My name is Michelle Marcus, and I am entering my final year at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ this fall. I am an Honours Political Science student with a minor concentration in Communications Studies, and I am particularly interested in global power dynamics, political economic policy, and the ways in which the media affects citizen perceptions of international and domestic affairs.
This summer, I interned with the Centre for International and Defense Policy (CIDP), conducting research with their network for strategic analysis (RAS / NSA). I wanted to complete this internship because international law and policy is very relevant to my field of study, and I wanted to better understand how these topics play out in the real world. Moreover, I was interested in learning how a research and academic based organization like the CIDP could work to influence government action, especially in light of the government’s decision to reform its defense policy strategy this upcoming fall. Thus, going into this internship, my learning objectives were as follows: Gain a broader understanding of how international economic policies and laws influence the behavior and strategies of governments and multilateral bodies; and discover how think-tanks and experts can best mobilize to shape Canada’s foreign policy and activity in the international sphere.
The CIDP is a Canadian research organization that seeks to bridge the gap between academia and policy affairs pertaining to military and defense. The center works to be a reliable source of recommendation for Canada’s course of action in these spheres and has been the go-to source for the Canadian government in such matters for the past forty years. The Centre works to broaden research and advocacy in a variety of areas. These areas include (but are not limited to): studying the role of gender in Canada’s armed forces, analyzing the media’s role in shaping perceptions of international relations, producing podcasts and publishing articles on current international affairs, and hosting conferences and roundtables for discussing timely topics and strategies.
As an intern, my responsibilities varied depending on the week. Since I was particularly interested in global power dynamics and policy, my work revolved around researching specific topics that I chose at the start of my internship. The goal of this research was to produce two 6-page policy briefs that would break down the topics for readers, explain the importance and implications of the issues at hand, and make policy recommendations for the Canadian government. Given the current international climate, I decided to research the efficacy and potential consequences of economic sanctions imposed against Russia by NATO countries, as well as the implications of China’s rising economic power through the digital economy on the policies and actions of democratic states. Secondly, I was responsible for attending various virtual zoom meetings and roundtables in Montreal, taking notes on the issues being discussed by policy and defense experts. I was then required to draft 5–6-page reports on the key points that were raised, synthesizing the information to be compiled into a report for the federal government this September. In October, the CIDP is hosting their annual conference that brings together military personnel, academics, and politicians. This year’s topic is on international competition in the high north, so I was responsible for researching and contacting potential conference speakers and panelists. Additionally, I helped my supervisor by proofreading and analyzing various reports for publication. I also attended several intern meetings to discuss my research findings with masters’ students, and to broaden my understanding of the Centre’s current areas of study. Finally, I was responsible for creating a calendar of upcoming events for international relations and political science students across Canadian Universities for the Centre to distribute.
This internship was very enlightening. It deepened my interest in international power relations, and confirmed that I do, in fact, want to pursue a career in international law or public policy. It helped me realize how important it is to theorize and regulate legal norms related to the use of military force in the international sphere, and the importance of coordinating research efforts on both large-scale and specific issues (as the CIDP seeks to do through its involvement in projects pertaining to gender and culture in armed forces, as well as its involvement in reporting on complex, high-profile defense cases). This internship will help make my courses pertaining to law, political economy, and humanitarianism much more applicable to my understanding of real-world events, as this internship has strengthened my understanding of the interconnection of academia and tangible policy outcomes. Although I decided not to receive academic credit for this internship, I will be sure to continue researching these topics in the upcoming semester.
The funding that I received from the Armando and Ann Manfredi Arts Internship Award and Mr. Harry Samuel for this internship made it possible for me to gain valuable experience relating to my academic endeavors and helped me contribute to the work of an incredibly impactful organization working to shape the future of Canadian policy.
