UVic MPA Student’s Class Pitch Published in National Policy Journal

September 25, 2025

When students in Professor Tamara Krawchenko’s Intergovernmental Relations course are asked to deliver a spirited State of our Union pitch, creativity and conviction are key. This past year, Master of Public Administration student Rodrigo Feracini stood out by doing just that—ending his powerful presentation with a tongue‑in‑cheek gesture, donning a red cap styled after a MAGA hat, boldly rebranded with the words United Environment Union.

The performance struck a chord in the classroom, and Feracini has since taken the idea further. His pitch is now published in Potentia: Journal of International Affairs, a peer‑reviewed journal produced by the Centre for International Policy Studies at the University of Ottawa.

Professor Krawchenko praised the achievement: “This is exactly the kind of engaged, imaginative policy thinking we encourage at SPA—connecting class exercises to real-world debates and advancing them into national conversations.”

Feracini’s published piece explores themes of environmental governance, intergovernmental collaboration, and the urgent need for federal systems to unite around sustainability. It highlights how innovative policy ideas germinate in the classroom and can spark wider conversations in academic and policy circles alike.

You can read Rodrigo Feracini’s full article in Potentia here.