About the Graduate School | Faculty of Social Sciences

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Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

About the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

Housed in the nation’s capital, the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs will open doors for you on the national and international stage.

Word from the director

Costanza Musu, Director of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

I am proud to lead GSPIA at a time when questions of sovereignty, security, democratic resilience and Canada’s place in the world have acquired renewed urgency. These are complex issues that cannot be understood through a single discipline or perspective. They require us to bring different forms of expertise together, to question assumptions and information critically, and to exercise independent judgment.

There is no better place in Canada to engage with these questions than here in the nation’s capital. Our proximity to Parliament Hill, the public service, diplomatic missions and the many institutions where policy is debated and shaped gives our students and researchers a remarkable opportunity: not only to study public and international affairs, but to participate in the conversations that shape them.

That is one of GSPIA’s greatest strengths. We bring together rigorous research, multidisciplinary thinking and real-world experience in areas ranging from international relations, security and defence, to Arctic affairs, environmental policy, political economy, international trade, ethics and public policy. We want our research to matter, and we want our graduates to leave with the confidence to think independently, to challenge received wisdom, connect ideas to action and contribute meaningfully to the decisions that will shape our collective future.

As GSPIA approaches its 20^th anniversary, I am grateful for the opportunity to build on what this community has created since its beginnings and to help shape what comes next. My role is to create the conditions for our students, professors and staff to do their best work together, to make space for different voices and ideas, and to bring our collective expertise to bear on the questions that matter. In a changing world, I want GSPIA to remain a place where ideas are challenged, knowledge informs action, and future leaders learn to think independently and navigate complexity with judgment and imagination.

About Costanza Musu

Costanza Musu is Director of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) and has been part of the School since its early years, joining the University of Ottawa in 2007. Over the course of her career at GSPIA, she has contributed to the School’s academic development, including leading the Master of Arts in Public and International Affairs and helping to create the Master of Arts in Security and Defence, which she subsequently directed.

A scholar of international relations and security, Musu’s research examines Western policy towards the Middle East, conflict and security, transatlantic relations, and the intersections between international politics and law. Her latest book, Art for War: Heritage Looting, Blood Antiquities, and the International Fight Against Terrorism Financing, explores how the illicit trafficking of antiquities from conflict-affected regions became intertwined with international efforts to combat terrorism financing.

Musu holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She was a Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence and previously taught international relations in London. Her career has also included work at the intersection of academic research, policy and defence, reflecting the combination of scholarship and practice at the heart of GSPIA’s mission.

Mission of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA)

At the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), we are dedicated to providing a bilingual and experiential education that integrates a constellation of disciplines spanning political science, economics, law, environmental science, history, philosophy, and public health.

At the GSPIA:

We equip our students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to become catalysts for change – in Canada and beyond – by offering strong, rigorous programs which integrate theory and practice across a range of disciplines.
With passion and precision, we deliver a learning experience which captures the complex interactions between national and global phenomena.
We encourage our students to partake in immersive networking experiences with policymakers through discussions and seminars with Senior Fellows, internship opportunities, co-op placements and other hands-on experiences that come up thanks to the GSPIA’s unique location in the heart of Canada’s vibrant capital.
We dedicate seminars and training sessions to ensure that our students are well-equipped for successful careers as policy analysts and leaders in government, non-governmental organizations, journalism, international organizations, and the private sector.
We provide an opportunity for students to study in a bilingual environment and to strengthen their language skills.

Vision of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA)

The Graduate School of Public and International Affairs educates highly qualified leaders conscious of their responsibility to the common good in the domains of international relations, public policy, environmental sustainability, security, and defence. The School pursues cutting edge research with public sectors and non-profit organizations.

At the GSPIA, we connect with local, national, and global communities through a range of programs, including internships, co-op placements, and international exchanges. MA students in public and international affairs also benefit from being paired with a Senior Fellow – an expert in their field, with deep knowledge of international affairs and public policy – who offers students insights and guidance drawn from their distinguished career.

The Graduate School of Public and International Affairs offers a unique bilingual, inter-disciplinary environment where our students – committed to making a global impact – and our internationally recognized, leading professors and researchers – devoted to the study of all aspects of security and defence studies and the broad remit of public and international affairs – can explore from theoretical and practical perspectives, the challenges shaping the 21st century and can assess in depth how to respond through policy that has a significant impact. All coming together in the heart of our nation’s capital, Ottawa, our programs ensure that our graduates have the confidence, training, and skills to make a difference no matter the sector of international affairs they choose to invest their careers in.

Explore how our unique approach can advance your career.