UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO SCARBOROUGH 

THE DEBATE

__________________________________________________________________
News for UTSC Political Science Alumni

Greetings from the Chair

For almost a half century, students have studied Political Science at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Of course, much has changed since the first Major degrees in Political Science were awarded in 1968. Four-year programs have replaced the three-year BA. New programs have been introduced, including major and co-op programs in Public Policy, and, most recently, a minor program in Public Law. Over the decades of curricular innovation, one thing, has, however, remained constant: the dedication of Political Science Faculty to the success of our students.  There is nothing more rewarding for all of us who teach in Political Science than seeing our students surmount the rigorous standards of our programs – and graduate.  But then, too often, we lose touch.  We regret that loss of communication, and through the pages of this Newsletter, we hope to correct it.  We commit to using this Newsletter to letting our alumni know what’s going on in Political Science at UTSC. We will, as in this inaugural issue of the Newsletter, tell you about our outstanding faculty, current students, and alumni. In turn, we hope you will get in touch, via the email address pol-advisor@utsc.utoronto.ca ,  to let us know about your lives post—UTSC Political Science.  

Grace Skogstad

NEWS

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Hasna Syed is graduating UTSC having studied Political Science. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Hasna was enthusiastically involved with the campus community. Among her accomplishments, she was the elected President of the Political Science Students Association where she contributed her leadership through various events and initiatives. These included being an Academic Student Representative for Open Houses, UTSC Orientation, and Departmental Student Fairs. Hasna organized the first “Democracy Talks” on campus – engaging students through activity-based discussions of relevant social issues. She also established the first annual Canadian Labour International Film Festival screening at UTSC; raising awareness on human rights issues within Canada and abroad.

During her time at UTSC, Hasna was a Women’s Centre volunteer, Director of Events for Oxfam, and UofT House Ambassador for the Pan Am & Parapan Am Games. She also led the first delegation of UofT students selected to attend the Youth Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Hasna co-founded Global Youth Impact (Facebook: GYI – Global Youth Impact), a non-profit organization that gives youth a platform to make a difference in the world. GYI is also an active club on campus that has participated in numerous causes.  

Hasna will be attending the London School of Economics and Political Science this fall, pursuing a Master’s in Human Rights.

Assistant Professor Alison Braley-Rattai is one of this year's recipients of the Professors of Year Award under the Social and Behavioural Sciences category. She is recognized for her outstanding teaching practices and contributions to the student academic experience at UTSC.  For a full profile of Alison and her award recognition, please visit:

http://the-underground.ca/professors-of-the-year-2015-2016/ 

Associate Professor Christopher Cochrane is UTSC's 2015-2016 Faculty Teaching award recipient. Through his classes he brings outstanding student experiences and learning in courses designed with effective learning activities and assessments. Outside the classroom he is frequently called upon for insight and perspectives during elections and is the author of Left and Right: The Small World of Political Ideas (MQUP, 2015) and co-author, with Rand Dyck, of Canadian Politics: Critical Approaches (Nelson, 2014). He also is recognized for making  ongoing contributions to our curriculum/program development by leading the course mapping initiative for the department.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Imran Khan

Programs Studied at UTSC:
Bachelor of Arts, Specialist Program in Political Science and a Minor Program in Psychology
 
Can you please describe your current job?
I’m a Senior Policy Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. In my role, I lead the key performance indicators (KPIs) for Ontario’s private career colleges (PCCs) and provide policy and project management support on large-scale policy reform initiatives for the PCC sector.
 
What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
My journey in the Ontario Government has been extremely rewarding. Although private career colleges are important for our economy, one of the most rewarding experiences I had working with the Ontario government was in the area of adult developmental services with the Ministry of Community and Social Services. The Ontario Government has invested over $810M into the developmental services sector. Individuals with developmental disability are one of Ontario’s most vulnerable, and therefore, ensuring people have adequate support to build resilience is a very important piece of work. I think my brief stint in this field was possibly one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had with the Ontario government.
 
How was your university experience at UTSC?
My experience at UTSC was one of the most memorable periods in my life. I think experience outside of traditional classroom settings is extremely important for anyone looking for professional growth. One of the most unique things about UTSC is the culture that is driven on academics and leadership. I went to UTSC for the academics, but I also knew the campus was very focused on leadership. Once I felt comfortable with the academics in my first year, I decided to pursue leadership opportunities on campus. This eventually led to me serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union and other important leadership roles on campus. I’m grateful for the experience and recognition that I’ve received at UTSC through the unconditional support from the UTSC community (faculty, staff and students).
 
How did your education at UTSC prepare you for your career?
Studying political science gave me a vast exposure to the bureaucracy and Canadian/Ontario politics. However, I think it was the combination of academics and the leadership roles on campus that really prepared me for my career. There is great value in student leadership, but remember; leadership is not about having a fancy title under your belt, it’s about how much you give to your community. In all of my roles, I really focused on bringing a positive light into campus and changing the UTSC community for the better. Whether it was hosting sporting events through the Best Damn Sports Club Period, or engaging in large-scale advocacy initiatives (such as the Pan Am Aquatic Centre). Everything that I did at UTSC, I focused on enhancing student experience, but also building a legacy for future generations.
 

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

"The undergraduate experience is full of opportunities to learn about research conducted in various fields by scholars from all over the world. From learning how to read critically and evaluate data, students regularly engage with research that has been conducted and published, but seldom have the opportunity to use their acquired literacy, analytic, and comprehension skills to conduct their own research, and make new discoveries. The University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA) is a program funded by the Vice-President Research and Innovation that allows students the opportunity to conduct summer research under the supervision of a University of Toronto faculty member. This summer, I have the privilege of working under the supervision of Professor Margaret Kohn to conduct research that is part of an on-going project on solidarism and social rights. Solidarism is a political theory that rests on the claim that the division of labour creates a social product that does not naturally belong to the individuals controlling it as their private property. Therefore, solidarism argues that property should be divided into individual and public shares. Over the course of fourteen weeks, I will conduct research that considers the nexus of solidarity, social property and the common-wealth. The research project will involve identifying and examining key court cases and law journal articles on social rights from South Africa, India, the European Court of Rights, Canada and the United States to gather information on emerging social rights jurisprudence. Drawing on a variety of political theorists and sociologists, including John Locke, Alfred Fouillée Leon Bourgeois and Émile Durkheim, I will examine how solidarism criticizes possessive individualism and economic inequalities and how it ranks as an alternative to the existing industrial capitalist system". - Lucia Nalbandian

We hope you enjoyed the first issue of our newsletter and continue to stay in touch with us! If you would like more information regarding our current programs or would like to be featured in our next newsletter please contact pol-advisor@utsc.utoronto.ca

Tomorrow is created here.