Welcome to our Workstudy Students

Congratulations to our 2025 Annual IR Essay Prize Competition Winners!

Congratulations to 3 of our IR students who were each awarded the 2025 annual IR Essay Prize Competition! (from left to right in the photo below) Beck McManus, Annie Budden and Paul de Moras each deservedly received this award!

IR students were asked to submit essays which either:

A) Explored the ongoing significance of World War Two to global order 80 years after the end of this war

Or

B) Represented an example of outstanding written work in the field of International Relations.

Each of these students wrote outstanding essays, and the titles of their award winning papers are listed below!

The Ethical Dilemma in International Relations: A Response to Stephen A. Kocs (Annie Budden)

Mearsheimer's Reverse Causality (Beck McManus)

Beyond Western Narratives: Decolonizing the Responsibility to Protect and Reclaiming its Global Origin (Paul de Moras)

Western IR X AIR 2nd Annual Career Workshop - March 20, 2025

Photo: from left to right, Tyler Drew, Cara Mu, Prof. Frank Schumacher, Jiya Hai, Nick Johnson and Finlay McFarlane. Credit: Oscar Chou. 

On March 20^th, 2025, the International Relations Program and the Association of International Relations (AIR) held its 2nd Annual IR Career Workshop symposium in D. B. Weldon's Community Room. The Student Donation Fund generously supported this very well-attended event.

The workshop featured five speakers:

• Tyler Drew – Second year law school student at Western University; Former International Law Research Assistant

• Jiya Hai – Policy Advisor for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada; Western Political Science and Ivey Alumni

• Nick Johnson – Articling student with Bennett Grant LLP; Former AIR President; Western Law and IR graduate

• Cara Mu – Current Policy Analyst for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada; Former P&G Brand Manager; Western IR and Ivey Alumni

• Matt Sparling – Senoir Advisor for North Korean Relations at Global Affairs Canada; Former AIR President; Western IR Alumni (presented virtually)

The event began with a light lunch, followed by the panelists' presentations. A Q&A session took place after the presentations, which allowed the opportunity for attendees to ask questions and discuss career opportunities that exist beyond university. The engaging discussions carried over into an informal networking session, which provided attendees with even more time to exchange their experiences and ideas with the panelists.

The well organized workshop served the dedicated team of AIR students as a further experiential learning opportunity in IR-event management; for the wider campus community, the event provided an outstanding learning and engagement opportunity for those interested in what career opportunities are possible for those individuals interested in Western's IR program.