Research

Research
Political scientists ask questions about human rights, gender equality, transitions to democracy, identity politics, international security and indigenous governance—issues that are global and local.

Our researchers are exploring subjects ranging from multiculturalism to re-thinking the possibility of politics in a post-modern era. This knowledge and expertise are passed directly on to our students and foster strong links with the university and the wider community. Learn more about our research.

Recent Award Announcements:

  • Guoguang Wu won the 2020 Faculty of Social Sciences Research Excellence Award.
  • Michelle Bonner's book, Policing Protest in Argentina and Chile, won the 2016 CPSA Prize in Comparative Politics. The prize was announced at the President's dinner of the CPSA meetings at the June 2016 Congress in Calgary.
  • Oliver Schmidtke won the 2016 Faculty of Social Sciences Research Excellence Award.

Recent Grant Announcements:

  • Marlea Clarke is co-investigator on a SSHRC Insight Grant (2021-26): "Transnational Legal Governance, Modern Slavery and Forced Labour in Supply Chains: Canada in a Global Context"
  • Amy Verdun was awarded a 5-year (2021-26) SSHRC Insight Award: "European Union and Crisis: Understanding the Birth of the EU Recovery Fund in Comparative Perspective"
  • Michelle Bonner was awarded a 5-year (2021-26) SSHRC Insight Award: "Disappeared during democracy: how media and activists communicate judicial trials"
  • Oliver Schmidtke was awarded a EU Jean Monnet Network Grant: "European Memory Politics – Populism, Nationalism and the Challenges to a European Memory Culture" (2019-23) https://www.eucanet.org/index.php/projects/jean-monnet-network-european-memory-politics and a SSHRC Insight Grant: "Populism and its Effects on Liberal Democracy: Minority Rights and Freedom of Speech" (2019-24).

Jim Tully comments on his teaching and research

Dr. Jim Tully is a recently retired Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Law, Indigenous Governance and Philosophy at the University of Victoria, Canada. Over his career Jim has embodied engaged public scholarship. Jim’s work has engaged with various political struggles and advanced social justice on the ground, particularly with regards to indigenous-settler relations in Canada.

Two of Jim's former students, Sarah Wiebe and Jen Bagelman, invited him to reflect on his role as a practitioner and teacher of public philosophy. In the interview, Jim explores what it means to do 'public philosophy' in a way that is oriented to diverse experiences and includes both Indigenous and western traditions of thought. The interview is situated in the Government House meditation garden in Victoria BC, a favourite place for reflection and a rich source of inspiration for his political theory. Watch the interview here.