Liu Institute for Global Issues

We need to extend Pier 21 across Canada

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:31:53

Laura Madokoro, a PhD candidate in history at UBC and 2009 Trudeau Scholar and Liu Institute Scholar, disagrees with the Conservative government's idea for Pier 21 to represent Canada's immigration story. "Rather than concentrating all of its energies in one place, the government should be encouraging the development of immigration centres across the country," writes Madokoro. "Connecting the past with the present is the magic of Pier 21. But there's no reason why Western Canadians shouldn't experience the same thrill."

Launch of the Global Health Network

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:42:33

The Liu Institute is launching a Global Health Network and we invite participation from faculty, students and the broader community. The Network, under the coordination of Dr. Shafik Dharamsi, is focused on sharing leading edge research and encouraging lively debate on global health related scholarship activities. The Network will sponsor a range of activities at the Liu Institute including panel discussions, guest speakers, art exhibitions, workshops, and conferences. To bring together different perspectives to the debate, your help with providing us with names of faculty members and students whose research/work with global health matters is highly appreciated.

Call for Applications: Three NEW Liu Institute Visiting Scholar positions

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:59:01

The Liu Institute for Global Issues invites applications from globally influential activists, artists, leaders, practitioners, and scholars, to hold Visiting Scholar positions at the Institute. There are three Visiting Scholar positions available, to be offered on an annual basis, beginning in September 2010: Liu Institute Global South Visiting Scholar; Liu Institute Global Issues Visiting Scholar; Liu Institute Visiting Scholar in Residence at Green College.

Legalizing sex trade isn't the answer

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:27:56

Re: "Time to make prostitution ordinary business", Letters, Feb. 2 Adelle Shea's claim that you can simply regulate exploitation out of the sex trade by legalizing it is not supported by any evidence. Around the world, countries that have experimented with a legalized/decriminalized sex trade have found that it has not succeeded in curbing abuse and harm and, in many cases, made the problem worse. In the Netherlands, which Shea cites as a good model, city officials in Amsterdam have had to close huge sections of its red-light district due to infiltration by organized crime. In New Zealand and Australia, health checks are done on prostituted persons, but never on the johns who come calling --who is such a system really designed to benefit?

Liu Institute launches CSR Network

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:07:03

The Liu Institute Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Network is focused on sharing leading edge research and encouraging lively debate among academics and practitioners regarding corporations and global sustainability.

The Right to Adequate Housing: Global Issues, Local Action

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:17:04

On November 26, 2009, Miloon Kothari, former UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Commission on Human Rights, gave a public lecture on the right to adequate housing at the Liu Institute for Global Issues as well as an interview with Liu Institute Deputy-Director Julie Wagemakers.

Canada must help the women of the Eastern Congo

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:50:29

The Africa Canada Accountability Coalition features in the Montreal Gazette.

We are now on Twitter!

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:51:17

LISTEN: Raven smashes his face into a rock: Indigenous storytelling, truth-telling, and community approaches to reconciliation

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:22:22

On 8 January 2010, Jeff Corntassel, Chaw-win-is, and Nahla Valji explored how a process of restorying can initiate a process of truth-telling and decolonization within community contexts. They also briefly examined the structure of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), and explored alternatives to the TRC that offer counter-narratives of Indigenous diplomacy, law, and peacemaking practices in order to promote community resurgence.

Experts tackle three climate questions

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:06:39

Five UBC experts, including the Liu Institute's Professor Hadi Dowlatabadi and Associate Professor Milind Kandlikar, give their thoughts about human-caused global warming.

Three NEW Liu Institute Postdoctoral Fellowships, beginning 2010

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:11:47

The Liu Institute for Global Issues, at the University of British Columbia, invites applications from outstanding researchers who have recently completed a Ph.D. to hold Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDF) at the Institute, beginning as early as 1 April 2010 and no later than 1 September 2010. There are three Postdoctoral Fellowships available: Bottom Billion Postdoctoral Fellowship; Human Security Postdoctoral Fellowship; Security and Defence Forum Postdoctoral Fellowship

The “Ocean Lady”: A new challenge of illegal migration on Canada's West Coast?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:44:17

The arrival off the coast of Vancouver of a ship calling itself the “Ocean Lady” has prompted much public debate around the issues of illegal migration, human smuggling and the refugee determination process. On Wednesday October 28, 2009 the Liu Institute for Global issues at the University of British Columbia welcomed experts from both Canada and Australia to discuss the law and policy surrounding these issues. The event was co-sponsored by the Liu Institute for Global issues, the Canadian Bar Association Branch (International and Immigration Law Subsections) and the Metropolis BC Center of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Diversity’s Justice, Policing and Security domain.

LISTEN to an interview on Youth and Armed Conflict in Northern Uganda and Liberia

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:38:54

Podcast available on iTunes U! Erin Baines spoke to Chris Blattman, Professor of Economics and Political Science at Yale University, during his recent visit to Vancouver.

NEW Visiting Scholar Position, beginning September 2010

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:06:28

We are pleased to announce the Liu Institute Visiting Scholar in Residence at Green College, a new position to be offered on an annual basis, beginning in September 2010. This new partnership with Green College offers the opportunity, each year, for one globally influential activist, artist, leader, practitioner, or scholar to locate at the Institute for a 4-month period, from September – Dec, or January – April, and to participate in the intellectual and social life of a graduate residential college with a mandate for interdisciplinary studies. The position aims to facilitate problem-based interdisciplinary research on global issues.

From obscurity to action: Why Canada must tackle the security dimensions of climate change

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:33:44

On October 29th, 2009, Margaret Purdy spoke to the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies (CASIS) International Conference, about the security implications of climate change for Canada. Margaret outlined why the climate change-security nexus is so critical for Canada and offered five recommendations for action.

Child Traffickers Beware: House of Commons Votes for Tougher Sentences

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:47:29

Last night, the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly to enact stiffer sentences for child trafficking, recognizing the severity of the crime and the failure of recent sentences to protect victims and hold offenders accountable.

International Engagement and Global Influence: How Ambitious is the University of British Columbia?

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:09:43

President Stephen Toope presented his International Engagement discussion paper at the Liu Institute on 22 September 2009; an audio recording of this event is now available.

Simons Series in the Social Dynamics of Peace and Conflict – Fall 2009 Update

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:30:09

During the 2009-2010 academic year, the Liu Institute for Global Issues will be partnering with the School for International Studies to co-host the Simon Series in the Social Dynamics of Peace and Conflict.

Application deadline extended: INDS 530A, Global Sustainability and Security: Writing and Publishing

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:07:51

The application deadline for Prof. Dauvergne's new Global Issues course is now Wednesday, 9 September, 2009, at 12:00 noon.

Congratulations to Professor Paul Evans, the new Director of the Institute of Asian Research

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:52:28

CFIS Principal Michael Burgess is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Paul Evans as the new Director of the Institute of Asian Research (IAR), effective September 1, 2009, for a three-year term.