The CEES Graduate Student Union (GSU) is the official student organization for graduate students in the CEES MA program. The GSU consists of both first- and second-year students and is in charge of organizing the annual CEES Graduate Student Conference, as well as social events for students at CEES throughout the year.
For 2025-2026 academic year CEES GSU roles are as follows:
Co-Chairs: Katie Jones & Julia Gould
Katie is a second-year Master of Arts student at the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. She is also pursuing a Certificate in Jewish Studies at the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies. Katie holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy from the University of Toronto. Her current research is concerning Holocaust memorialization and education in Hungary. In her free time, Katie enjoys travelling, exploring Toronto, and spending time with her family-including her cat, Jackie
Events Coordinator: Minna Fisher
Minna is currently in her first year of the MA program in European and Eurasian Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto. She holds a BA in Computer Science and Political Science from McGill University. Minna’s research interests focus on European cybersecurity and digital information controls. She works as a research assistant at the Citizen Lab at the Munk School measuring internet censorship. Minna is also co-authoring a paper on hypermasculinity and populist radical right voting in European democracies. Outside of research, Minna enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with friends. As the CEES GSU Events Coordinator, she looks forward to creating opportunities for connection and celebration within the program community.
First Year Representative: Pietro Arrigoni
Pietro is a first year CEES student. He was born in Italy and moved to Canada when he was 13. For his undergraduate degree Pietro studied political science at philosophy at UTM. When he's not hitting the books, Pietro likes to stay active. He is passionate about physical health and outdoors activities, and plays soccer competitively, as he has his whole life. In his spare time, Pietro likes to hike, read, and run.
Secretary: Madeleine Schmuckler
Treasurer: Pano Fotiadis
Pano Fotiadis is in his second year of the MA program in European and Eurasian Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. He holds a Honours Bachelors of Arts from the University of Toronto in History, European Affairs, and Political Science. At CEES, Pano focuses on the history and contemporary politics of south-eastern Europe, with a focus on Greece. His MRP analyzes how nationalism impacts media during wartime, using the experience of Greece during the Balkan Wars (1912-13) as a case study. Over the summer, he worked as an intern at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Berlin, Germany where he assisted in researching and analyzing the policies of critical resource value chains. Pano is also a member of the History Committee at the Hellenic Heritage Foundation, where he contributes to the research and creation of annual podcasts. Outside of academic life, Pano enjoys travelling, reading, admiring art and architecture, attending the theatre, and spending time with friends and family.
UTGSU Representative: Yiwen Su
Yiwen Su is a first-year Master of Arts candidate in European and Eurasian Studies. He has completed a History Specialist program and a major in Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures (with a focus on Russian) at the University of Toronto. His research interests lie in state and public narratives in Eurasian countries. Outside of academics, he enjoys reading, listening to music, singing, and hiking. He hopes to further contribute to the CEES community through this role.
CEES GSU members can be reached at here