Announcing the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy (PDAD&C #77)

We are very pleased to announce the amalgamation of the Munk School of Global Affairs and the School of Public Policy & Governance, effective July 1, 2018, as approved at yesterday’s meeting of the Governing Council.

Over the past year, the Faculty of Arts & Science has led a far-reaching and robust consultation process evaluating the merits of amalgamating the two schools. These consultations determined there was a strong academic rationale and broad support for amalgamation. The Munk School of Global Affairs is an extra-departmental unit (EDU:A) within the Faculty of Arts & Science, offering a professional Master of Global Affairs program and undergraduates programs including Peace, Conflict, and Justice, and Munk One. It is also home to several constituent units, and a number of teaching programs and research labs. The School of Public Policy & Governance is also an extra-departmental unit (EDU:B) within the Faculty, offering a professional Master of Public Policy program and an undergraduate major program in public policy, as well as executive education for policy professionals.

The newly named Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy will significantly enhance the University’s global reputation in research, teaching, and societal impact in the areas of global affairs and public policy. We see each field of study reinforcing and complementing the strengths of the other, ensuring the School continues as an intellectual and academic powerhouse.

This expanded academic unit will continue to be led by an academic director. An international search will commence soon, and will be co-chaired by the Provost and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science.

We wish to thank the many faculty, students, and staff who have been involved in this process and, in particular, Professor Peter Loewen, Director of the School of Public Policy & Governance, and Professor Randall Hansen, Interim Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs, along with Professor Dwayne Benjamin, Vice-Dean, Graduate Education, Faculty of Arts & Science, and Professor Joshua Barker, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Research & Education (and the former Vice-Dean, Graduate Education, Faculty of Arts & Science), who together led the extensive consultation process and were instrumental in the development of the proposal for academic restructuring.