The second edition of the IPSA-Concordia Summer School in Applied Diplomacy, held in hybrid format on 6-16 June 2022, proved to be a resounding success. The Summer School was offered in person, but international students who wished to take non-credit courses were given the option of attending virtually.
The 10-day intensive program included theoretical and policy-oriented seminars, together with a hands-on Diplomacy Lab that allowed participants to form teams to work on case studies. The academic program was prepared by Prof. Elizabeth Bloodgood (Concordia) and Dr. Kim Fontaine-Skronski (IPSA).
At the end of the Summer School, students were invited to choose among three real-time case studies and present policy recommendations on the following three topics:
- Migrant Labor in a Covid19 North America
- The US, Canada and Mexico Free Trade Agreement (CUSMA): Automotive Industry and Government Procurement sectors
- Arctic Futures when the Chair is at War
On 14 June, IPSA Executive Director, Kim Fontaine-Skronski, and former Canadian Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Don Stephenson, presented a session on “Trade Negotiations, Past and Present.” Dr. Fontaine-Skronski lectured on the WTO and its mandate from a historical perspective, while Mr. Stephenson shared his valuable experience as a negotiator with the WTO and other organizations.
Participants also heard from representatives from Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian Foreign Affairs Department, on Trade negotiations, Digital Foreign Policy and the Middle East. They also had the opportunity to visit the only UN Specialized Agency in Canada, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), based in Montreal.
In total, participants heard from 22 distinguished speakers. We look forward to holding the third edition of the IPSA-Concordia Summer School in Applied Diplomacy at Montreal’s Concordia University in June 2023.
Guest Lecturers (*in order of appearance):
- Dr. Elizabeth Bloodgood, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science, Concordia University
- Dr. Bob Reinalda, Fellow and Senior Researcher at Radboud University, Nijmegen, NL
- Mr. Jess Dutton, Director General, Middle East, Global Affairs Canada and Former Canadian Ambassador to Egypt
- Dr. Natalia Grincheva, Assistant Professor in the Department of Media at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia
- H.E. Alejandro Estivill, Consul General in Montreal, Mexico
- Mr. Henri-Paul Normandin, Former Director, International Relations Bureau, City of Montreal, and Fellow at the Institut d’études internationales de Montréal (IEIM)
- Dr. Nicole de Silva, Assistant Professor, Political Science Academic Director, Political Science Co-op Program, Concordia University
- Mr. Pierre Marier, Director, Tariffs and Goods Market Access, Global Affairs Canada
- Ms. Nadine Nickner, Director, Government Procurement, Trade and Environment Division, Global Affairs Canada
- Dr. Corneliu Bjola, Associate Professor of Diplomatic Studies, University of Oxford
- Mr. Kyle Matthews, Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) at Concordia University
- Ms. Sarah Cox, Director, Circumpolar Affairs & Head of Delegation, SDWG, Arctic Council, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
- Mr. Sean Clark, Director, Trade Agreements Secretariat, Global Affairs Canada
- Dr. Philippe-André Rodriguez, Deputy Director, Centre for International Digital Policy, Global Affairs Canada
- Dr. Jean-Christophe Mauduit, Lecturer in Science Diplomacy at University College London (UCL) in the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP)
- Dr. Jean-Christian Lemay, Research and Innovation Attaché at the Québec Government Office in London
- Admiral Lutz Feldt, Vice Admiral (ret) of the German Navy, German Maritime Institute
- Dr. Mathieu Denis, Acting CEO and Science Director, International Science Council (ISC)
- Dr. Kim Fontaine-Skronski, Affiliated Professor, Department of Political Science, Concordia University, and Executive Director, IPSA
- Mr. Don Stephenson, Former Canadian Ambassador to the WTO
- Mr. Nabil Naoumi, Former President Air Navigation Commission, ICAO
IPSA-Concordia Summer School in Applied Diplomacy
7-16 June 2021
Virtual
The first edition of the IPSA-Concordia Summer School in Applied Diplomacy was held on 7-16 June in a fully virtual format and proved to be a success. The ten-day intensive and stimulating program included theoretical and policy-oriented seminars complemented with a practical hands-on Diplomacy Lab, which allowed the participants to work on case studies in teams. The academic program was prepared by Prof. Elizabeth Bloodgood (Concordia), Prof. Cameron Thies (Arizona State University) and Dr. Kim Fontaine-Skronski (IPSA). Students were invited to choose among three real-time case studies and present policy recommendations at the end of the Summer School on the following three topics:
- International Migrant Labor;
- COP 26 Negotiations;
- Transnational Social Justice Movements.
Seven modules covered the main areas of diplomacy from Traditional forms, International Negotiations and Norms of Diplomacy to Intergovernmental agencies and non-state actors as well as Municipal and Digital Diplomacy. A special session was also organized on Science Diplomacy.
Two virtual field trips were held, one with Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian Foreign Affairs Department, where participants learned from the Trade Agreements Secretariat, the North America Policy and Relations Division, as well as from the Centre for International Digital Policy. A second virtual field trip allowed participants to visit the only UN Specialized Agency in Canada, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), based in Montreal, and learn about the important work done by the Air Navigation Commission.
In total, participants heard from 26 distinguished speakers. The feedback from the participants was very positive, and we look forward to holding the second edition of the IPSA-Concordia Summer School in Applied Diplomacy in June 2022 onsite at Concordia University in Montreal.
List of Guests Lecturers at the 2021 Edition (*in order of appearance):
- Dr. Bob Reinalda, Fellow and Senior Researcher at Radboud University, Nijmegen, NL
- Mr. Jess Dutton, Director General, Middle East, Global Affairs Canada and Former Canadian Ambassador to Egypt
- Dr. Natalia Grincheva, Assistant Professor in the Department of Media at the National Research University 'Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia
- H.E. Dr. Alejandro Estivill, Consul General in Montreal, Mexico
- Mr. Henri-Paul Normandin, Fellow at the Institut d’études internationales de Montréal and Former Canadian Ambassador to Haïti
- Dr. Michele Acuto, Associate Dean (Research), Professor of Global Urban Politics and Director, Connected Cities Lab, University of Melbourne
- Dr. Matthew Hoffman, Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto
- Ms. Lydia Zemke, Postgraduate Researcher - Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, University College London
- Dr. Nicole de Silva, Assistant Professor, Political Science Academic Director, Political Science Co-op Program, Concordia University
- Me Neil Hazan, Partner at BLG Law
- Dr. Corneliu Bjola, Associate Professor of Diplomatic Studies, University of Oxford
- Dr. Nazli Choucri, Professor of Political Science, is a Senior Faculty at the Center of International Studies (CIS), and Faculty Affiliate at the Institute for Data, Science, and Society (IDSS), MIT
- Mr. Kyle Matthews, Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) at Concordia University
- Mr. Sean Clark, Director, Trade Agreements Secretariat, Global Affairs Canada
- Dr. Florian Olsen, Senior Policy Research Analyst, United States, North America Policy and Relations, Global Affairs Canada
- Dr. Philippe-André Rodriguez, Deputy Director, Centre for International Digital Policy, Global Affairs Canada
- Ms. Elisabeth Holme, Project Manager at Scientific Coordination Office Bavaria Research Alliance
- Dr. Jean-Christophe Mauduit, Lecturer in Science Diplomacy at University College London (UCL) in the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP)
- Dr. Jean-Christian Lemay, Research and Innovation Attaché at the Québec Government Office in London
- Dr. Gabrielle Simard, Former Scientist in Residence, Délégation générale du Québec à Munich
- Dr. Mathieu Denis, Science Director, International Science Council (ISC)
- Sir Peter Gluckman, Chair, International Network on Government Science Advice (INGSA) and President-elect International Science Council (ISC)
- Dr. Stéphanie Balme, Dean of Collège universitaire de Sciences Po, Professor at the Paris School of International Affairs and Founding member of the European Science Diplomacy Initiative
- Dr. Pierre Lemonde, Director of Research at CNRS, Institut Néel, and former Advisor for Science and Technology at the Embassy of France in China
- Mr. Frédéric Letullier, Head Conference Services, ICAO
- Mr. Nabil Naoumi, President Air Navigation Commission, ICAO
Following official recommendations about COVID-19 issued by the Governments of Canada and Québec, IPSA and Concordia University decided to postpone the first IPSA-Concordia Summer School in Applied Diplomacy to June 2021. IPSA and Concordia University’s main concern is to guarantee the health and well-being of our students.
