School of Public Policy and Global Affairs

The School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia integrates world-class scholarship, teaching, research, and policy engagement to contribute towards positive change. SPPGA's approach equips policy leaders with the diverse perspectives, skills, and knowledge needed to contribute towards solutions to complex local and global issues.

As an interdisciplinary hub with particular expertise in Asia Pacific and sustainability policies, SPPGA draws on the expertise of UBC institutes, research centres, and faculties, and invites engagement with communities that span the globe.

The School of Public Policy and Global Affairs was founded in 2017 within the Faculty of Arts. The school encompasses the following units: The Institute of Asian Research (IAR) and its five regional research centres, the Liu Institute for Global Issues (Liu Institute), the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions (CSDI), and the Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE).

SPPGA's key programs and initiatives include the Phil Lind Initiative, the Liu Scholars program (Liu Institute), the IAR Fellows program (IAR), the Himalaya Program (IAR), the Program on Inner Asia (IAR), the Xinjiang Documentation Project (IAR), the Institute for Future Legislators (CSDI), and the Scholars At Risk & Human Rights Collective (ORICE).

101
Master's Students
39
Graduate Degrees Awarded
 
 

Research Supervisors

Name Research Interests
Baines, Erin transitional justice; the politics of humanitarianism and forced displacement; and, the study of gender and armed conflict, with a regional focus on northern Uganda
Boyd, David Human rights
Cameron, Maxwell Political science; Political Regimes (Democracy, Monarchy, Federalism, Parliamentarism, etc.); Social Organization and Political Systems; Comparative Politics; Democratization; Latin America; Practical wisdom
Cheek, Timothy 20th century Chinese history, the history of the Chinese communist party, the role of intellectuals in public life in China
Cookson, Tara Public policy; Development; Social protection; Care work; Gender equality
Dierkes, Julian Sociology, n.e.c.; All other social sciences, n.e.c.; Sociology of education; Public Policy; Mongolia; policy communication; contemporary Japan; digital diplomacy; supplementary education; mining policy; Japanese education; Democratization
Gusterson, Hugh Phillimore
Hoberg, George forest policy, energy policy, environmental policy, trade and environment, softwood lumber, Olympics, Aboriginal issues (land rights), Forestry policy
Hopewell, Kristen Public policy; International Political Economy; international relations; international trade; Trade Policy; Global Governance; industrial policy; Development; emerging powers; China; India; Brazil; World Trade Organization (WTO); US-China relations
Kandlikar, Milind Climate change impacts and adaptation; Product life cycle; Environmental policy; Research, science and technology policy; Environmental impacts; Air Quality and Climate Change; Technological Risk; Technology and Development
Khanna, Tarun Economics; Renewable energy systems (except smart systems engineering); Environmental policy; energy economics; Evidence synthesis; policy evaluation; electricity markets; energy in development; decarbonization of the energy sector
Kunz, Nadja Mining engineering; Public administration; Public policy; Public security policy; Decision Analysis; Environmental engineering; Hydrology; Risk management; Systems engineering; water resources management
le Billon, Philippe Geography, politics, africa, environmental, human geography, development, security
Lightfoot, Sheryl First Nations, international relations
LU, JULIET Forest ecology; Economic geography; Environmental sociology; conflicts and governance issues around resource extraction and intensive land use; transnational land investments; promotion of monoculture plantations at the expense of more biodiverse systems; private sector sustainable governance initiatives
Macfarlane, Allison Research, science and technology policy; science and technology policy; energy policy, regulation; nuclear energy, nuclear waste management
Margulis, Matias International Organization; Globalization; Human Rights and Liberties, Collective Rights; Global Governance; International Political Economy; United Nations; World Trade Organization; Food and Agriculture; Human Rights
Ostwald, Kai comparative politics; ethnic politics, public policy, and the politics of development
Park, Kyung Ae Korean politics (North and South Korea); U.S.-Korean relations; Korean unification, North and South Korean Politics, US-Korea Relations, Gender and Development
Quayle, Moura Economics and business administration; Public administration; Public policy; Knowledge Exchange and Strategic Design; Policies and Public Services; Social Policies
Ramana, M. V. Public administration; Public policy; Public security policy; arms control; Energy transitions; degrowth; nuclear disarmament; nuclear energy; nuclear policy; political economy of energy; risk of nuclear accidents
Ramankutty, Navin Natural environment sciences; Public administration; Public policy; Public security policy; Agriculture; Climate Changes and Impacts; Climate impacts; Environment and Society; Global food security; Land use change; Sustainable agriculture
Shakya, Tsering confluence of politics, ethno-national identity and religious practice in cultural production and social transformation across both historical and contemporary Tibet and the Himalayas; contemporary minority policy and social media in the PRC.
Shneiderman, Sara Social and cultural anthropology; Indigenous issues; Disaster response and preparedness; Citizenship; migration
Sriram, Veena Social sciences; Global health policy; Politics of policy processes; South Asian Studies; Governance; Health workers; power
Sumaila, Ussif Rashid Bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation and the analysis of global issues such as fisheries subsidies, IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing and the economics of high and deep seas fisheries

Stories

John Ede

Alumni
Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA)

Kingsley Eze

Alumni
Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA)
Headshot of Anam Imtiaz Elahi

Anam Elahi

Alumni
Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA)

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