A Message from the Director of Undergraduate Programs and Student Experiences
It is a real pleasure to support our students across the full breadth of the Munk School's undergraduate community and to build on the work of the colleagues who have shaped these programs into what they are today. We are living through a turbulent and uncertain period in global affairs—from nuclear tensions and contested international institutions to deep questions about how democracies govern themselves—and the questions at the heart of a Munk School education, about governance, security, diplomacy, justice, and social change, have never been more urgent. Having spent much of my career studying and practicing international security, diplomacy, and nuclear nonproliferation, I know how much these questions matter beyond the seminar room, and how much our students have to contribute to them.
The Munk School is home to a remarkable range of undergraduate programs, from Peace, Conflict & Justice and Public Policy to our regionally focused programs in American Studies, Contemporary Asian Studies, European Affairs, and South Asian Studies, the distinctive first-year experience of Munk One, and the Certificate in Public Policy and Engineering. My goal is for every student—whatever path they choose—to experience these years not as a sequence of courses, but as a formative period of intellectual growth, hands-on engagement, and genuine connection. I have worked to strengthen these programs from the inside: expanding our interdisciplinary offerings, building experiential learning into the curriculum, and integrating Munk Fellows—scholars and practitioners actively engaged in global affairs—into the everyday life of our undergraduate community.
What unites our programs is a commitment to learning beyond the classroom. Our students don't only read about global affairs and public policy—they engage with them directly, through hands-on research, community partnerships, internships, and real-world placements with partner organizations in Toronto and around the world. They learn from faculty, practitioners, alumni, and guest speakers; take part in lectures, excursions, and international study trips; and share their work at our undergraduate research symposium. Just as importantly, the Munk School is a community—one sustained by our Munk Undergraduate Council and by the everyday relationships that make this feel like an intellectual home.
I welcome conversations with students at every stage of their journey. Whether you are just beginning in Munk One, deepening your focus in a major, or thinking ahead to graduate study, a national or international fellowship, or a career in public service, I encourage you to reach out. Across my career I have had the privilege of mentoring students toward Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, Boren, and many other opportunities, and I have seen again and again that what carries students furthest is not getting everything right the first time, but curiosity, effort, and a willingness to take intellectual risks. These are years to test ideas, to learn through experience, and to discover what you care about most. I hope your time at the Munk School will help you deepen your interests, sharpen your thinking, and gain the confidence to engage thoughtfully and generously with the complex world around you.
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