The Department of Political Studies Graduate Students Association (PSGSA) present:

The 2024 PSGSA Graduate Conference

"Navigating New Realities in a Changing Global Landscape"

Wednesday, June 26th | 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Mackintosh-Corry Hall (68 University Avenue, Kingston) Room B201 OR via Zoom
*Lunch provided

This event is co-sponsored by the Department of Political Studies.  

The turn of the century brought on a wave of new and complex problems that the international community must face. From advancements in technology that have moulded and reshaped domestic political spheres; to leaps in communication that have enabled the rise of powerful non-state actors; to the digitalization of the finance world and the introduction of crypto currencies, we have seen change across virtually every channel of interaction.

Being able to understand these changes and conduct meaningful research to uncover their impacts are essential to a peaceful and cooperative future.

“New Realities” can be considered through many lenses. Understanding the effect evolving social change can have on national or international organizations is bound to change the way the organization operates. The international implications of the ongoing War in Ukraine, or the Israel-Hamas War, have the power to reshape and restructure the security situations in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. The rise in domestic right-wing support in many regions of the world, or the risks following the possible re-election of Donald Trump, could have the power to challenge many government’s operational and fiscal “status-quos”. And an increase in uprisings and coups, more specifically in the West African region, have regressed democracy to a point that concerns regional security and opens the door to global humanitarian crises.

These are all situations and dimensions of the global landscape that are undergoing change, and therefore creating a new reality the international community must confront.

The conference will be in a hybrid format. Participants can either join in-person at Queen’s University or online via Zoom.

Department of Political Studies Class of 2024 Spring Convocation Reception!

All POLS Spring 2024 graduates and their guests are invited to attend this luncheon reception on Friday, June 21st from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.  Cynthia MacIntosh, Undergraduate Assistant, will send an email, including a reception invitation and RSVP information, to the finalized list of Spring 2024 POLS graduands.  Please RSVP to this invitation using the registration form.    

Friday, June 21st | 12:00 – 3:00PM

Holiday Inn Kingston - Waterfront | Bellevue Ballroom 

2 Princess Street, Kingston 

A buffet lunch will be served

Queen's Faculty of Education Ever Scholar Program presents:

The Ethics of Biomedical Enhancement :: An Online Course

Dates & Time:

(Mondays) April 22, 29, May 6, 13

5 - 7 pm

Cost: Free!

Course description:

Recent advances in biomedical knowledge and innovation- such as sequencing of the human genome, gene therapy and genome editing, the biology of aging, behavioral genetics, etc.- raise the prospect that science could be utilized to “enhance” our biology rather than simply search for treatments for specific diseases. In his book Beyond Humanity? (Oxford University Press, 2011) the philosopher Allen Buchanan defines biomedical enhancement as “a deliberate intervention, applying biomedical science, which aims to improve an existing capacity that most or all normal human beings typically have, or to create a new capacity, by acting directly on the body or brain”. This course will introduce students to both the science and ethics of biomedical enhancement, covering a range of topics like eugenics, genetics, the therapy/enhancement distinction, procreative liberty, aging, and memory modification.

Instructor: Colin Farrelly

Colin Farrelly (he/him) is the Sir Edward Peacock Professor of Political Theory in the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University and is cross appointed with Philosophy. He has held academic appointments at universities in England, Scotland, the United States, Türkiye, and Canada. Recent publications include two books on the ethics of the genetic revolution and a series of journal articles on the science of aging in venues like the British Medical Journal, The Journals of Gerontology, Aging Cell, Royal Society Open Science, and the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Colin is also the organizer of the local Philosophy Meetup (Kingston), which brings local residents into pubs and parks to discuss philosophical topics in ethics, science, politics, and psychology.

Register

Click here for more information about the Ever Scholar program

2024 Political Studies Graduate Students Association (PSGSA) Graduate Conference | June 26, 2024

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS | Deadline: Sunday, May 5, 2024 

Navigating New Realities in a Changing Global Landscape

The turn of the century brought on a wave of new and complex problems that the international community must face. From advancements in technology that have moulded and reshaped domestic political spheres; to leaps in communication that have enabled the rise of powerful non-state actors; to the digitalization of the finance world and the introduction of crypto currencies, we have seen change across virtually every channel of interaction.

Being able to understand these changes and conduct meaningful research to uncover their impacts are essential to a peaceful and cooperative future.

“New Realities” can be considered through many lenses. Understanding the effect evolving social change can have on national or international organizations is bound to change the way the organization operates. The international implications of the ongoing War in Ukraine, or the Israel-Hamas War, have the power to reshape and restructure the security situations in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. The rise in domestic right-wing support in many regions of the world, or the risks following the possible re-election of Donald Trump, could have the power to challenge many government’s operational and fiscal “status-quos”. And an increase in uprisings and coups, more specifically in the West African region, have regressed democracy to a point that concerns regional security and opens the door to global humanitarian crises.

These are all situations and dimensions of the global landscape that are undergoing change, and therefore creating a new reality the international community must confront.

We are inviting submissions from graduate students on topics that address the complexities of the “new reality” the world is beginning to navigate. The conference will be in a hybrid format. Participants can either join in-person at Queen’s University or online via Zoom. The keynote speaker has not yet been determined.

Some Proposed Themes / Subtopics:

• International Security and the Impact of Conflicts Around the Globe
• Threats and Challenges Concerning Human Rights & the Environment
• International Concerns Through a Gendered Lens
• Regional Regressions of Democracy and Their Impacts on the World
• Emerging Technologies and the Risks They Pose for Global Governance
• The Growing Threat and Influence of Social Media and Digital Currencies
• Major Changes to Electoral Systems, or Election Results, and Their Impacts on the World

Please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words to: psgsa.grad.con@gmail.com

Please join us for the Department of Political Studies 2024 Honours Thesis Colloquium!

Friday, April 5, 2024 

10:00am - 2:40pm

Robert Sutherland Hall | Room 202

Light lunch served

Agenda

10:00-10:05 AM – Opening Remarks | Kaitie Jourdeuil, coordinator

Panel 1 | 10:05-11:05 AM 

• Emily Wilson: “The ‘First Victim,’ and the ‘Noble Reconciler,’: National myths, memory, and misremembrance in Austria and Canada”  Discussant – Jana Walkowski
• Sarah Hamm: “United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, Nearly twenty-five years later: Where are the women now?”  Discussant – Shola Ogunnubi
• Sadie McIntosh: “Assessing the Role of Human Security in Africa’s Natural Resource Governance: An Agential Constructivist Approach”   Discussant – Shola Ogunnubi

11:05-11:10 AM – Break (light refreshments served)

Panel 2  | 11:10 AM - 12:10 PM

• Ameila Gordanier: “Evolving Narratives of Indigeneity: A Discourse Analysis of Linguistic Changes in Newspaper Media”   Discussant – Shola Ogunnubi
• Ella Granger: "Genocidal Processes in Authoritarian and Democratic States: the Indigenous vs the Kurds"   Discussant – Jana Walkowski
• Leonie Saint-Arnaud: "The Proto Genocide of the Uyghurs: In Conversation with Members of the Uyghur Diaspora"   Discussant – Jana Walkowski

12:10-12:30 PM - Lunch (light lunch served)

Panel 3 | 12:30-1:30 PM

• Lauren Oswald: “Understanding Variations in the Global War on Terror”   Discussant – Émile Lambert-Deslandes
• Isabela Rittinger: “LGBTQ2S+ Genocide: The Failure of International Law”   Discussant – Cindy Cruz
• Greg Brown: “Carl Schmitt’s Critique of Liberalism”   Discussant – Yerin Chung

1:30-1:35 Break (light refreshments served)

Panel 4 | 1:35-2:35 PM

• Maddy Ritter: “Reimagined Pathways: Exploring the Role of the Third Sector in the Canadian Basic Income Movement”   Discussant – Chelsea Dunn
• Adrienne Cross: “Navigating Motherhood in Canada Amidst and Beyond COVID-19's Impact on Social and Economic Realities: Has COVID-19 shattered the contemporary perception of motherhood in Canada by imposing heightened burdens and barriers on mothers' social and economic standings?”   Discussant – Cindy Cruz
• Jessica Meleca: “A Gendered Analysis of Canadian Childcare Policy Through Media Perspectives”   Discussant – Chelsea Dunn

2:35-2:40 PM – Closing remarks | Kaitie Jourdeuil

The Centre for the Study of Democracy and Diversity and the Department of Political Studies Present

"Bridging the Gap - Israel-Palestine Student Discussion" 

Thursday, April 11, 2024

7:00-9:00 PM  

Robert Sutherland Hall, Room 202

About the event:

We are a group of York University students and alumni, both Palestinian/Arab and Israeli/Jewish, who want to change the way that the conversation about Israel/Palestine is happening at York University. We believe that, as fellow students who have a connection to this land, we all deserve human dignity and an honest conversation. We have established an Israel/Palestine student dialogue group on our campus for the purpose of sharing multiple perspectives in a respectful manner.

We are happy to share with the Queen's community the important dialogue work we are doing. York University Professor Randal Schnoor will moderate a public panel discussion with student leaders of York University's BRIDGING THE GAP to explore student motivations for starting this dialogue group, views on the current campus climate, challenges, and opportunities for dialogue. Question and discussion period with the audience will follow.

About Dr. Schnoor: 

Dr. Randal Schnoor, a sociologist, specializes in the study of contemporary Jewish Life in North America. For the last three years he has been teaching a course at York University entitled "Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Canada."

See: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/bringing-jews-and-muslims-together-at-york-university/article_a404d821-3ecf-5401-b95c-e6a5f72041af.html)

In this course he succeeds in fostering a healthy environment for honest and respectful discussion between Jews and Muslims. Upon the Hamas attack on Israel of October 7/23 and the subsequent heavy Israeli military response, he was motivated to revitalize the BRIDGING THE GAP Israel/Palestine student dialogue group at York which had laid dormant since the onset of the COVID pandemic. The dialogue group is now thriving where Dr. Schnoor works closely with an executive of eight students (Jewish/Israeli/Palestinian/Arab) to design programming and establish safe spaces for genuine dialogue on the York campus.

See: https://thecjn.ca/news/courage-to-disagree-with-respect-york-university-student-initiative-promotes-civil-dialogue-on-israel/