Canada and the post rules-based order – SFU experts available

One month into 2026, and the world continues to grapple with major geopolitical shifts and escalating world events. 

As referenced in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s headline-grabbing speech at the World Economic Forum, Canada finds itself trying to navigate the “rupture” of the rules-based world order as a middle power by striking new trade deals (such as the one with China last week) and contending with questions around sovereignty and alliances in the face of aggressive U.S. interest in Greenland. From international diplomacy and trade relations to economic policies and impacts, SFU experts are available to comment from a Canadian perspective.

NATO/International relations

JAMES HORNCASTLE, assistant professor, humanities, Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations 
jhorncas@sfu.ca 
Expertise: international relations, U.S. foreign policy moves, Russia-Ukraine war, strategic studies, defence policy, irregular warfare, Iran

RADOSLAV DIMITROV, professor, political science 
rdimitro@sfu.ca  
Expertise: international diplomacy (including security, Greenland), global climate change politics and negotiations

PARSA ALIREZAI, researcher, Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies 
parsa_alirezaei@sfu.ca | cell: 604-916-2958 (calls or texts preferred)  
Expertise: international relations: Iran, Western Sahara, Palestine/Israel, Kurdistan (Middle East)

DARREN BYLER, associate professor, international studies 
darren_byler@sfu.ca  
Expertise: effects of surveillance on stateless populations, role of infrastructural state power, China, Central Asia, Southeast Asia 
Comments: “As Canada seeks to diversify its trade partners it is important that Mr. Carney also remains committed to Canadian values. In Canada, human rights protections include prohibitions on forced labour—an issue that is present in the Chinese economy. For instance, given the lack of transparency and independent oversight in Chinese production, there is no guarantee that the electric vehicles that are being discussed do not involve forced labour in their supply chain.”

JEREMY BROWN, professor, history 
jeremy_brown@sfu.ca 
Expertise: human rights issues linked to Canada-China trade deals 

AMYN SAJOO, scholar-in-residence, continuing studies 
asajoo@sfu.ca  
Expertise: Human rights law and politics, migration and citizenship, international law, war crimes, migration

IRENE PANG, assistant professor, international studies 
irene_pang@sfu.ca  
Expertise: China, India, governance, labor, state-citizen relations, development

PAUL MEYER, adjunct professor, international studies 
pmeyer@sfu.ca 
Expertise: Canadian and international diplomacy, international security issues, NATO, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, outer space security and international cyber security policy.

Canadian economy/political economy/tariffs

STEWART BECK, executive lead of the LINC Asia Micro-credential Program at the Jack Austin Centre for Asia Pacific Business Studies, Beedie School of Business 
stewart_beck@sfu.ca  
Expertise: Canada-Asian relations 
Comments: “Prime Minister Carney’s visit to China, together with Canada’s re-engagement with India, pragmatically catalyzes the economic diversification we need—beyond our traditional North American markets and toward the faster growing economies of the Indo-Pacific.”

GUSTAVO ALBUQUERQUE, lecturer, economics 
gta50@sfu.ca  
Expertise: narcoviolence, political economy, economics of crime, economic history

NICOLAS SCHMITT, professor emeritus, economics 
schmitt@sfu.ca  
Expertise: international trade, migrations, industrial organization/competition policy

ANDREY PAVLOV, professor, finance, Beedie School of Business 
apavlov@sfu.ca  
Expertise: economic impact of tariffs. internal investment climate, economic conditions

STEEVE MONGRAIN, professor, economics 
mongrain@sfu.ca  
Expertise: public economics, law and economics, taxation, economic policies

TOM GUNTON, professor, resource and environmental management 
gunton@sfu.ca  
Expertise: environment, oil and gas development, LNG, oil and gas pipelines, resource development and natural resource markets, climate change