Political Science Weekly Digest for Thursday, April 2, 2026
April 02, 2026
We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
POLITICAL SCIENCE ANNOUNCMENTS
Hi everyone,
It’s officially the last day of classes for the Spring term and a short week! Not a lot of updates this week other than mentioning that the main office will be closed tomorrow and Monday for the Easter break, and we will also be closing on Tuesday (7th) for our department retreat happening off campus.
Rachel is also going to be away next week, but you can reach out to Joanne and me for any urgent matters in her absence.
As we head into exam month and the summer term, you can expect the Weekly Digest to be sent out a little less frequently but continue to share news with me and we will post periodically over the next few months.
-Matt
UNDERGRADUATE
CONGRATULATIONS TO RYLAND STOKES
I missed this last week, but Political Science has a 2nd VKURA Scholar for 2026, congrats to Ryland.
Ryland will be doing archival work about the role of local capitalists in the development of towns in western Canada and his project will be supervised by Justin Leifso.
UPCOMING HONOURS DEFENSES
Honours students will be doing their defenses this month (planned for April 13th and 14th).
FACULTY
CONGRATULATIONS TO AMY VERDUN on her successful SSHRC Connection Grants competition. Her project, titled “Expanding European Studies in Canada” has been awarded $24,000.
EVENTS
POLI Works-in-Progress
One last session of the year for POLI Works-in-Progress will take place on Tuesday, April 14 from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm in DTB A357. We are excited to end the season by discussing a paper, "Approaching the Kitchen Table: Visiting with Aunties as an Indigenous Feminist and Queer Family Gathering," by Kelly Aguirre, with Hayle Dambrowsky as a discussant. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate whether they have read the paper beforehand or not.
UVic ANNOUNCMENTS
"Climate Solutions in the Age of Trump" with David Miller
Join David Miller, author of Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis, at the 探花系列 on April 7, 2026 from 4:00 - 5:30 PM for a discussion on approaches to climate solutions through sustainable urban economies during a time of political and social upheaval. Refreshments will be provided.
- Time: 4:00 - 5:30 PM
- Date: April 7, 2026
- Location: The 探花系列 Student Union Building, Upper Lounge
In Solved, David Miller argues that it is possible to solve climate change, even in this era of climate denial. The solution, perhaps surprisingly, lies in our cities - if we examine the different initiatives the leading cities have taken to reduce emissions and adopt them globally, rapidly. By chronicling the stories of how cities have taken action to meet and exceed emissions targets laid out in the Paris Agreement, Miller empowers readers to fix the climate crisis. As much a "how to" guide for policymakers as a work for concerned citizens, Solved aims to inspire hope through its clear and factual analysis of what can be done – now, today – to mitigate our harmful emissions and pave the way to a 1.5-degree world.
Hosted by CIFAL Victoria, the Centre for Global Studies and the Centre for Regenerative Futures, with funding from the Pacific Institute of Climate Solutions.
The Political Science Weekly Digest is available online.
I’d love your help in highlighting media appearances, publications, student achievements, upcoming events, and any other good news you’d like to share, so please feel free to send that to me at mattdavies@uvic.ca.