My Degree in International Relations

I am currently completing the last term of my Undergraduate Degree in International Relations (IR) at UBC and wanted to share what I have been learning over the last four years.

What is IR?
IR is the study of the global interactions between sovereign states, inter-governmental organizations (IGO), multinational corporations (MNC), and non-governmental organizations (NGO). At UBC, IR is an interdisciplinary program that combines four different fields: Economics, History, Languages and Political Science.

Why did I choose to study IR?
I have always been fascinated by the work of the United Nations, interested in global history and loved learning languages. I wanted to choose a program that would challenge me and would enable me to take a variety of courses. I believed it would equip me with a solid and well rounded foundation because I would learn how to interpret detailed economic models, why lessons from history are relevant today, how to communicate in two additional languages, and how to understand different systems of governance. 

IR students are required to take the following courses:
1. Economics
-Microeconomics 
-Macroeconomics 
-International Finance 

2. History
-World History from 1500 to the 20th Century
-World History from 1900
-International Relations of the Great Powers in the 20th Century

3. Languages (2 years in addition to what is already required by the Faculty of Arts)
-I am bilingual (French & English) so I decided to study Spanish to fulfill this requirement

4. Political Science
-Introduction to Global Politics 
-Security Studies 

5. IR Seminar 
-Comparative Law and Politics 

My specializations are:
-International Diplomacy, Security, and Peace Studies
-International Economy and Development 

Being in IR has allowed me to take courses from many different faculties at UBC. My favourite electives have been: 
-International Nutrition                       (FNH 355)
-Canadian Government                        (POLI 101)
-Applied International Nutrition        (FNH 455)
-International Peacekeeping               (POLI 374)
-Psychology                                             (PSYC 100)
-Business and Entrepreneurship        (COMM 240)

I have had some outstanding professors at UBC, my favourite include:
Patricia Cochran- PhD Law
Gerald McIntyre- PhD International Finance
Judy McLean- PhD Human Nutrition 
Elizabeth Newton- PhD Social Psychology 
Allen Sens- PhD Political Science 

Summer Highlights

I had an amazing four months in Ottawa and wanted to share some of the best moments!

1. Working with 39 other amazing Parliamentary Guides in English and French. I made some incredible new friends through this experience 

2. Being hosted at Rideau Hall by His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston

3. Going up to the dome of the Library of Parliament and then around the entire structure on the outside

4. Attending a reception at Kingsmere and meeting the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Andrew Scheer

5. Meeting the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable Noel Kinsella

6. Visiting the National Gallery of Art and the Museum of History

7. Celebrating Canada Day on Parliament Hill

8. Giving tours of our nation's Centre Block in English and French to groups of 50 people. I was also able to give tours to my family which was very special.

9. Guide BBQs in Wakefield, Quebec 

10. Hiking in Gatineau Park, Quebec

11. Pizza - luck dinners with other Guides

12. Exploring great stores and restaurants in the Byward Market

13. Going to Montreal

14. Attending a lecture by Mellissa Fung at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat

15. The Guide Ball we had at the end of the season to celebrate our accomplishments this summer 

16. Watching Question Period in the House of Commons and in the Senate Chambers

17. Meeting my MP, Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair

18. Enjoying the view of Parliament from Major's Hill Park

19. Practicing my French with my colleagues and visitors 


20. Working in one of the most important buildings in the country 

Interesting Facts about Canadian Parliament

Here are some interesting details I learned as a Parliamentary Guide!

1. People

-Agnes Macphail was the first woman to be elected to Canada's House of Commons (1921)

-Cairine Wilson was the first woman to be appointed to Canada's Senate (1930). The Persons' Case of 1929 is one of the major achievements by Canadians for Canadians. The Famous 5 succeeded in having women defined as "persons" and thereby eligible for appointment to the Senate. This victory symbolized the right of women to participate in all facets of life

-William Lyon Mackenzie King was Canada's longest serving Prime Minister- 21 years 

-Sir Wilfrid Laurier was Canada's first Francophone Prime Minister 

-The first Canadian Governor General was Vincent Massey in 1952. Since his appointment, the Governor General has always been a Canadian citizen and we traditionally alternate appointments between Anglophones and Francophones.

-Jeanne Sauve was the first female Cabinet Minister from Quebec, first woman elected as speaker of the House of Commons, and was the first female Governor General. 

2. Place
-Construction of the Parliament buildings began in the 1860s. There was a fire in 1916 which destroyed all of the Centre Block except for the Library of Parliament. The library is extremely different from the rest of the Centre Block and it was completed in 1876.

-There is a Long-Term Vision Plan underway which is updating and restoring the historic parliamentary buildings: the triad of the West Block, Centre Block and East Block, followed by the rehabilitation of the other buildings within the Precinct.

-All 13 provinces and territories are represented in two specific areas of the building: the official entrance to Parliament (the Rotunda), and on the oak doors of the Senate chamber.

3. Process

-Our form of government is called a constitutional monarchy. This means that we have a Head of State and a Head of Government; the roles are separate and distinct. Our Head of State is Queen Elizabeth the 2nd of Canada, her powers are limited and defined by the Constitution and she is represented in Canada by the Governor General. Our Head of Government is our Prime Minister.

-Representation in the House of Commons is by population, each MP represents 110,000 Canadians. Representation in the Senate is by region to ensure that each province and territory is well represented. 

-In 2015 we are adding 30 more seats to our House of Commons- we will then have 338 seats.

-The biggest difference between a province and a territory is that provinces receive their power from the Constitution Act of 1867 and territories have powers delegated to them by the federal government. A change in the division of powers between the federal government and the provinces requires a constitutional amendment whereas a similar change impacting the territories can be performed by Parliament. 

4. Past 

-Canada became a country on July 1, 1867. We had four provinces at that time: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

-The rest of the provinces and territories joined later: Manitoba and the North West Territories (1870), British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward Island (1873), Yukon (1898), Alberta and Saskatchewan (1905), Newfoundland (1949), and Nunavut (1999). 

-The Official Languages Act was created in 1969 by Prime Minister Trudeau. It gives English and French equal status in the government of Canada. This Act provides that Canadians have the right to receive services from federal departments and Crown Corporations in both languages, will be heard before the federal courts in the official language of their choice, and that Parliament will publish regulations in both languages.

5. Miscellaneous 

-Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital of Canada in 1857
-The most expensive book in the Library of Parliament's collection is called "The Birds of America" by John Audubon. It is worth $10-13 million.