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Political Science

Political Science Weekly Digest for Friday, February 6, 2026

February 06, 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 ANNOUNCEMENTS

SPRING 2026 POLI COLLOQUIUM CALL FOR PRESENTERS
Extended abstract deadline: Wednesday, February 11
Colloquium date: Friday, February 27
The Graduates of Political Science (GPS) are very excited to be hosting the Spring 2026 POLI Colloquium on Friday, February 27! We invite interested presenters across POLI—any year, program stream, or research interest—to submit an abstract no later than February 6.

The GPS colloquia aim to help foster and build community and support emerging scholars in our department. The GPS is extending this opportunity to undergraduate students for the Spring 2026 POLI Colloquium. All undergrad and graduate students affiliated with the Department of Political Science are invited to submit a proposal to present their work (or work in progress!). This includes:

  • A term paper currently in progress
  • A chapter for your thesis or dissertation
  • A research proposal (thesis/MRP/dissertation, or applications you may be working on)
  • Practice for conference presentations or thesis/dissertation defenses

About the colloquium
We invite submissions from all current undergrad and graduate students in Political Science or in Interdisciplinary Studies, provided their primary affiliation is with the Political Science Department. The colloquium aims to highlight work from students across different subfields, research interests, and methods/approaches. 

The colloquium format:

  • A two-hour session hosted in person and open to all Department members and affiliates.
  • Presentations are typically 10-15 minutes in length, followed by brief feedback from designated respondents (usually one faculty and grad student).
  • If time remains in the presenter’s allotted time, or at the conclusion of all presentations, a Q/A open to the audience will follow.

Submissions
Submissions should include a title and a 150-250 word abstract outlining the presentation of the student’s work (term paper, major research project, thesis, dissertation, other scholarly project) that would benefit from scholarly dialogue. (Don’t overthink it: tell us what you’ll be presenting on and what kind of project it’s for!)

  • Designated respondents who are well-positioned to engage with the presenter’s work will be sought by the organizers. Department members who are willing to participate as respondents are encouraged to get in touch with colloquium organizers.

Prospective presenters: please submit your title and abstract to the colloquium organizer at lizmcknight@uvic.ca no later than February 6. We look forward to your proposals and seeing you on February 27!

UVic ANNOUNCMENTS

SCARBOROUGH CHARTER STEERING COMMITTEE: “Embers of Pan-Africanism: Nkrumahist Intellectuals and Decolonization, 1960-1980”
Dr. Bright Gyamfi, Assistant Professor of History, Rutgers University
Tuesday, February 10, 3-4:30 pm, ECS 123
This talk by Dr. Bright Gyamfi explores how insurgent ideas are sustained after the collapse of a radical government. Specifically, it examines how Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah’s overthrow affected the trajectory of Nkrumahism, a strand of Pan-Africanism and an ideology for African decolonization. This talk will also offer insights into our current politically charged world and what it means to be an activist scholar.

THE CITY TALKS: “Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community”
A conversation between author/activist Maggie Helweg and Gregor Craigie
Thursday, February 12, 7 pm, United Commons, 932 Balmoral Rd
The housing crisis has sent countless people into the streets. In spring 2022, some of them pitched tents, formed an encampment and settled into the yard beside the Toronto Anglican church where Maggie Helwig is the priest. She has spent the last three years getting to know the residents and fighting to allow them to stay. Her book confronts our society’s callousness in allowing so many to go unhoused and demands, by bringing their stories to the fore, that we begin to respond with compassion and grace. Maggie Helwig is the author of 15 books and chapbooks. Co-sponsored by Law, CSRS and RELS.

CSPT COLLOQUIUM SERIES
Thursday, February 26, 5-6 pm, Grad House Room 108
The CSPT Colloquium series seeks to nurture and promote a vision of “theory” as a site of intellectual communion between passionate researchers committed to pushing the boundaries of their disciplines and contemporary thought. The colloquium offers a comfortable and informal arena to test new ideas, present ongoing research, or share completed papers and thesis chapters with other graduate students and faculty members at UVic engaged in various forms of critical theory (broadly conceived).

Each month two presenters offer their intellectual projects for discussion. Each presenter is allotted 35 minutes in total. We strongly recommend a maximum length of 20 minutes for the presentation of your research, leaving at least 15 minutes for discussion, feedback, and questions. The colloquium also welcomes proposals for a variety of other presentation formats. Submit your proposal (PDF format) to csptcolloquium@gmail.com

Your proposal should include:
⧫     Your name, preferred pronouns, and any community of belonging should you wish to disclose as part of a self-location or research positioning statement
⧫     Your program/departmental affiliations and your primary topics of research
⧫     A presentation title and a brief abstract of no more than 150 words that can be included in the event description should your submission be selected (as such, please be sure to edit carefully)
⧫     optional: a breakdown of how you intend to spend your allotted 35 minutes if departing from a standard conference-style presentation.
⧫     optional: any desired outcomes (this will help the colloquium coordinators facilitate discussion periods towards particular kinds of feedback if requested)

CAPI: A CELEBRATION: 10 YEARS OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH COLLOQUIUM
Thursday, February 26, 3- 6pm, Fireside Lounge, University Club
For the past decade, the Global South Colloquium, led by Neilesh Bose (UVic History), has brought faculty and students - both local and international - together to explore the histories, cultures, and politics of the Global South. Framing the Global South not just as geography but as a lens on global power and inequity, the series has oriented discussions on the world-system and its histories. Each year has focused on a theme in globalization, ranging from religion and secularism to artistic exchange, ecological change, indigeneity, development, and decolonization. This event will bring together speakers reflecting on the project’s achievements as well as look to the future.