanks to financial support from the SMU Alumni Office. The Department is grateful for this ongoing support. Such collaborations strongly contribute to SMU’s mission to prepare students for the labour market and to add value to their resumes.
A new student intake for the 2026-27 academic year will be advertised in April, 2026.
Professor Gaon has been appointed "Senior Research Fellow" at the Center for AI, Society, and Critique (CASC). The goal of the Centre is to advance interdisciplinary research on how artificial intelligence reshapes cultural frameworks, social power, and human experience. Drawing on sociology, philosophy, media studies, and psychology, the center examines AI not merely as a technical instrument but as a system that reproduces dominant narratives, structures attention, and influences political judgment and public discourse.
Research Fellows and affiliated scholars at the CASC investigate the ideological assumptions, forms of soft domination, and hidden mechanisms of classification and manipulation embedded in algorithmic environments. Through conceptual analysis, empirical study, and public-facing scholarship, the center aims to cultivate democratic autonomy and ethical clarity in an era increasingly governed by automated systems.
Centre for AI, Society, and Critique: https://aisocietycritique.org/
For more information, contact: info@aisocietycritique.org
Dr. Ravecca and his research team are excited to launch the 2SLGBTQIA+ Support Guide which is part of a series of outputs from the project “Countering Anti-2SLGBTQIA+ Misinformation in Rural Canada: Investigating How Older Canadians Interact with the Anti-SOGI Movement in Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia.” The project is a partnership between the Department of Political Science and Global Development Studies at Saint Mary’s University and the Canadian Institute for Far-Right Studies.The guide provides accurate and up-to-date information about initiatives, programs, and services available in Nova Scotia and across Canada. It includes resources related to gender-affirming and inclusive healthcare, mental health, and counselling supports, as well as a substantial section on community and culture that highlights community-based organizations and groups. Additionally, it lists crisis-intervention services and other forms of assistance that promote the safety, inclusion, and overall well-being of 2SLGBTQIA+ persons.By bringing these resources together in one place, this guide aims to promote awareness, reduce barriers to access, and support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community—not only in moments of crisis, but also by nurturing connection and promoting solidarity.This report was written by Cydney Carruthers and Jonah Wozney, with editorial support from Mustafa Hussaini, under the close supervision and guidance of the project’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Paulo Ravecca (SMU profile/publications).The report can be viewed here. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.Nous reconnaissons l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.
Ripples billboards along Vancouver's Arbutus Greenway. Photo: Dennis Ha
Sydney Hart, Ripples #7
The Global Reporting Centre, alongside artist Sydney Hart, curator Christine D'Onofrio, and professor of political science and global development at SMU Gavin Fridell, are proud to launch Ripples, a public art project consisting of five billboards mounted in the heart of Vancouver that examine the environmental impact of global trade, with a free guided tour on Saturday, October 25th, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm in Vancouver, BC.
This project is a unique collaboration between art, research, and journalism. Fridell's extensive knowledge of the environmental stakes of international trade and Hart's practice exploring artistic approaches to data visualization formed the basis for a creative exchange that questioned the means by which trade can be represented. Informed by these conversations, Ripples explores information surrounding international trade and the technologies by which we visualize and make sense of the world.
The project comes after nearly a decade's worth of research into global supply chains by the GRC through its supply chain initiative.
The Department of Political Science and Global Development Studies is very pleased to announce the release of the Fair Trade Campus Report 2025: Saint Mary’s University by Raida Rozana Rashid. This is the outcome of a great deal of hard work by Rozana, a fourth year, honours student in the Global Development Studies program. The report was awarded funding through SMU’s Explore Undergraduate Summer Research Award program and was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Gavin Fridell.
The report highlights SMU’s many achievements in fair trade, which became a Fair Trade Certified Campus in 2023, lays out a pathway for SMU to move up to Silver and Gold certification, and provides commentary on future considerations based, in part, on interviews with members of the SMU community. It is an independent report that will be formally presented to the Fair Trade Campus Steering Committee in the Fall of 2025.
Congratulations to Rozana! As the university’s first-ever Fair Trade report, this is no doubt the beginning of many new initiatives to come. Students in Political Science and Global Development Studies have long taken leading roles advancing Fair Trade on campus.
The report can be viewed here .
To learn more about Fair Trade at SMU, see: https://www.smu.ca/fairtrade/index.html
Dr. Paulo Ravecca to Chair Prestigious LASA/Oxfam America Award Committees
The Department of Political Science and Global Development Studies is proud to announce that Dr. Paulo Ravecca has been appointed Chair of the adjudication committees for two highly prestigious distinctions awarded by the Latin American Studies Association (LASA):
Both awards honour the legacy of Martin Diskin, a scholar and activist whose work left a lasting mark on Latin American studies and human rights. Previous awardees include Arturo Escobar, Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, and Rita Segato.
Dr. Ravecca’s appointment to lead these committees reflects his international reputation as a critical scholar, his commitment to engaged research, and his ongoing contributions to the interdisciplinary study of politics, democracy, and social justice.
Dr. Alexandra Dobrowolsky receives Professor Emeritus plaque at Spring Convocation
Dr. Alexandra Dobrowolsky was honoured with the title of Professor Emeritus during the Spring 2025 Convocation ceremony at Saint Mary’s University after serving as a full-time professor and being part of Santamarian community for twenty-five years.
Dr. Dobrowolsky has had a career filled with numerous achievements and awards. She received some of Saint Mary’s highest teaching honours, including two teaching awards from the Saint Mary’s University Students’ Association, one for Overall Excellence in Education and the other for “exceptional contributions to learning and life experiences, both inside and outside the classroom” in the Faculty of Arts. Dr. Dobrowolsky has supervised multiple Political Science Honours students and served as an external examiner for graduate students in Canada and in the United States.
A recipient of multiple research grants, Dr. Dobrowolsky has been a brilliant researcher with a national and international reputation in the field of Canadian politics, feminist welfare policies, and migration and citizenship studies. She was the first woman in the Faculty of Arts to receive the President’s Award for Research Excellence. Her distinguished academic record includes over ninety publications, including journal articles, chapters, book reviews, and pedagogical materials. She has written, edited, and co-edited six books with top academic publishers. Her publication record also includes co-editing two special issues of journals with high impact value– specifically, the Review of Constitutional Studies and the Canadian Journal of Political Science (CJPS). Recognized at the national and international level, Dr. Dobrowolsky has been invited to present her work in the Canadian universities from coast to coast to coast, and around the world.
Dr. Dobrowolsky has served as an exemplary citizen for the university community. She served as the Department Chair twice and has been an active participant on key university committees. Her long list of service achievements includes being elected as a faculty representative on the University’s Board Governor’s (BOG) on two occasions, serving two full terms. She was also appointed to three BOG committees including its oversight Governance Committee and its Executive Committee.
Her contribution to Saint Mary’s University and beyond has been significant and extensive. She has touched the lives of MANY students, colleagues, and scholars across disciplines and departments. On behalf of the Department and your university colleagues, a heartfelt congratulations, Dr. Dobrowolsky, on your new status and a new chapter in your life! We wish you all the best!
Congratulations to Darcy Eygun for being awarded a National Student Fellowship
Darcy Eygun is a third-year Honours Political Science student at Saint Mary’s University, with minors in Global Development Studies and Philosophy. He is passionate about education as a catalyst for justice and connection, with experience spanning inclusive language education through his work with the CSAP and the federal government’s Odyssey program, Fair Trade advocacy, international field research in post-conflict Colombia and The Gambia, and applied policy learning through the NATO Field School. He recently completed his Honours thesis, Extracting Profit, Exporting Harm: Canadian Mining and the Capitalist State in Ecuador, which examines how Canadian state institutions facilitate extractive industry interests abroad.
“It’s an honour to be named a 3M National Student Fellow," said Darcy. "More than recognition, the award affirms education as a catalyst for empowerment, connection, and justice. It reflects a commitment to leadership, community engagement, and transformative learning—principles that guide my academic and public work. I’m especially grateful to Dr. Fridell, Jonathan Shaw from the SMU Scholars Academy, and the CSAP for their continued support."
Department Merger
We are thrilled to announce that this department will officially become the Department of Political Science and Global Development Studies on July 1st.
Colleagues from both programs are very excited and looking forward to working closely together as a newly integrated unit. Our goal is to expand our course offerings, increase access to supervisors and instructors, and establish new collaborative events and initiatives.
For students who are majors in either program or both (as joint majors) nothing will change – both programs will keep the same requirements, faculty from both departments will be involved in both, and students can get majors, minors, and Honours degrees in both programs based on existing calendar requirements.
In addition, GDS and Political Science continue to work collaboratively with Geography on the Global Environmental Politics Minor: https://www.smu.ca/political-science/global-environmental-politics-minor.html
Please feel free to reach out to the Chairperson at any time (lyubov.zhyznomirska@smu.ca) for any questions. You can also contact the departmental Administrative Assistant, Laura Becerril, at politics@smu.ca for more information, and you can always reach out directly to your favorite prof for any questions you might have.
Full details for a POLI degree are listed here: https://smu-ca-public.courseleaf.com/undergraduate/programs/political-science/#programstext
Details for a GDS degree are listed here: https://smu-ca-public.courseleaf.com/undergraduate/programs/global-development-studies/#programrequirementstext For further information on GDS, see: https://www.smu.ca/gds/index.html For questions about your degree requirement please contact the BA Advisors (BAadvising@smu.ca) or book an appointment.
There has never been a more urgent time to act and think globally, finding bold and positive ways to intervene in the world in a manner that places justice, solidarity, empathy and understanding first and foremost, to achieve meaningful and substantial change. As always, we look forward to discussing and engaging with you all on the most critical issues of our time.
Congratulations, 2024 Graduates!
From left to right: Dr. Alexandra Dobrowolsky, Dr. Lyubov Zhyznomirska, Pyper Lane, Dr. Marc Doucet.
From left to right: Devin Gallo, Pyper Lane, Dr. Marc Doucet, Mae Graham.
From left to right: Naza Yamine, Kamryn Zboya, Pyper Lane.
Saint Mary's students win "Best Negotiators" Award at the 2024 Model EU Simulation at York University in Toronto!
Congratulations to Jordyn LeBoutillier and Brayden Rogers-Stone, who represented Ireland on behalf of the Department of Political Science!
Saint Mary's University 2024 Model UN Delegation wins Distinguished Delegation Award
The Department of Political Science is proud to announce that the 2024 Saint Mary’s Model UN Delegation won a Distinguished Delegation award in recognition of their work over the course of the one-week National Model United Nations (NMUN) simulation held in New York City, March 23-29. This year, the delegation represented The Bahamas on the UN’s GA1, GA2, GA3, UNEA, and IAEA bodies. The delegation was comprised of ten students from the Faculty of Arts and the Sobey School of Business. Dr. Marc Doucet once again served as the course instructor and faculty advisor.
Front row, left to right: Jack Poirier (Head Delegate); Mae Graham (Head Delegate); Chloe O’Brien.Back row, left to right: Christopher Nicoll; Tyler Hutchinson; Victoria Cheeseman; Jill Daniels; Wesley Brouse; Usman Muhammad; Shiva Kakkar.
New course options for Winter 2024
Saint Mary's University's Model UN Delegation wins Distinguished Delegation Award for representing Saint Kitts and Nevis at the 2023 National Model United Nations
From Left to Right: Apoorva, Sorav Sogy, Manav Khera (Head Delegate), Anali Gorozpe, Devin Gallo, Naza Yammine, Kamryn Zboya, Pyper Lane, Ishaan Singh, Marc Doucet (Faculty Advisor).
This year’s delegation won a Distinguished Delegation Award for representing Saint Kitts and Nevis at the 2023 National Model United Nations (NMUN) that took place in New York City on April 1st to April 7th of 2023.
The 2023 Delegation included nine undergraduate students and one faculty advisor. Two of the delegates, Pyper Lane and Naza Yammine, also won an Outstanding Position Paper award in recognition of their pre-conference research on 1) Youth for Disarmament, Non-Proliferation, and Peace; and 2) Addressing the Illicit Supply of Weapons to Non-State Actors.
Link to SMU News Article
The Department is very proud to announce that Pyper Lane (Honours Candidate, 2023-2024) has been selected for Simon Fraser University's summer NATO Field School and Simulation Program
In addition to participating in a high-level NATO simulation exercise at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Pyper will visit Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, followed by visits to a number of NATO's European sites including Riga, Latvia; Tallinn, Estonia; Vilnius, Lithuania; and NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The Department wishes to congratulate Pyper on being selected for this prestigious program!
Mehak Tekchandani, Fall Graduation Valedictorian shares her thoughts about her Model United Nations Experience
Mehak Tekchandani of New Delhi, India who represented Saint Mary’s at the National Model United Nations conference in New York, where the university’s team received a Distinguished Delegation Award last April shared her experience.
The complete article can be found here:
Meet your Valedictorian: Mehak Tekchandani BA’22 CertHRM’22, Faculty of Arts | SMU News and Events
Reflecting on her Model UN experience Mehak comments,
“We met people from all over the world. It was fascinating to hear their thoughts and how one action has a different ripple effect all over the globe. I realized how big the world really is and how much there is to know and explore. If you are at SMU, I would highly encourage you to take this course! I’d also like to acknowledge those who made our trip possible: Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, who helped us with the US visa process, and our amazing professor Dr. Marc Doucet, who was a constant support and a rock for our team of delegates.”
Political Science Honours Alumna is sworn-in as a Senator in St. Kitts and Nevis
We are proud to share with everyone that Ms. Isalean Phillip, who holds an Honours degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in Women and Gender Studies from Saint Mary's University, was sworn-in as a Senator in the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis on August 13, 2022. She has been appointed Minister of Youth Empowerment, Social Development, Gender Affairs, Ageing and Disabilities.
A video of the swearing-in ceremony of the federal cabinet can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-cK5I36K0o
Reflecting on her time in the program, Isalean writes,
“When I think about my career trajectory, I can’t deny the influence of my undergraduate experience as a Political Science Hons student at SMU. I believe my ability to think critically and strategically was nurtured and honed by professors in the department who always challenged me to engage with the material beyond a superficial level. Having a Political Science Hons degree as my educational foundation helped to capture my interest and expand my passion for political thought and engagement. Today, as a young, female Senator in government, my competency and aptitude for success is grounded in theoretical and empirical knowledge that informs my understanding and guides my decision making as a leader and policy professional. Since graduating from SMU, I’ve stayed connected and always felt comfortable popping up and reaching out to professors in the department, who always respond with welcoming encouragement and assistance; that’s the kind of community-level support that makes SMU stand out as a post-secondary institution in Canada.”
Hon. Senator Isalean PhillipMinister of Youth Empowerment, Social Development, Gender Affairs, Ageing and DisabilitiesGovernment of St. Kitts and Nevis
Emergent-cies: Politics Today and Tomorrow
The Department of Political Science will be hosting this year the APPSA 2022. The Annual Conference of the Atlantic Provinces Political Science Association will take place in Saint Mary’s University from September 30 to October 2, 2022 where practitioners, activists, and graduate students will be gathering from across the region.
Program Highlights
KEYNOTE ADDRESSES: “Resistance and Resurgence: Contesting the Colonization of Our Collective Futures,” Dr. Pamela D. Palmater (Toronto Metropolitan University)“The Politics of Abortion Rights after the Fall of Roe v. Wade,” by Dr. Joanna Erdman (Schulich Law School, Dalhousie University)
SPECIAL PANELS:Alexa McDonough “When in Doubt Do Both” The Ukraine-Russia War of 2022: Ukrainian and International Responses to the Russian Invasion Climate Emergencies: Exploring the Political Economy of Global Climate Breakdown
Political Science Major Valedictorian Baden Mercer
Baden Mercer, who graduated with a double major in Political Science and Religious Studies, was valedictorian at the Winter 2022 Saint Mary's Graduation Ceremony. The Department of Political Science is especially proud! Congratulations Baden!
See the links below to hear his speech and to read the article posted by CBC News:
Video of Baden's valedictorian speech
"Saint Mary's University Valedictorian on autism spectrum shares message of hope"