Congratulations to Political Science MA student, Justine Mallou, who won both first place and public choice award in the Institute of Public Administration of Canada’s (IPAC) Fifth Annual National Student Paper Competition.

Mallou’s paper, “Redefining the Road to Reconciliation: Considerations for Renewing Indigenous-Crown Relationship through Post-Secondary Student Support Program” proposed four policy considerations for addressing the barriers to post-secondary education for Indigenous peoples.

Her policy considerations addressed such problems as inadequate financial assistance, academic disadvantage, and geographical barriers. Her ideas would not only increase the flexibility and timing of funding for Indigenous students but also proposed an idea which could completely transform Indigenous communities’ access to education — the creation of a national e-learning platform for digital information sharing with rural and Northern communities.

Her ideas come from first-hand experiences as a research intern for Indigenous Services Canada, and from her rigorous training in research and writing in political science.

As grand prize winner, Mallou will travel to Ottawa this summer to the prestigious Manion Lecture, receive her award for the IPAC competition, present her paper at a national event organized by the Canada School of Public Service and—through the Blueprint 2020 National Student Paper Competition—await a placement offer to work in the federal public service.

See full article originally written by Christine Lyons on FASS website.