The Institute of Political Economy is proud to highlight the recent publication by current graduate student Haniel Sorensen, whose article A history of the “parental rights movement(s)” appears in the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

Read the full article here:

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The Institute of Political Economy is proud to highlight the recent publication by current graduate student Haniel Sorensen, whose article “I am become woke, destroyer of schools” appears in the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

Read the full article here: /politicaleconomy/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2025/08/Sorensen_Haniel.pdf

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Class of 2025

From left to right: Meera Karunananthan (Assistant Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies), Rachel Woods , Zoe Abernethy, Hannah McFadden, JosĂ©e Lalonde, and Justin Paulson (Director, Institute of Political Economy).

MA-Political Economy

• Rachel Woods (Collaborative Specialization in Climate Change)
• Zoe Abernethy (Concentration in Work and Labour)
• Hannah McFadden
• JosĂ©e Lalonde (Specialization in Latin American and Carribbean Studies)
• Kate Eldred
• Gobind Dhugee (Concentration in Work and Labour)
• Sophie Birks
• Cullin Sinclaire

Graduate Diploma Work and Labour

• Will Picard

PhD – Specialization in Political Economy

• Meighan Mantei (Anthropology)
• Chiezirim Nwoke (Anthropology)

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The Institute of Political Economy is proud to highlight the recent publication by current graduate student Sondos Kataite, whose article “Canada’s Secret Weapon in U.S. Trade War? Trump’s Billionaire Backers” appears in the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

In the article, Kataite explores the underexamined financial entanglements between high-profile members of Donald Trump’s former administration and Canadian business interests. She highlights figures such as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg – each of whom maintains substantial financial ties to Canada. Kataite argues that these links offer Canada an overlooked strategic lever in managing tensions and negotiations within the broader U.S. trade war context.

This publication stands as a powerful example of the type of policy-relevant, research-informed writing our students are producing. We celebrate Sondos for this important contribution and look forward to the ongoing impact of her work in the field of political economy.

Read the full article here: .

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Christine Streeter, a PhD candidate in ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University’s School of Social Work: Political Economy, was featured in the Ottawa Citizen on July 16, 2024 with her opinion piece, entitled “Precarious funding for Ottawa’s nonprofit sector adversely impacts women”, which speaks to how the ongoing strike by Ottawa Children’s Aid Society workers reflects significant issues across the non-profit and social services sectors as a whole. .

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The Institute of Political Economy at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University is proud to highlight the recent publication of “AI Audit Objects, Credentialing, and the Race-to-the-Bottom: Three AI Auditing Challenges and A Path Forward”, co-authored by current graduate student Benjamin Faveri and published in Tech Policy Press.

Co-written with Graeme Auld, and Stefan Renckens, the article addresses three major obstacles facing the future of artificial intelligence (AI) auditing:

1. Defining the Audit Object – What exactly should be audited within AI systems: algorithms, data practices, or organizational structures?

2. Credentialing Qualified Auditors – How can the field ensure that auditors are both technically proficient and ethically accountable?

3. Avoiding a Race-to-the-Bottom – Without consistent standards, there is a growing risk that audits will sacrifice rigor for speed and cost-effectiveness.

The authors call for a coordinated approach involving policymakers, industry stakeholders, and civil society to develop robust, transparent, and ethical auditing frameworks for AI systems.

We extend our congratulations to Benjamin Faveri for this timely and impactful contribution to the field of technology governance.

Read full article here:

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On September 20, 2023 the Institute of Political Economy, ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University, and the Canadian Centre of Policy Alternatives hosted a book launch for book launch for David Livingstone’s 2023 Tipping Point for Advanced Capitalism: Class, Class Consciousness, and Activism in the “Knowledge Economy “, published by Fernwood Press.

Tipping Point for Advanced Capitalism is a pathbreaking study of the changing class makeup of the Canadian, other G7 and Nordic labour forces since the 1980s, documenting especially the rise of non-managerial professional employees. The book provides unprecedented tracking of the links between employment classes and higher levels of class consciousness, including the often hidden political consciousness of corporate capitalists as well as the extent of oppositional and revolutionary consciousness among non-managerial workers. The large differences exposed between class conscious capitalists and these non-managerial workers on issues of poverty reduction and global warming reveal the strategic roles these key class agents play in actions to defend or transform advanced capitalism. The most concerted evidence-based study to bring class back into grasping the intimately linked ecological, economic and political crises we now face.

You can view the lecture here:

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We are very pleased and proud that the  Institute Administrator Tabbatha Malouin is one of five individual recipients of the ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University Service Excellence Award this year, which was presented at an awards ceremony on February 23. More than 200 ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ staff were nominated this year, and Tabbatha’s achievement reflects both the depth of her commitment to the Institute and its students and the outstanding regard in which she is held by the Director and those faculty, staff, and students with whom she works.

Excerpt from a nomination:

“Tabbatha is one of the most amazing individuals at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´, and given how amazing the staff is at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University I do not say this lightly… Tabbatha was a big reason I decided to continue my education at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´. In the end, one of the core reasons I chose the Department of Political Economy was because I felt that I would be supported and heard as a student. This was because of how involved, responsive, patient, and reliable Tabbatha was during my decision process. She took the time to answer all the questions my anxious brain could throw her way in a prompt, patient, and comprehensive manner. She answered more than a dozen emails and met with me multiple times, many of which took place simply to ease my anxieties and provide support and resources. Other post-graduate programs I applied to did not extend anywhere near this level of involvement. Since then, I have observed that she has continued to uphold this level of commitment to all the students within the Political Economy department. Every department has a person that you can always rely upon, they are essentially the foundation of that little community; Tabbatha is our person and she goes above and beyond…”

Congratulations, Tabbatha — this is greatly deserved!

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Leo Panitch, mentor, supporter, and the inspiration behind the creation of the Institute of Political Economy passed away from COVID-19 and pneumonia on December 19, 2020, shortly after a cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, COVID restriction put our plans for an event to celebrate his legacy on hold.

On Saturday, December 10th, 2022, we were finally able to gather together and organize a symposium, which assessed the legacy of Panitch’s scholarship, education, and activism, featured roundtables throughout the day (see list below) and a keynote address by IPE Visiting Professor Stephen Maher.

The work of Leo panitch left an immense impact on the field of political economy – from his critique of social democracy to his groundbreaking theorization, with Sam Gindin, of globalization and the American empire. As a professor at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´, he helped to place the University at the forefront of the study of political economy in Canada, and played a key role in the creation of the Institute of Political Economy. At the same time, he was deeply involved in politics, including the Waffle, the Ottawa Committee for Labour Action, and the Socialist Project. This symposium will assess the legacy of Panitch’s scholarship, education, and activism, featuring contributions from friends, comrades, students, and political economy scholars.

Event Details:

Keynote: “Liberal Democracy, Authoritarian Statism, and the New Finance Capital” (Stephen Maher)and Moderated by Justin Paulson

 Stephen Maher is a Post-Doctoral fellow at Ontario Tech University, and the  author of Corporate Capitalism and the Integral State: General Electric and a Century of American Power. He is also the Associate Editor of The Socialist Register.

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My Experience with Community-Based Research with the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun 

By Catherine Littlefield
MA Political Economy Student
Photos provided by Catherine Littlefield

After completing the first two terms of my M.A. with the Institute of Political Economy, I’ve started my thesis research this summer and have been staying in Mayo, Yukon while working with the . NND is a self-governing Northern Tutchone First Nation with a traditional territory that spans central and northern Yukon. I entered this program knowing that community-based food systems research was the direction I wanted to take. NND and ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2020 to facilitate a collaborative research partnership to co-create and share knowledge, from which this research opportunity emerged. NND identified the research priority of food-related strategies and programs to work towards sustainable and balanced futures. The research I am engaged in aims to support NND’s food security, cultural continuity, and greater Indigenous food sovereignty. I have been working with community partners on the direction and process of this research, with the hope of generating insights into how customary food practices and potlatch traditions might contribute to NND’s community economy, well-being, and food systems governance.

I’ve now been in NND’s traditional territory for about a month and a half. Spending a significant amount of time here was important to me to be able to build connections, as community-based research is all about relationships. I have learned so much here, not just from research interviews, but from every conversation and experience I have gotten to be a part of. NND has been so welcoming to students like myself and I am immensely grateful for that. I spend my time engaging in interviews, community events, reading, exploring, reflecting, and learning. I have been learning from both the people and the land, and I am honoured to have had the chance to learn about a variety of things including food practices, traditional ecological knowledge, First Nations governance, community wellness, local changes and challenges, and more.

NND’s traditional foods and medicine include various animals and plants such as moose, caribou, salmon, grayling, grouse, bear root, and many kinds of berries. Within the intertwined contexts of an unpredictable climate, shifting animal patterns, and intensive mining and exploration in the territory, NND understands the need for change and adaptation in the food system. Traditionally a hunting and gathering society, the community is taking on a new adventure and opportunity with the recent purchase of the NND Farm, a future hub for developing food security and sovereignty as well as teaching and learning experiences.

I have been studying food systems governance with a focus on food distribution and culturally informed food systems planning. I have been conducting conversation style interviews with NND citizens, Elders, and government representatives. The interviews include questions on food systems, governance, potlatch traditions, and community well-being and the responses have been filled with stories, laughter, heart, and great insight. Each interview has been truly amazing, and I learn about so much more than food, though I increasingly believe in the centrality and connective power of food in all our lives. People have been very giving and generous with me, sharing more than just conversations and welcoming me into their home. I have been given a desk at the NND Government House during my time here and feel more than welcomed around the office. I have been taught about harvesting practices, toured a family smokehouse, went to an eagle’s nest to collect feathers, and eaten fresh rhubarb and lettuce gifted from local gardens. I am so thankful for the time I have shared here and am already hoping to return one day.

Beyond the interviews, participating in community events has been very conducive to both perspective and connection, including NND’s annual General Assembly, National Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations, community engagement meetings, and casual get togethers. Relationship building is paramount for reciprocal research and learning how to give back in a good way. Giving back is very important to me throughout this process particularly as the community has been so inclusive and generous, for which I am very grateful and hope to offer meaningful research outputs in return. On a personal level, this includes the simple joys of sharing time, space, and kindness, listening and learning with care and respect. During my time here, I do my best to take up all the opportunities I am able to. Having flexibility has also been important, being open to whatever experience I may have on any given day and adapting to new and changing circumstances.

While spending time here in a small, northern community, I have also become closer with the realities of the socioecological crises we are facing. The complexities of political economic relations, the costs of food, the impacts of trauma on people and land, and the uncertainty of our changing environment are some examples of the ways these are felt. Early in the month of July, Yukon experienced an extraordinary wildfire season coupled with flooding and a highway closure on the only road that connects the community of Mayo with Whitehorse, the main hub of the territory. The precarity of the food system, from dwindling animal populations, to industry pollution, to the uncertainty of the supply chain, is very evident during these times. The community of Mayo was under evacuation alert due to fire proximity and air quality for about a week. It was smokey and tense, but in the end, rain and cool weather came as blessings and helped the incredible work of wildland firefighters.

My favourite memories that I have had here have been on-the-land experiences. Even though this seems to be the worst year for mosquitoes yet (and there are many), exploring NND’s traditional territory has been breathtaking. Toward the beginning of my time here, I attended a seed collection workshop to learn about native plants and seeds and how these can be used in reclamation projects. We learned respectful harvesting practices from NND Elders, and I am reminded to always give thanks and give back to the land for the gifts of the Earth that we are so grateful to be receiving. An NND Elder who has become a friend of mine taught me how to collect pitch (spruce resin) and boil it down to make a healing salve, traditional medicine. I’ve collected wild rose and fireweed petals and harvested berries, all of which grow in abundance here. The wild strawberries and raspberries have been my favourites so far.

My time here has not been without challenge and uncertainty, but I wouldn’t change it one bit and have learned more than I could have hoped for. I carry this experience with me as I head back home soon to get into writing both my thesis and community reports. I would strongly recommend community-based and on-the-land experiences to anyone and everyone where they are able! Research should be relational and reciprocal so we can better learn how to make meaningful differences in the world we study.

This research was made possible through an internship with NND’s Development Corporation (NNDDC) funded by . NNDDC is the First Nation’s primary business arm, investing in and managing local businesses and real estate such as the grocery store in Mayo. NNDDC also manages relationships with businesses that invest and operate in the NND traditional territory to create employment opportunities and provide services for the NND community. 

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