The main purpose of the Caucus is to promote and protect the welfare of students in the Master of Arts in International Studies program.  The activities of the Caucus range from acting as a formal liason between the International Studies faculty and students to planning get-togethers for IS graduate students.  The Caucus is somewhat fluid and can act in different ways depending on the needs of the students.

The members of this year's Caucus are: Angie Hall (Chair), Judith Bosire (Treasurer), and Krista Uraisami/Arnold (Secretary/GSS Representative).  For more information, please contact kuraisam@sfu.ca.

2011/12 Cohort

This year's cohort is a lively group of fourteen students from across Canada, Kenya, Argentina and Italy. Eight students are in the International Development stream, and six are in the Complex Emergencies stream. We have a wide variety of backgrounds including anthropology, English literature, sociology, criminology, political science, economics, geography, international development and international conflict and security.

In addition to their variety of academic backgrounds, our international working or volunteering experiences touch almost every corner of the world! Some of the international destinations include Liberia, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, South Africa, India, China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Colombia, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Belize, Costa Rica, Argentina, and even the United States.

The rich and eclectic backgrounds not only allow us to approach topics with different perspectives, but put us in a position of using our strengths to help each other. This program isn’t a competition, but a shared experience of wading through theories, abstract concepts and practical applications.

Activities

We have discovered ‘life beyond our books’ beyond highlighting text books and writing papers. Our social events range from delicious potlucks to catching up over drinks at different restaurants and bars that endow our central downtown Vancouver location. We even have plans to make trips to Whistler and bask in each other’s company. Despite our differences, we have grown close within a short period of time.  We are more than colleagues, we are a family, we are friends, we are mentors and we are fabulous!