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The Montreal Institute of International Studies is one of seven institutes in the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). The IEIM comprises 14 research centres and chairs which in turn house 6 research groups and 10 observatories. The 14 research groups and chairs are involved in fields as diverse as strategic studies and diplomacy, Canadian foreign policy, security, international development, international law, as well as public spaces and innovations, democracy and citizenship, immigration and ethnicity, corporate responsibility, while one research centre is devoted to Brazil. Research groups on the other hand are specialized on continental integration, the political economy of defence expenditures, or mining in Africa. The observatories are either devoted to countries and areas - such as the Observatory on the USA, the Observatory of the Americas, the Observatory on the Middle East, the Observatory on China or the Observatory on Policy and Security in the Arctic -, while others are devoted to issues - the Observatory on Racism and Discrimination, the Observatory on Peace Missions or the Observatory on International Cooperation.
The IEIM was set up in 2002 at the initiative of the dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Law (FPSL); at the time, it comprised eight centres and chairs belonging to the FPSL. Since then the Institute has expanded, and it now comprises three centres and chairs attached to the Faculty of Social Sciences, and one each to the Faculty of Communications and the School of Management. This multiple affiliation is a fitting illustration of the interdisciplinary and interfaculty nature of the research produced within Institute, all the while demonstrating its commitment to an open and renewed interpretation of the challenges and complexities facing the processes of internationalization and transnationalization today.
The centres, chairs, observatories and other research groups receive grants and subsidies awarded by major foundations, such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and le Fonds québécois de recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC). Some also benefit from government subsidies while others receive donations provided by the private sector. Private organizations such as Power Corporation, Banque Laurentienne, Scotiabank, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), along with government departments, such as the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Quebec Department of International Affairs have provided continued support over the years.
Mission
The IEIM mission is threefold. First, to facilitate convergence at all levels between the activities of its members. Second, to foster collaborations with public and private organizations engaged in like activities and initiatives in other centres and institutes in Montreal. Third, to establish connections with research centers and chairs involved in similar projects in universities around the world.
Activities within the Institute fall within four research areas :
- globalization and governance;
- security and diplomacy;
- identity, citizenship and diversity
- international law and human rights.
Research
The IEIM is made up of well over a hundred researchers, many of whom are internationally recognized experts. Specialized in political science, law, sociology, history, geography, economics and management, through their collaborative efforts they offer a multifaceted global perspective on the issues that confront us today.
The IEIM attaches a paramount importance to the diffusion of knowledge that offers a better understanding of the complexities of today’s world.
Researchers of the IEIM have produced a remarkable body of influential work that resonates well beyond Canadian borders. They have consistently acted as a driving force both in Quebec and in Canada in promoting a better understanding of international issues among a diversified public.
More than 150 public events are organized every year for the public at large. Thanks to their colloquiums, conferences, seminars, panels, and book launches, the research centres and chair members of the Institute have maintained a high profile within the community.
These activities involve a growing number of students either as research assistants or as active participants, placing them at the cutting edge of the ongoing debates on or about the multiple forms and aspects of international and transnational issues in the social sciences today.
The success of student involvement in National Model UN (MNUN) conferences taking place yearly in New York are a testimony to this. In 2011-2012, the delegation of students from UQAM was awarded the Outstanding Delegation Award for the sixth time.
Summer schools
Each year, a number of the IEIM’ constituencies and chairs offer Summer schools. For instance, the Observatory on Peace Missions of the Raoul-Dandurand Chair offers summer courses on the United Nations peace missions and the evolution of humanitarian activities. In August of 2012 and in August of 2013, the CEIM organised, in collaboration with the École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP), a Summer program on the WTO negociating process aimed at both professionnals and students. And the Center for Interdisciplinary Research Studies on diversity in Quebec organizes summer schools in Mexico on a regular basis.
