3 Points
As I went straight from high school to university, education has been my reality for as long as I can remember. I enjoy being a student and I enjoy learning. During my time at TRU I have taken several courses related to global topics. While studying political science and economics, the interconnectedness of our world became immediately clear. With this in mind, some notable courses which have specifically improved my global competency are documented below.
ECON 2430 – Global and Canadian Economic Issues
I am particularly fond of this course and its delivery. It was taught by Dr. Jim Gaisford, someone I admire greatly. We began each lecture by discussing a recently published news article and how it may relate to course content. We followed a textbook written by Jim and all together applied concepts directly to events occurring around the world. This lower level course framed many of my future studies as the relationships between economic policy and political concerns converged. During this introduction, I learned how crucial it is to recognize the various actors and interest groups which may be involved in a global discussion. We were shown the impact which industries such as oil and manufacturing have on the lives of individuals. I began to appreciate the role that capital and finance have in shaping many international relations. Finally, a great focus was placed on the impact each country can have on others and the planet as whole. As my life has progressed, this lesson has fostered into an appreciation of the often unaccounted for effect our actions have on others. When considering global competency, this course showed me to always keep in mind the intended and unintended impact of my actions on others. My intention does not justify negative consequences, it is my responsibility to carefully consider all possible outcomes prior.
Poster written by myself for an assignment in ECON 2430 and submitted during the Winter 2023 semester.
POLI 3610 – Canadian Foreign Policy
This course was fundamental to my appreciation for international connections. Taught by an extremely motivating individual, Dr. Robert Hanlon, I took the course shortly after travelling to China with the professor. The subjects also closely followed this trend, with many discussions centred around Canada’s relationship with China. Within this course I was informed of many crucial topics of diplomacy and communication. During a mock NATO meeting, see pictured below, I became familiar with principles of international discussion in a formal setting. We were shown the order of operations and the importance of understanding your own role in the context of these relationships. While preparing for and conducting the mock meeting, communication was crucial to success. Working within my group we explored the power dynamics prevalent within these communications. While specific to politics, I believe the trend of hierarchy and the recognition of others’ position is useful to topics beyond, including global competency. All together, during this course, I learned about many aspects of countries as cohesive units, such as France’s nuclear protection policy. More specifically though I learned through the course content to appreciate the connection among people, during the mock meeting, nothing was achieved until a dialogue was started and recognized each individual as more than a name and someone standing in front of you.
Picture of delegates conversing during the POLI 3610, mock NATO event. Taken during the Fall 2024 semester in Kamloops, Canada.
Picture of various POLI 3610, mock NATO meeting participants eating after the event. Taken during the Fall 2024 semester in Kamloops, Canada.
Paper written by myself, Kira, Emmanuel, and Noah for an assignment in POLI 3610 and submitted during the Fall 2024 semester.
POLI 4900 – International Relations and Democratic Decline
The course discussed various topics surrounding the notion of democratic decline. I quickly realized while examining lecture content the universality of many experiences. Instances of nefarious actors infiltrating governance are apparent throughout history and throughout the world. While writing a paper applying this universal topic of democratic decline I engrossed myself in the intricacies of Poland, see the paper below. During these efforts I learned how to relate to others who do not appear to have anything in common with myself. This crucial skill can be applied to any future interaction with others, finding commonality is critical for sustained relations. Furthermore, the course was very presentation focused and as such helped me improve skills of communication among people I do not know well.
Paper written by myself for an assignment in POLI 4900 and submitted during the Winter 2025 semester.