PhD student Charlotte Hook presents statement to UN Committee on coordination among actors in space
Charlotte attended the conference as the representative of the Outer Space Institute, which holds permanent observer status at the UN COPUOS.
Prof. Michael Byers comments on plans to expand Canada’s presence in the Arctic
In CBC News, Prof. Byers says allied nations should be invited in greater numbers than they have in the past as a signal of solidarity.
PhD student Kim Beaulieu awarded Fox International Fellowship for 2025-26
Kim will join Yale as a Visiting Assistant in Research at the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies.
UBC Political Science Faculty Publications: Fall 2024
From the effects of COVID-19 on ideological beliefs to the role of local knowledges in international peacebuilding, check out their recent publications.
Negotiating the Climate Long-Term Global Goal: PhD student Simon Beaudoin publishes new paper
The paper seeks to understand the factors at play in negotiating global climate goals in a new journal article for International Negotiation.
New project aims to explore responsible use of the Moon with grant from New Frontiers in Research Fund
Prof. Michael Byers will undertake a project exploring how to promote responsible exploration of the Moon as more countries develop Moon programs with a $250,000 grant from the 2023 Exploration Competition.
Prof. Michael Byers wins 2023 Donner Prize for “Who Owns Outer Space?”
Prof. Michael Byers recently won the 2023 Donner Prize for his book “Who Owns Outer Space? International Law, Astrophysics, and the Sustainable Development of Space,” co-authored with Prof. Aaron Boley of UBC Physics & Astronomy.
Prof. Xiaojun Li’s new article examines how superpower rivalry affects public perceptions of international organization (IO) legitimacy in the hegemon
Professor Xiaojun Li concludes that when the judge is Chinese, there is a strong and robust dampening of Americans’ perceptions of the ICJ’s legitimacy, with no comparable effect arising when the judge is from other countries, including Russia.
Op-ed: Prof. Michael Byers on international law in the Middle East
Professor Michael Byers explains that when states use international law’s right to self-defence, they are signalling their desire to avoid an escalation. This rule may be the best hope for peace in the Middle East today.
Prof. Michael Byers delivers Green College’s 2024 Richard V. Ericson Lecture on March 6
In this time of multiple global crises, international law is being invoked more than ever before, raising numerous questions. An understanding of the role of international law in global crises can help us to understand international politics, find paths toward cooperation and see reasons for hope.