Institute of Intergovernmental Relations

New State of the Federation Volume

mak — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:26:03 +0000

New State of the Federation Volume mak Thu, 02/05/2026 - 10:26

Celebrating Thomas J. Courchene

mak — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:11:25 +0000

Celebrating Thomas J. Courchene mak Wed, 02/04/2026 - 11:11

Celebrating Thomas J. Courchene

The inaugural director of the School of Policy Studies, Tom Courchene (1940-2025) was a master at bridging scholarship and public policy. He made striking contributions to Canadian policy debates, and his contributions were recognized with the highest honours the country can give. He was an Officer of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a recipient of the Canada Council Molson Prize for lifetime achievement, and a winner of the Donner Prize twice.

This Symposium asks two questions:

1) Why was Tom such an effective contributor to policy debates?

2) Does his approach to public policy remain relevant today?

Confirmed participants include Robin Boadway, Kevin Lynch, Lisa Powell, Bob Rae, Kyle Hanniman, Olivier Jacques and Jennifer Ditchburn.

Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026

Time: 11:00 AM-3:00 PM

Location: George Teves Room, The University Club, 168 Stuart St., Queen’s University

Please register in advance. Lunch will be provided. There is no cost for registration.

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IIGR hosts fireside chat between former Ontario Premier David Peterson and Jeffrey Simpson

mak — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 16:00:37 +0000

IIGR hosts fireside chat between former Ontario Premier David Peterson and Jeffrey Simpson mak Mon, 11/17/2025 - 11:00

Donaldson, Nicholas

mak — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:06:32 +0000

Donaldson, Nicholas mak Fri, 04/04/2025 - 09:06

Last name

Donaldson

First name

Nicholas

Position / job title

Student Researcher

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Nicholas Donaldson holds a BA (Honours) in Political Studies and History with Distinction from Queen’s University (2023). He is now a graduate student pursuing an Advanced MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy at Leiden University. His thesis examines small–state diplomacy and offshore financial centres resistance to global regulation and club diplomacy.

Nicholas has worked at the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations since August 2024, where he leads a project on transnational state capture. His research interests include transnational corruption, organized crime, global finance, international organizations, global governance, and sustainable transitions. He is also a Junior Research Fellow at The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, and previously worked with the Institute for Security and Global Affairs on ERC-funded terrorism and foreign policy projects.

In his spare time, Nicholas enjoys cycling the dunes near The Hague, collecting secondhand books, and perfecting his photography.

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Research Team

School

Leiden University, Netherlands

Department

International Relations and Diplomacy

Dell, Brendan

mak — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:05:38 +0000

Dell, Brendan mak Wed, 04/02/2025 - 12:05

Last name

Dell

First name

Brendan

Position / job title

Research Team

claire.mountford@queensu.ca

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Brendan Dell is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Studies at ��˴�Ƭ. He received his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy and master's degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy from the University of Guelph. Brendan's research focuses broadly on Canadian law and politics. Specifically, his research explores the relationship between the government and the judiciary on constitutional issues (such as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms). His dissertation explores the strategic use of courts by provincial governments in constitutional cases.

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Research Team

School

��˴�Ƭ

Department

Political Studies

Mountford, Claire

mak — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:03:01 +0000

Mountford, Claire mak Wed, 04/02/2025 - 12:03

Last name

Mountford

First name

Claire

Position / job title

Research Team

claire.mountford@queensu.ca

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Claire is a doctoral student in the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University where she specializes in Gender and Politics and Canadian Politics. Claire holds an M.A. in Political Science from Queen’s University and a B.A. (Hons.) in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University.

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Research Team

School

��˴�Ƭ

Department

Political Studies

Bédard, Léonard

mak — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 15:57:39 +0000

Bédard, Léonard mak Wed, 04/02/2025 - 11:57

Last name

Bédard

First name

Léonard

Position / job title

Research Team

leonard.bedard@queensu.ca

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Léonard Bédard (he/him/il/lui) is a PhD student in philosophy at ��˴�Ƭ. Originally from Quebec City, Léonard holds a bachelor's and a master’s degree in philosophy from Laval University. In 2023, he was a visiting graduate research student in the Department of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

His research focuses on political issues related to migration and territorial justice in Canada, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of asylum seekers. Additionally, his work explores social exclusion in democratic societies and the ethical dimensions of policymaking.

Léonard currently serves as co-editor of Federal Governance, a graduate journal hosted by the IIGR.

Publications (Selection 2024-2025):

Bédard, L. (Forthcoming, May 2025) Prédire pour “mieux exclure” Étude de la stratégie de transformation de Los Angeles en ville intelligente, in Parizeau, M-H., Les villes intelligentes : le mirage numérique? Perspectives philosophiques. Les Presses de l’Université Laval.

Gosselin-Tapp, J., Jean, F., Mossu, S-E., & Bédard, L. (2024). Par-delà l’obligation d’exploiter le territoire. Autodétermination des communautés locales et transition énergétique au Québec, Canadian Journal of Political Science, 57(3), 532-552. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008423924000088.

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School

��˴�Ƭ

Department

Philosophy

Gaspard, Valere

mak — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 15:51:23 +0000

Gaspard, Valere mak Wed, 04/02/2025 - 11:51

Last name

Gaspard

First name

Valere

Position / job title

Research Team

��˴�Ƭ

Valere Gaspard is a PhD Candidate in Political Studies at the University of Ottawa. He holds a Research Fellow position at Western University and Trent University’s Leadership and Democracy Lab and is a recipient of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council CGS Doctoral Award (2023-2026).

His research focuses on Canadian politics, satisfaction with democracy, electoral management bodies, electoral integrity, voting, political institutions, and politicians. He is interested in better understanding how politicians and citizens think about democracy and elections, and how political institutions impact these views.

Valere has experience in both academia and the practice of politics. He is an alumnus of Canada’s Parliamentary Internship Programme (PIP) and has several years of experience working on Elections Canada’s Media Relations and Issues Management Team, as well as its Environmental Monitoring Centre. His work and research are therefore informed by both practical experience and theoretical considerations.

He holds a Master of Arts from the University of Ottawa (2021-2022) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario (2016-2020). Valere is currently a co-instructor for the Undergraduate Partnered Research Programme, a year-long internship that is sponsored by Queen’s University Institute for Intergovernmental Relations.

His academic publications, policy outlets and newspaper publications, as well as his media interviews, can be viewed on his website:

Twitter: @ValereGaspard

LinkedIn: Valere Gaspard

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School

University of Ottawa

Department

Political Studies

Website

https://valeregaspard.ca/

Kerr, Henry

mak — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:14:09 +0000

Kerr, Henry mak Tue, 01/21/2025 - 11:14

Last name

Kerr

First name

Henry

Position / job title

Student Researcher

21hbk3@queensu.ca

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Henry Kerr is an undergraduate student at Queen’s University in the Political Studies program. Henry is a keen student of international relations and geopolitics, particularly tied to issues of conflict resolution, terrorism, and human rights. Henry has published previous research work with the University of Alberta’s Journal of Family and Youth Studies, analyzing the experiences of Albertan students with violent extremism online. Henry was awarded the Queen’s Chancellor’s Scholarship and is keen to develop academic and policymaking skills, with ambitions to attend graduate school and work in the field of global affairs. This year at IIGR, he will be researching state capture and political corruption in international contexts.

Beyond the classroom and work, Henry enjoys reading about history, practicing French and Spanish, along with travelling with friends and family.

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Student Researchers

School

��˴�Ƭ

Department

Political Studies

Out of the Shadows to Shine a Light

mak — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 22:04:47 +0000

Out of the Shadows to Shine a Light mak Thu, 01/16/2025 - 17:04

Nicole Giles, Senior ADM and Deputy Director of Policy and Partnerships, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)

Friday January 17, 2025
Noon - 1:30pm
Robert Sutherland Hall Room 116

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