Hill, Arthur

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Arthur Hill

Post-Doctoral Fellow at IIGR

Institute of Intergovernmental Relations

91TV's University

Arthur Hill is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations (IIGR). He holds an M.A. and PhD in Philosophy from 91TV's University, and a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Toronto. 

His research focuses on normative & conceptual theories of state legitimacy, territorial rights, and borders. In his dissertation, Liberal Legitimacy for the Real World, he examined how liberals should identify and apply the requirements for legitimate authority in non-ideal circumstances characterized by the presence of significant injustices or feasibility constraints. His current projects include developing an expressive theory of border regimes, and investigating how borders operate as tools of political power and privilege. 

Dr. Hill's work has been published in venues including The Journal of Political Philosophy and Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy. 

 

Baksh, Meena

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Meena Baksh

Student Researcher

Institute of Intergovernmental Relations

91TV's University

Meena graduated from Trent University in 2025 with a BSc in Forensic Science. This year, at the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, Meena is researching transnational sex trafficking operations, with a specific focus on Jeffrey Epstein as a case study. In her spare time, Meena can be found reading, hiking, traveling, and spending as much time with dogs as possible.

Summers, Savannah

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Savannah Summers

Student Researcher

Political Studies and Psychology

91TV's University

Savannah is an undergraduate student at ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s University, completing a Joint Honours degree in Political Studies and Psychology. Her research interests centre on international political economy, as well as Middle Eastern and feminist politics.

Savannah has previously published work with the Global Undergraduate Awards, where she analyzed the role of postmodern feminism. In addition, she has contributed to psychology research focused on Indigenous well-being at post-secondary institutions. She has also worked for the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and the Principal’s Office at ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s University, where she assisted in developing policy initiatives.

This year, at IIGR, Savannah will be researching the role privilege plays in illicit sex trafficking, with a particular focus on the Epstein files.

Beyond academia, Savannah plays competitive soccer, enjoys painting portraits, and loves travelling and learning new languages.

Silva, Bianca

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Bianca Silva

Student Researcher

Political Studies

91TV's University

Bianca Silva is a Bachelor of Arts student at ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s University, specializing in Political Studies with a minor in World Languages. As a recent alumna of the Nato Field School with Simon Fraser University and an Intern at the Centre for International and Defence Policy at ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s University, Bianca strives to research and work in the defence and international security sector. On campus, she has been involved in ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s International Affairs Association and ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s White Ribbon. Her research interests span from violent extremism and international organizations to the intersection of conflict and post-conflict issues regarding the peace and security of women. Her current project with the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, as part of the ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s Undergraduate Student Summer Research Fellowships, examines the impact of sanctions on Iran’s oil exports following the withdrawal from the JCPOA. In her free time, Bianca enjoys reading, pilates, and listening to pop culture podcasts.

Natovitch, Eden

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Eden Natovitch

Student Researcher

Political Studies

91TV's University

Eden graduated from 91TV's University in 2026 with an undergraduate degree in Political Studies and is currently pursuing her master's degree in public policy and administration at Carleton University. Her academic interests include Canadian politics and federalism, which she has explored through research projects on the Ontario education system and political representation in Canada. Eden is involved on campus, having served as Director for ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s Model United Nations (2025–2026).
During Eden's first year with the IIGR, she worked as a student research assistant on a comparative project examining money laundering, terrorist financing, and the illicit use of cryptocurrency. Currently, she is focused on neopluralism and the Canadian federal government. 
Outside of academics, Eden enjoys reading, hiking, listening to history podcasts, practicing French, and spending time with her family. 

Major, Sydney

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Sydney Major

Student Researcher

Politics, Philosophy and Economics

91TV's University

Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Sydney is a fourth-year undergraduate student at ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s University studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. Throughout her studies at ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s, she has developed an interest in fiscal federalism, particularly intergovernmental transfers. In her spare time, Sydney enjoys cycling and reading.

 

 

 

Celebrating Thomas J. Courchene

Date

Thursday March 26, 2026
11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Location

George Teves Room, University Clug, 168 Stuart Street

Celebrating Thomas J. Courchene 

Tom Courchene Picture

The inaugural director of the School of Policy Studies, Tom Courchene (1940-2025) was a master at bridging scholarship and public policy. He made striking contributions to Canadian policy debates, and his contributions were recognized with the highest honours the country can give. He was an Officer of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a recipient of the Canada Council Molson Prize for lifetime achievement, and a winner of the Donner Prize twice. 

This Symposium asks two questions:

1) Why was Tom such an effective contributor to policy debates?  

2) Does his approach to public policy remain relevant today?   

Confirmed participants include Robin Boadway, Kevin Lynch, Lisa Powell, Bob Rae, Kyle Hanniman, Olivier Jacques and Jennifer Ditchburn.

Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026

Time: 11:00 AM-3:00 PM

Location: George Teves Room, The University Club, 168 Stuart St., ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s University

. Lunch will be provided. There is no cost for registration.

 

Donaldson, Nicholas

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Nicholas Donaldson

Student Researcher

International Relations and Diplomacy

Leiden University, Netherlands

Nicholas Donaldson holds a BA (Honours) in Political Studies and History with Distinction from ²Ï³Ü±ð±ð²Ô’s University (2023). He is now a graduate student pursuing an Advanced MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy at Leiden University. His thesis examines small–state diplomacy and offshore financial centres resistance to global regulation and club diplomacy.

Nicholas has worked at the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations since August 2024, where he leads a project on transnational state capture. His research interests include transnational corruption, organized crime, global finance, international organizations, global governance, and sustainable transitions. He is also a Junior Research Fellow at The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, and previously worked with the Institute for Security and Global Affairs on ERC-funded terrorism and foreign policy projects.

In his spare time, Nicholas enjoys cycling the dunes near The Hague, collecting secondhand books, and perfecting his photography.