Benjamin Toettoe

China’s international networks of influence and implications for Canada

Benjamin Toettoe is a PhD candidate and lecturer in Political Science at the University of Montréal and a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Quantitative Economics and Politics from New York University and a master’s degree in Comparative Economics and Policy from University College London. His research focuses on China’s growing influence in international relations and international economics. Some of his recent projects specifically examine how foreign populations react to China’s use of economic statecraft, the dynamics through which states’ economic ties with China influence the foreign policy attitudes of their populations and the factors influencing smaller powers’ foreign alignment in the age of the U.S.–China rivalry. Through his research, he also aims to further the use of advanced statistical methods in international relations.

Diya Jiang

Identifying emerging U.S. trade narratives and evaluating opportunities for Canada

Diya Jiang is a PhD candidate in Political Science at McGill University and a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies. She specializes in international relations and foreign policy analysis, with a focus on supply chain geopolitics and public opinion. Her doctoral research investigates the social, economic and political outcomes of increased security and geopolitical objectives in foreign and economic policy making. Her most recent article, which will be published in the Canadian Journal of Political Science, examines the existence of continentalism embedded in Canada’s national identity and how it affects individual foreign policy preferences vis-à-vis the United States. She holds a master’s degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Quantitative Economics and Journalism from New York University.

Elisabeta Lika

Strengthening Canada’s response to climate-induced migration and population displacement

Elisabeta Lika is a policy analyst and researcher with over 10 years of experience working in the government, academic and think tank sectors. Elisabeta’s professional journey began in Albania, where she led a team at the State Intelligence Service, Albania’s main intelligence agency, analyzing economic issues that impacted national security. Her quest for knowledge led her to Bulgaria and then to Canada, where she earned a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Saskatchewan. Now, as a research associate at the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute in Ottawa, Elisabeta is diving into agri-environmental policy issues.

Laurent Borzillo

Making Canada a leader in the Western Arctic

A postdoctoral researcher at the École Nationale d'Administration Publique, Laurent Borzillo is also a research associate at the following university centers: CCEAE (Canadian Centre for German and European Studies) at Université de Montréal, CJMM (Centre Jean Monnet de Montréal), CESICE (Centre d'Études sur la Sécurité Internationale et la Coopération Européenne) at Université de Grenoble, GRHG (Groupe de Recherche en Histoire de la Guerre) and RAS (Réseau d'Analyse Stratégique). Founder of the French association Forum de Défense et de Stratégie, he holds a PhD in political science from the Université de Montréal and the Université de Montpellier. Co-founder of Rubicon, he is also a member of its editorial board. A specialist in transatlantic security architecture in Europe and the Arctic, his work focuses on the defense policies of Canada, France and Germany, as well as on the politicization of defense issues.

Su Huai

Proposal on emerging systemic challenges for Canada

Data governance and digital standards: Canada’s public service challenge amid Sino-American AI competition

Su Huai is a Ph.D. student in Science and Technology Studies at York University. Her research focuses on scientific translations and publications in late Imperial China, examining how these exchanges shaped cultural authority and identity. She is particularly interested in the evolution of science and technology, popular culture, scientific periodicals, and intellectual history from a transnational perspective. Since September 2021, she has been working as a teaching assistant at York University, supporting courses such as Humanities, Social Science, and Chinese History. As a Graduate Associate at the York Center for Asian Research, Su actively engages in Asian studies research and participates in related projects, benefiting from feedback from scholars in the field. Through her work, she aims to contribute to the understanding of scientific knowledge exchange and its impact on cultural authority.

Kurt Strachan

Reputational risk: Canada’s triple threat

Kurt Strachan is a program officer with the Toronto District School Board’s Continuing Education Department. With a master’s degree in Education from York University and a graduate diploma in Post-secondary Education in Policy, Community and Culture, in addition to his current graduate studies for a second master’s degree in Public Policy, Administration and Law, Kurt brings over a decade of experience in educational leadership. He participated in the 2023-2024 edition of the National Student Paper Competition, which is organized by the Canada School of Public Service, the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, and was selected as one of the top five national finalists for the policy paper he co-authored on Canadian immigration. Kurt was also one of five people selected to represent York University at the 2024 National Case Study Competition to address complex national concerns regarding federal procurement. Kurt is a vice-president of the executive team for his cohort in the Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law professional designation at York University and also volunteers as an intern with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada’s Mentorship Program.

Collaborator: Ashika Sharda

Ashika Sharda is a junior community safety analyst with Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General. A master’s student at York University in the Public Policy, Administration and Law program, Ashika has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Law and Society from the University of British Columbia and was formerly a public servant working at the Supreme court of British Columbia under the Ministry of Attorney General. Originally from Abbotsford, British Columbia, Ashika travelled across the country to pursue a higher education in public policy and to learn more about government and the law. She has taken part in the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration’s National Case Competition, during which she and her team represented York University nationally. Additionally, Ashika is the incoming president of the executive team for her master’s program (Public Policy, Administration and Law) and, in the fall, she will be joining the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ Youth Justice Division as a field intelligence officer.