MGA Courses

Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Wednesday 10 am-Noon (LEC0101 & LEC0102)
Instructor(s): Darius Ornston, Dan Breznitz

Room: OI 5250 (LEC0101) & UC 244 (LEC0102)

Description: This course provides an introduction to cross-national study of the role of the state in industrial development, innovation, and business-government relations. The emphasis is on providing a broad base of the competing theoretical perspectives with particular attention to the different ways in which state and markets interact in rapid-innovation-based industries. Special consideration is given to the role of Science and Technology Industrial Policies, Innovation, and Economic Development. Centering our attention on politics the seminar examines the nature and extent of government in business and business in government.

Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Thursday 10 am-1 pm (LEC0101) & 2-5 pm (LEC0102)
Instructor(s): Moussa Blimpo

Room: OI5250 (LEC0101) & OI5170 (LEC0102)

Description: This course introduces the key challenges that shape development policy at the international level. The course comprises three main components: first, an introduction to the main approaches to international development, covering economic (growth), political (governance) and social (civil society) perspectives; second, an overview of the primary international actors shaping development policy and outcomes, with a focus on the management and impact of foreign aid; and, third, detailed discussion of selected key issues, likely including economic liberalization, resource rents, conflict and post-conflict reconstruction, social development and participatory development. By the end of the course students will have a detailed knowledge of the most important contemporary debates in the field along with the analytical tools to engage with a broader range of development issues in practical work.

Term: Fall Required Courses (September-December)
Day & Time: NEW DAY & TIME - Monday 4-7pm
Tutorials: Friday 10 am - 11 am (TUT0101) & 11 am - Noon (TUT0102)
Instructor(s): George Georgopoulos

Room: CG-160

Description: The aim of this course is to introduce you to basic concepts in microeconomics, which will allow you to think systematically about economic issues. This course won’t turn you into an economist, but it will allow you to understand economic phenomena from a microeconomic perspective, using a conceptually sound, empirically driven approach. This foundational course in microeconomics will give you the basis on which to make evidence-based policy decisions by understanding how economic incentives work.

*An intermediate section is available for students with an advanced economics background.

Term: Fall Required Courses
Day & Time: Thursday 10 am-1 pm (LEC0101) &  2 pm-5 pm (LEC0102)
Instructor(s): Dani Nedal

Room: OI5150 (LEC0101) & OI5250 (LEC0102)

Description: Analyses the global security architecture, grand strategy, and contemporary and emerging security challenges. Topics may include the evolution of contemporary national security doctrines, the implications of shifting loci of power for global security, the role and limits of multilateral security arrangements, the role of intelligence and intelligence failure, and threat assessments of emerging or ongoing security problems such as nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and insurgency.

Term: Fall Electives
Day & Time: Tuesday 9 -11am (LEC0101) & 11 am-1 pm (LEC0102)
Instructor(s): Janice Stein, Peter Loewen

Room: OI2214 (LEC0101) & OI5150 (LEC0102) 

Description: This core elective introduces students to scholarship on the psychology of decision-making and the analytics of strategic thinking. Drawing from the literature on public policy making, behavioural economics, and strategic analysis, the seminar will develop the analytical tools and the practical leadership skills students need to navigate the intersection among the global economy, global institutions, and global civil society. Students are required to analyze and craft strategies to address global public policy problems in the context of the three sectors. *This course is open to MGA & MPP students only.

Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Tuesday 11 am-1 pm (LEC0101) & 2-5 pm (LEC0102)

Tutorials: Monday 10 am-11 am (TUT0101) & 11 am - Noon (TUT0102)
Instructor(s): Rafael Gomez 

Room: OI5250 (LEC0101) & OI5170 (LEC0102)

Description: Introduction to the key concepts of international trade and international finance, with attention to contemporary issues and policy. Empirically assesses alternative trade theories, and examines international commercial policy, international finance and macroeconomics, as well as their relationship to broader global issues. The course is designed to utilize understanding of international trade and international finance to help students think through real-world events and design policy responses. The supplementary readings thus deal with key world issues in order to illustrate the more abstract material and to engage with global economic policy challenge

*An intermediate section is available for students who have an advanced background in economics.

Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Wednesday 11 am-1 pm (LEC0101) & 2-4 pm (LEC0102)

Tutorials: Thursday 10 am - 11 am (TUT0101) & 11 am - Noon (TUT0102)
Instructor(s): Tom Kemeny

Room: WB 130 (LEC0101) & OI5250 (LEC0102)

Description: This course introduces quantitative methods to conduct research for policy purposes. The course introduces statistical concepts with a focus on applications that go from descriptive and inferential statistics to regression analysis and explores research design, case studies in the context of observational and experimental studies. Students will come away with a good grasp of the concepts such as correlation, causation, randomization and the use of data to evaluate policy choices and outcomes.

Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Friday 10 am-Noon (LEC0101) 2-4 pm (LEC0102)
Instructor(s): Todd Foglesong

Room: CG-160, Canadiana Gallery, 14 Queens Park Cres W. 

Description: This course focuses on challenges and opportunities on issues of justice, including attention to how claims to justice are made and how justice systems operate. Course materials will focus on attention to everyday and social movement demands for justice, the relationship between justice and inequality, calls for the reform of justice organizations, and the ways in which these challenges are addressed domestically, internationally, and in different parts of the world. The course will offer a survey of these issues with a focus on different substantive topics, that may include human rights and civil rights, current pressures on justice systems, substantive concerns such as violence, international migration, corruption and illicit trades, and issues of systemic bias. At the core of each of these topics is a focus on justice systems in action, including ideals of justice and the capacity to deliver on these ideals, rather than a primary emphasis on doctrinal legal rules, and the ways in which states, non-state actors, and international organizations address justice system challenges. Given that these are both domestic and international issues, this course provides students with a lens on how justice questions provide insight into the future of democratic societies, as well as the changing world order.

Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Thursday 2-5 pm  (LEC0101) 
Instructor(s): James Whitestone

Room: OI5170 

Description: This course initially explores the latest science of climate change followed by the international legal and policy framework to address climate change developed over time including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement highlighting the key points for the post-2020 climate change regime.  Students will then be given an understanding of the international and domestic legal, economic and financial dimensions of climate change. They will be provided with some of the strategies national governments can use to bring down greenhouse gas emissions as well as to adapt to climate change including the process for developing and updating Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). In addition to reviewing the obligations of national governments as parties to the Paris Agreement as a legally binding international treaty on climate change, the course will also discuss the roles of: subnational governments including cities, states, provinces as well as the partnerships that exist among these groups; civil society (non-state actors) including Indigenous peoples and non-governmental (NGOs) organizations; and business in the net-zero transition.

Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Thursday 2-4 pm
Instructor(s): Dan Munro

Room: VC101 

Description: Examination of ethics and moral reasoning applied to the study of global affairs. Current debates in moral philosophy and how they help us to better understand contemporary controversies in global affairs. Examination of a number of current policy debates, such as issues of justice in social and environmental policy, the use of military intervention in international affairs, and the accommodations of religious and ethnic differences in liberal democracies.

Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Wednesday 10 am-Noon (LEC0101) & 2-4pm (LEC0102)
Instructor(s): Shiri Breznitz

Room: WW126 (LEC0101) & OI5250 (LEC0102) 

Description: In this course students will learn the basics of research and project design. Students will learn how to conduct a literature review, construct a research questions and hypotheses, conduct case study analysis from both primary and secondary data. As the course is a gateway to working on client projects in the second semester as part of GLA2000H Capstone Seminar, students will learn how to work with clients, how to work in teams, presentation skills, memo and report writing. 

This is a required course for MGA students. It is closed to non-MGA students.

Term: Winter/Spring required courses
Day & Time: Wednesday afternoons
Instructor(s): Benoît Gomis, David Morley, Daniel Munro, David Zarnett, Rory Johnston

Room(s): Various

Description: The Capstone course will rely on clients –representing the private sector, an international organization, a non-governmental organization, or government — and students will work in teams to tackle a current issue confronting these clients and their organizations. Students will learn to analyze these problems across dimensions of global economy and markets, global institutions, and global civil society. Throughout the course, students will engage in activities designed to assist global problem-solvers, while also looking for opportunities to defend and advance their clients’ organizational interests.

For more information on the Capstone and to view past clients click here.

*Please note: Information on the Capstone projects to be released later this year. Students will have the opportunity to indicate their preferences from among a selection of projects. Capstone does not count towards MGA emphasis specializations.

Emphases: Global Security
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Tuesday 12-2 pm
Instructor(s): Andres Kasekamp

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: A comparative examination of the emergence and upsurge of populist radical right parties in contemporary Europe. The course will begin with historical context, definitions and typologies, before exploring topics including ideology and issues; leaders, members and voters; political parties, organizations and subcultures; transnational influences and networking; patterns of response by mainstream parties and radical right parties in public office. This course will analyze several country cases in detail, including France, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Hungary, Finland and Estonia. A basic knowledge of recent European history and comparative politics is required.

*Please note this course has 10 spots for MGA students and 10 spots for CERES students.

Emphases: Global Markets, Global Policy
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Tuesday 6:30-9 pm
Instructor(s): Phillip Lipscy

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: How do governments conduct bilateral diplomacy? We will explore this topic by examining the real-world diplomacy of Canada and the United States vis-a-vis Japan. We will review the academic literature on foreign policy making and the specific context of these bilateral relationships. We will then engage directly with practitioners at the forefront of foreign policy making in Canada, Japan, and the United States, exploring contemporary policy challenges and how the respective governments seek to resolve them. Students will work on collaborative group projects designed in consultation with practitioners to provide value to immediate policy making priorities. Students may need to be available outside of the designated class time occasionally for online meetings with counterparts abroad.

Emphases: Global Development, Global Markets
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Tuesday 4-6 pm
Instructor(s): Arturo Franco

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: In recent decades, inequality has emerged as a global concern and one of the defining issues of our time. This course explores the ways government, international financial and multilateral organizations, private sector and social sector leaders are shaping the future of economic inclusion.

A key objective of this course is to identify and develop opportunities for intersectoral collaboration. Students will be outlining strategies, policies and actions that different sectors can take to move their communities and economies towards equity and prosperity.

The course practicum is designed to follow the Built For All framework, developed by the Center for Inclusive Growth. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to work on a group-based “pitch” to an active board member of the Mastercard Impact Fund.

Emphases: Global Security
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Tuesday 12-2 pm 
Instructor(s): Jack Cunningham

Room: TBD

Description: This course covers changes to Canada’s defence policy and military posture since the late 1980s. Early sessions will address Canada’s Cold War stance, the Mulroney government’s response to the winding down of East-West hostilities, and Canadian involvement in the First Gulf War. Subsequent classes will discuss the impact of the defence spending reductions of the 1990s, the Chretien government’s 1994 Defence White Paper, and the debate over the role of the Canadian military and the military instrument more broadly, in the post-Cold War international environment.

*Please note this course is capped at 7 MGA students. This is a joint course with Trinity College IR undergraduate program. It is only open to MGA students.

Emphases: Global Security, Human Rights and Global Justice
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Tuesday 10:00am-Noon
Instructor(s): Benoit Gomis 

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This course focuses on the illicit trade in legal and illegal drugs (e.g. opioids, cannabis, tobacco). After an overview of key characteristics, trends, factors, and impacts of illicit trade worldwide, students will learn methods to research illicit trade and estimate the size of illicit markets and explore challenges associated with illicit trade data overall. Following this introduction, the course will assess to what extent illicit markets are inherently violent, and explore the links between illicit trade and terrorism. Case studies will include the impact of legalization/regulation on the illicit cannabis trade, the complicity of the tobacco industry in the illicit tobacco trade, and the opioid crisis in the U.S. and Canada. Finally, the course will tackle policy options against the illicit drug trade, in particular, the international drug control regime and the WHO FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, as well as their implementations at country-level.

This course is open to MGA students in year two only.

Emphases: Global Security, The Digital World
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Monday 10 am-Noon
Instructor(s): Ronald Deibert

Room: Transit House, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This course is an intensive examination of the evolving terrain of global digital‐electronic‐telecommunications through the lens of the research of the Citizen Lab (https://citizenlab.ca/). After setting the stage with some general readings on background and context, we turn to several modules organized as detailed examinations of the Citizen Lab’s mixed methods research on information controls, including analyzing Internet censorship and surveillance, investigating targeted digital espionage, uncovering privacy and security risks of mobile applications, security and privacy issues around COVID19, and the role of the private sector in information controls. We conclude with an exploration of threat modelling and how each of you can improve your own digital hygiene.

Emphases: Human Rights & Global Justice
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Thursday 12- 2 pm 

Instructor: Benoit Gomis

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This course provides students with an opportunity to learn about and reflect on the continuously evolving global tobacco industry playbook. It will focus on the industry’s main business and political strategies and tactics overtime, in particular: producing and distributing addictive products (e.g. sales and marketing strategies, tobacco product supply chains), controlling information (e.g. concealing evidence of harms, funding research and influencing media to sow doubt and push certain narratives), undermining policy and lack of government capacity in particular in LMICs (i.e. through direct lobbying and allies), and rebranding itself as the solution to a problem it created (e.g. strategies regarding ‘risk reduced’ products and illicit trade). We will then explore how that playbook has been replicated in other industries (e.g. pharmaceutical, alcohol, cannabis, oil and gas), and discuss implications for research, policy, and practice.

This course is open to MGA students in year two only.

Emphases: Global Security
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Monday 2-4 pm 
Instructor(s): Janice Stein 

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: The seminar draws upon evidence from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the period preceding the invasion and the brutal war that followed to examine contemporary theories in international relations and their implications for strategy. The seminar will explore the construction of strategy, the causes of war, theories of threat perception, the “nuclear revolution” and the “stabilityinstability” paradox, deterrence and spiral models, “integrated” deterrence, alliance behaviour, escalation management, distributed vs. hierarchical war fighting across domains, and control of the information space.

*This course is a three-week intensive course. 

Emphases: Global Policy, Global Security, Global Development
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: September 19, 21, 25, 26, 28, October 2, 3, 5 (2-5 pm)
Instructor(s): Arif Lalani

Room: Transit House (Mondays) & CG-361 (Tuesdays & Thursdays)

Description: The Middle East is changing, dramatically. The conventional “geography” of the Middle East typically addressed by western audiences has focused on conflict around the Levant.

For over 70 years the West’s policy on the Middle East has been based on two premises: first, that a resolution of the Palestinian problem and a “two-state solution” is the key to broader peace in the Middle East; and second, that Israel and the Arab oil exporting countries of the region are perpetual enemies. How relevant are these premises today? In 2020, the “Abraham Accords” opened the door to normalizing diplomatic and commercial relations between Israel and its neighbours (UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan). Most recently the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran have normalised their diplomatic relations. These developments take place in a context which includes security, human rights, economic development and other issues involving global actors and broader international issues.

The Arab Gulf states seem to be at the centre of this “new geography” of the Middle East. The global reach of the Gulf states could prove to be important to global priorities, including the shift to a green economy, addressing food insecurity in the developing world, cyber security and technology.

Are we seeing a new Middle East emerge? What are the implications for enduring conflicts, for global issues, and transformation? The course will examine these issues, including through guest presentations. The course will reflect a practioner’s perspective. How do we assess important changes for senior policy makers, make sense of the implications and opportunities, arrive at practical policy recommendations? Students will work on policy documents designed to help senior policy makers navigate the changing contours of a new Middle East and what it means for governments, their citizens, and other stakeholders.

Emphases: Global Markets
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Thursday 10 am-Noon
Instructor(s): Mark Manger

Room: Transit House, 315 Bloor St. W, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: The course introduces students to international monetary and financial relations over the last century, and focuses on the issues of financial power, cooperation, conflict and institutions in the world economy. Topics covered are the politics of exchange rate adjustment, the role of the IMF, the political economy of financial crises, and the domestic and international political implications of global monetary developments. Case studies are used to link theory, policy and practice.

Emphases: Global Development, Human Rights and Global Justice
Term: Fall (September-December)
*NEW* Day & Time: Thursday 5-7 pm
Instructor(s): Alejandro Garcia Magos

Trailer: Fragile Foundations

Room: Transit House, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This course focuses on three historical challenges for Latin America that have inspired a vast scholarly and popular literature: state building, violence, and democratic rule. And while the course has a regional focus, it has a universal scope, and should not be considered only as a course on "Latin American politics" (although you will learn a great deal about them). Therefore, no familiarity with the region is assumed nor reading knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese is required. The course curriculum is carefully curated to answer fundamental questions in political science, such as: What are the roots of state weakness? Is criminal violence radically different from political violence? Why are certain regions of the world more afflicted by violent conflict than others? Why democratic rule has been historically precarious in the developing world? And how can we identify when a country is undergoing democratic backsliding?

Emphases: Global Markets, Global Development 
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Thursday 2-4 pm 
Instructor(s): Ato Onoma

Room: Transit House, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This seminar explores property rights and their location within political economies and society writ large. What are property rights? What are the mechanisms that guarantee property rights? Why are property rights more secure in some places than in others? What accounts for the transformation and persistence of property rights systems? What are the impacts of property rights on economic performance and politics? What are the links between property rights systems and issues of social justice, inclusiveness, and equality? In what ways do property rights intersect with gender, race, and indigenous and First Nation identities? How do property rights interact with the question of the environment? The class will draw on literature from multiple disciplines and consider cases from many areas of the world.

Emphases: Global Policy
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Wednesday 9:30 am-12 pm
Instructor(s): Mel Cappe

Room: CG-361, Canadiana Gallery, 14 Queens Park Cres W.

Description: This course explores the complexity of current government policy-making in a comparative perspective. Students will examine the rationales for and the limits to government intervention and will identify the policy levers available to government actors in a dynamic political context. The course explores the government’s role in the financing and delivery of public policy goals while balancing concerns of efficiency and equity. Students will explore substantive and procedural issues in a range of major policy areas such as trade, security, redistribution, health care, the environment, indigenous peoples issues and urban policy.

Emphases: Human Rights & Global Justice
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Tuesday 6-8 pm 
Instructor(s): Bryce Edwards, David Walders

Room: TBD

Description:  This seminar will deal with selected issues in Aboriginal law and policy. It is intended to bring together law students and students of public policy, and to broaden the perspective of both potential lawyers and policy makers. The topics will include:

• The Policy and Law Continuum/Current Conditions
• The Doctrine of Discovery and Terra Nullius
• First Contact, First Treaties
• The Indian Act, Numbered Treaties and Residential Schools
• White Paper, Red Paper, Calder and Patriation
• Duty to Consult and Aboriginal Title
• Modern Treaties
• Child Welfare
• Identity, Membership and Status
• Métis and Mixed Ancestry Aboriginal Peoples
• Decolonizing Wealth
• Paths to Reconciliation

*This course has 5 spots for MGA students. 

Emphases: Innovation Policy
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Monday 12-2 pm
Instructor(s): Scott McKnight

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: The shift from a fossil fuel-centric energy system to one based on renewables and low-carbon energy is fast-unfolding but still has a long way to go. While reducing carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels is the goal, there is a fierce geopolitical and industrial competition also at play, with every major economy trying to gain advantage in researching, designing and manufacturing technologies for the low-carbon economy. Because energy and national power are intimately linked, this course asks whether the transition to a ‘net-zero’ economy will become the latest site of geopolitical competition between the US and China; who (countries, regions and companies) will gain and who will lose from this transition, and what are the major obstacles standing in the way. This semester-long course will break down the major technologies that have grown in importance in recent years and the policies that supported their growth. It will also analyze the recent revival of big innovation policy, including America’s Inflation Reduction Act, China’s recent five-year plans and Europe’s REPowerEU plan. We also discuss ‘critical minerals’ and the incipient mining boom because these inputs are vital to these low-carbon technologies that will be needed in much greater quantities than today.  

Emphases: Global Policy
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Thursday 10 am-12 pm
Instructor(s): Sir Graham Watson

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: The aim of this course is to give students a thorough understanding of how and why the EU came into existence, how it became a world power, how it takes decisions and why the United Kingdom first hesitated to join, then joined and subsequently - having spent fifty years reforming the EU in its own image – chose to leave again. A glimpse into future scenarios will look at the potential impact of this development, particularly with regard to relations between the EU and North America. Through a series of lectures, student research presentations, film showings and discussions with visiting speakers, course participants will be encouraged to ask questions and seek answers to the major strategic implications of the EU’s emergence and its role in the world today.

Emphases: Innovation Policy, The Digital World
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Tuesday 9 am-Noon
Instructor(s): Stephen Heblich

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: Innovation is a constant driver of change and known to be an engine of growth. Some innovations lead to incremental changes while others coin long periods of growth, sometimes also referred to as Kondratieff Waves. The first Kondratieff wave is typically related to the invention of the steam engine in the 1780s and we are currently in between the end of the fifth cycle that is based on information technology and an emerging sixth cycle that will likely involve biotech and healthcare. This course focuses on the intersection of the fifth and sixth cycle and analyses how recent technological innovations have changed our way of life and society. For instance, artificial intelligence allows us to analyze large amounts of data with clear benefits for public health but this may come with a loss of data privacy. To analyze such trade-offs and inform public policy, it is important to understand the pros and cons. This course will teach students to think like economists, assess the costs and benefits of new technologies, and use this comparison to think about informed policy decisions.

Emphases: Innovation Policy
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Thursday 2-4 pm
Instructor(s): TBD
 

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This course explores the growing role of triple-bottom-line businesses that seek to advance the well-being of people and the planet. Social entrepreneurs innovate to address complex social and environmental challenges: the climate emergency, poverty, healthcare, and humanitarian aid, to name a few. Through hands-on exercises, case studies, guest lectures, and readings we will explore multiple questions: 
• How do successful social entrepreneurs leverage social innovation to help achieve long-term, sustainable change?
• What are the business models underpinning social enterprises? How do we measure success?
• How do social enterprises interact with existing private, public, and nonprofit sectors to achieve impact?

* What are the limitations of social entrepreneurship?

Emphases: Global Markets, Innovation Policy
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Monday 9 am-Noon
Instructor(s): Darius Ornston

Room: Transit House, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This class explores how communities can design effective and equitable social policies. The course opens by addressing several common misconceptions about the welfare state, including the connection between economic competition and social protection, the relationship between social spending and inequality, and the role of the state. The second part of the course examines the politics of reform in three broad areas: Old people (pensions and health care), young people (housing and labour markets), and identity (gender and immigration). The course concludes by exploring new approaches to social protection, including non-state alternatives. By the end of the course, students should be able to develop a politically feasible, economically competitive strategy to reform social policy in a community of interest.

Emphases: Human Rights & Global Justice
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Monday 11 am - 12:20 pm
Instructor(s): Anna Su

Room: TBA

Description: This course is a broad introduction to international human rights law. It will explore the historical development of international human rights in its various forms, beginning with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights up to contemporary treaties; various forms and institutional (national, regional and international) settings in which human rights now operate; and legal and political strategies for implementing the norms that have been developed. How did an idea limited to a few European states eventually become the language of justice of the international community? What is the role of human rights norms in a world of power politics and sovereign states? Under what conditions do human rights work? Are there any viable alternatives? 

*This course is offered through the Faculty of Law and has 10 MGA spots.

Emphases: Human Rights & Global Justice, Global Development
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Thursday 2:10- 4:00 pm
Instructor(s): Michael Trebilcock

Room: TBA

Description: This seminar will examine the role of law and institutions in promoting development in less developed countries. The topics that will be addressed include: competing conceptions of development: economic, political and social; theories of economic growth; the New Institutional Economics; democracy and development; public administration and development; competing theories of the role of law in development; ethnic diversity; corruption; land and property rights reform; infrastructure and development; state-owned enterprises: privatization and reform; foreign investment and trade policy; and the role of foreign aid and international institutions in development. 

*This course is offered through the Faculty of Law and has 5 MGA spots.

Emphases: Human Rights & Global Justice
Term: Fall (September-December)
Day & Time: Tuesday & Thursday 10:30 am - 12:20- pm
Instructor(s): Galit Sarfaty

Room: TBA

Description: This course provides an introduction to the conceptual and institutional foundations of public international law.  Students will be introduced to: the main theoretical debates about public international law and its impact on international conduct; the law formation processes (“sources”) of public international law (treaties, custom and the debates about the role of other sources); the concept of international legal personality (the concept of the sovereign state; the evolving role of other international actors, such as international organizations, individuals, corporations and non-governmental organizations); questions of jurisdiction over territory and persons; the relationship between international and domestic law; state and diplomatic immunities; the law of state responsibility; the peaceful settlement of international disputes and the evolving roles of UN organs such as the Security Council and the International Court of Justice; the maintenance of international peace and security, the prohibition on the use of force, self-defence, and the responsibility to protect. In exploring these basic concepts and building blocks of the international legal system, the course will focus as much as possible on concrete examples involving current debates, issues and situations involving public international law.

*This course is offered through the Faculty of Law and has 5 MGA spots.

Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Tuesday 10 am - Noon
Instructor(s): Donald Kingsbury

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description:This course provides MGA students with the opportunity to research and write an independent research paper on a selected topic or problem in global affairs. The course will be delivered through regularly scheduled workshops and class sessions. Students who wish to pursue this research paper course must obtain prior approval of the MGA Director or designate, and a faculty member must be available and willing to supervise the research and paper.

*This course is open to MGA students only.

Emphases: Depends on research paper topic. Students must submit a copy of their research paper proposal to the MGA Director to have it assessed for an emphasis.

(GLA2887H) The course supports students in the dual degree programs (MPP/MGA, MIA/MGA, MPA/MGA) to develop their research question and arguments, review relevant research, choose an appropriate methodology for analysis, and present first empirical findings in preparation for their respective final papers.

Emphases: Innovation Policy
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Monday 10 am-1 pm
Instructor(s): Darius Ornston

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: One of the ironies of globalization is that the forces that were supposed to make distance less relevant have concentrated innovative activity within regions. As a result, some of the most important policy and business decisions are made locally. This course explores how municipal actors can navigate the opportunities, and challenges, associated with globalization. After explaining why innovation is concentrated in cities, the course debates why some cities are more innovative than others. To this end, the course discusses the role of size, government policy, human capital, social capital, branding and other issues. Two additional questions frame the analysis. How can municipal actors, who lack the fiscal resources and regulatory tools of a nation-state, promote innovation? And if innovative activity is concentrated in a handful of large cities, what options are available to smaller communities? By the end of the course, students are expected to develop a strategy to promote innovation in Toronto (or another community).

Emphases: Global Security, The Digital World
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Monday 5:30-7:30pm
Instructor(s): Branka Marijan

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: Information technology is ubiquitous. It powers the global economy, improves government administration, enhances military power, and connects modern civil society. For the same reasons, technology creates new opportunities to leverage these same networks for espionage, subversion, and disruption. While the technology is new, practices of deception and counterintelligence are very old. This course examines the problems of cybersecurity through the lens of intelligence. Students will be introduced to enduring concepts from the world of intelligence and learn to apply them through a series of case studies of modern cyber conflict.

Emphases: Global Security
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Monday 2-4 pm
Instructor(s): Jack Cunningham

Room: TBD

Description: This course examines the emergence and impact on the international system of nuclear weapons. We will discuss the decisions by various states to acquire or develop nuclear weapons (or not); the evolution of nuclear strategy; and the development of nuclear arms control and disarmament and nonproliferation as central concerns in world politics. We will also examine the dynamics of key nuclear crises such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Students will be exposed to primary documents and the relevant scholarly literature, and by the end of the course should be able to discuss nuclear issues in their broader context.

*Please note this course is capped at 7 MGA students.

*This course is offered through the Collaborative Master's Specialization in Contemporary East and South East Asian Studies Program and has limited spaces.

Emphases: Global Policy 
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Monday 1-3 pm

Instructor: Christoph Emmrich

Description: This seminar will introduce students to the interdisciplinary study of popular culture in Asia through a focus on public events. Readings about all kinds of performances, including ritual, popular protest, festivals, sports, cinema, television, digital media events, and the performing arts will help students learn methodological tools to interpret the politics and meanings of public culture as it articulates with class, ethnicity, religious community, gender and caste. The course will furthermore familiarize students with a range of theoretical lenses for conceptualizing the different meanings of the “event” and the “public” from a perspective grounded in the histories of South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and their diasporas.

*This course is offered through the MPP program and has 10 spaces for MGA students.

Emphases: Human Rights and Global Justice
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Tuesday 12-2 pm
Instructor(s): Diana Fu

Room: Transit House, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This course examines contentious politics—protests, social movements, and state repression. It explores questions such as why people protest, how they organize, and the outcomes of contention. The course challenges students to examine popular contention across a range of states in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.

Emphases: Global Security
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Wednesday 10 am-Noon
Instructor(s): Benoît Gomis

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: Focuses on key opportunities and challenges in researching terrorism and terrorism financing. After an analysis of the practice of terrorism research and some of the main pitfalls associated with it, students learn how to access information about terrorism, approach the issue of terrorism financing, build and use databases of terrorist attacks, evaluate counterterrorism policies, and write about terrorism and counterterrorism. These skills are essential for relevant careers in think tanks, academia, government, the media, NGOs, IGOs, and the private sector.

*This course is offered jointly with CERES. It is open to MA CERES and MGA students only.

Emphases: Global Policy 
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)

Day & Time: Thursday 1-4 pm
Instructor(s): Drew Fagan

Room: Transit House, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: The first four weeks will focus on the basics of policymaking, particularly from the perspective of the non-partisan public service. How do governments set and prioritize their agenda? What is the process of interaction between political officials, including ministers, and the public service? How do stakeholders – interest groups and citizens alike – engage in the process? How do public servants choose and design delivery methods to turn policy proposals into initiatives. What can go wrong and how can one best avoid this? How are results assessed? How does one communicate appropriately and effectively, including in the era of social media and the 24/7 news cycle.

Specific examples will be cited often. Students will do a Briefing Note assignment individually on a topical issue, based on a template common in government for the written briefing of senior officials and ministers.

The second four weeks will apply these learnings to the global context in which Canada operates and engages, including vis-à-vis Europe. While the first four weeks will be based on lectures, decks and discussions, the second four weeks will also benefit from presentations and discussions with seniors practitioners. Students will prepare and present a Minister’s Briefing deck on a topical issue of importance to Canada’s global interests and values and/or international policy broadly. This presentation is designed to mimic what its like inside government. Students will work in teams of four, applying a template common in government for the oral briefing of senior officials and ministers.

Students will be assessed on a marking rubric of: 40 per cent for the briefing note assignment, 40 per cent for the minister’s briefing assignment and 20 per cent for class participation.

Emphases: Innovation Policy
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Tuesday 6:30-8:30pm

Instructor: Matt Wilder

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This course takes a multidisciplinary approach to examining how society responds to technological change. Themes include innovation and industrial policy, finance, skills development and just transitions with a focus on energy, agriculture, health, transportation and infrastructure. Over the course of the term, students will use the knowledge gained from readings and class discussions to compile a professional policy brief that compares alternatives and offers advice to a public, private or non-profit entity of the student’s choosing. Successful students will be well-positioned for careers as consultants and advisors in the innovation domain.

 Recommended text: Phillips, Peter. (2007). Governing transformative technological innovation: who’s in charge? Edward Elgar.

Emphases: Global Development, Human Rights and Global Justice 
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Monday 2-4pm 
Instructor(s): Laura Garcia Montoya

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This course builds on various multi-disciplinary approaches to explore the links between inequalities and violence, conflict, and post-conflict dynamics with a regional focus on the “Global South”. It aims for students to understand and engage critically in debates in the literature and to discover connections between power structures and the emergence of violent conflicts, their dynamics, and their legacies. We will start by discussing the forces that drive societies to violent conflict. We will then explore how land, gender, and racial inequality interact and shape conflict dynamics and post-conflict transitions. Finally, we will study illicit drug markets and climate change and its relationship with violence to understand the impact of global inequalities. The course will offer students practical tools to analyze the intersection of conflict and inequality, as well as its policy implications for pursuing peace.

Emphases: Global Markets
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Tuesday 9 am-Noon
Instructor(s): Prof. Stephan Heblich

Room: Transit House, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: Environmental concerns have become increasingly prominent as a matter for public debate and policy. Climate change, pollution, sustainable development, energy transition, and the sustainable use of non-renewable resources are fundamentally resource allocation problems on which economics has much to say. This unit will address these real-world environmental problems by building on microeconomics and quantitative methods from previous units. We will use these tools to examine how economic choices and activities affect the natural environment. We will also be looking at methods of environmental valuation and at policy instruments designed to improve (or slow down the degradation of) the environment.

Emphases: Global Policy
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Thursday 2-4 pm 
Instructor(s): Diana Fu

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: This course presents the major political and social transitions in the People’s Republic of China, with a focus on domestic politics in the post-reform era (1979-present). Delving beyond news headlines, the course challenges students to examine the conditions that have catapulted China from a poor, developing nation to a global power in three decades, as well as the political and social consequences of such rapid change. Part I of the course introduces the major structural changes in China. Part II of the course delves into ongoing and controversial issues in the headlines. Together, these two parts combine an overview of major political reform with a topical focus on ongoing scholarly debates in the study of Chinese politics.

Emphases: The Digital World
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Friday 10am-Noon
Instructor(s): TBD

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: 

Economic, social and political activity are increasingly taking place online. This raises a host of new questions, challenges, and opportunities for policymakers and global affairs analysts. At the same time, digital technologies and the pandemic have unleashed and accelerated the use of a new set of real-time data.

Businesses and investors have accelerated their use of these datastreams, reaping financial gains. Some government agencies and other public interest organizations are now at an early stage of experimenting with them as well. Examples are wide-ranging. Satellite images can measure carbon emissions, wildfires, impacts of war and the extent of war crimes. Social media monitoring can identify disinformation campaigns. And online housing platforms data, digital payments, online restaurant bookings, and job postings data can be used to inform more timely and economic policy interventions.

Students will consider the use of these new approaches for their potential to help leaders better measure, analyze, and address key recent challenges and themes, including the COVID-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine. The course may examine applications across foreign policy, international security, international development, humanitarian crises, public health, climate change, and economic policy.

Emphases: Innovation Policy
Term: Winter/Spring (January-April)
Day & Time: Wednesday 5-7pm
Instructor(s): TBD

Room: B019, 315 Bloor St. West, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Description: Think startups and you’ll most likely think of San Francisco and its neighbouring Silicon Valley. For decades it has been the world’s focal point for startups, venture capital and global tech firms. However smart people are everywhere, and thanks to the confluence of ubiquitous Internet access and a ravenous investor demand for returns, those smart people now have the opportunity to build and grow the types of startups once thought reserved for the Valley and its imitators. This course explores this evolving geography of where globally competitive startups are emerging, be it in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and beyond, digs into what’s behind their emergence, and questions what it means for us and them.