Laurier expert alert: Russian invasion of Ukraine

March 4, 2022
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO – Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Wilfrid Laurier University has experts available to discuss a range of related topics, including the protection of civilians, the impact on global financial markets and how children are impacted by war.

For further commentary, all are welcome to attend The Russian Invasion of Ukraine: A Catastrophe and its Implications, a virtual panel event on March 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Peace and Conflict

Timothy Donais is an associate professor in Laurier’s Department of Global Studies. He is also the director of the Master in International Policy program and co-director of the PhD program in Global Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Donais’s primary research interests lie in post-conflict peacebuilding and peace operations. He is available to comment on issues related to conflict resolution and protection of civilians. Contact: tdonais@wlu.ca

Ann Fitz-Gerald is a professor in Laurier’s Department of Political Science and the director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs. She is an expert in global security, security sector governance, and peace and conflict. Fitz-Gerald has advised, and has been seconded to work with, a number of countries on issues relating to national security policy and strategy issues. Fitz-Gerald is available to speak about the role of the international governments, including Canada’s, in de-escalating the crisis. Contact: afitz-gerald@balsillieschool.ca

Derek Hall is an associate professor in Laurier’s Department of Political Science and at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. His research interests include international political economy and the history of capitalism. Hall is available to discuss the political-economic and international security aspects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Contact: dehall@wlu.ca

Edmund Pries is an associate professor in the Department of Global Studies’ Peace and Conflict concentration. His current research is focused on religion and peace/conflict, and on the historical practice of, and social contracts derived from, citizenship oaths and military loyalty oaths. Pries is available to speak about issues related to peace and conflict. Contact: epries@wlu.ca

Human Displacement and Migration

Bree Akesson is an associate professor in Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work, the Canada Research Chair in Global Adversity and Well-Being, and associate director of the Centre for Research on Security Practices. She recently published a book about forcible displacement titled From Bureaucracy to Bullets: Extreme Domicide and the Right to Home. Akesson is available to comment on how families and children are impacted by war, family separation and forced migration, and the impact of home loss and destruction, known as domicide. Contact: bakesson@wlu.ca

Economic Impacts of War

Azim Essaji is an associate professor in the Department of Economics at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. He is an expert on international trade, economic development and law and economics. His work has focused on how laws and regulations shape the trading patterns of developing countries. He is available to speak about the impacts of the invasion of Ukraine on global trade. Contact: aessaji@wlu.ca

Pierre Siklos is a professor in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. He specializes in macroeconomics with an emphasis on the study of inflation, central banks and financial markets. Siklos is available to discuss how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is impacting global financial markets. Contact: psiklos@wlu.ca

Stephen Snudden is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. His research has focused on international finance and migration, fiscal and monetary policy, primary commodities and wealth inequality. He is available to speak about the impacts of the invasion of Ukraine and further sanctions on the price of oil, as well as the Russian and global economy. Contact: ssnudden@wlu.ca

Geopolitics and History

Simon Dalby is a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies who teaches at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. He is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Dalby is an expert on governance, security and climate change, and he is available to comment on larger patterns of geopolitics and history, as well as strategy issues related to military action. Contact: sdalby@wlu.ca

Aviation

William Morrison is an associate professor in the Department of Economics at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics and the research director of the Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises. He is an expert in air transportation economics and his research has focused on the business strategies of airlines and airports, along with the role of industry regulation and government policy in aviation. He can speak about the impacts of the invasion of Ukraine on the Russian airline industry. Contact: wmorrison@wlu.ca

Culture and Environment

Tanya Richardson is associate professor in the Anthropology program and the Department of Global Studies. She has been conducting ethnographic research in Ukraine for more than 20 years on topics such as the politics of history, memory and identity; urban placemaking practices in the Black Sea port city of Odesa; nature conservation; and beekeeping. Contact: trichardson@wlu.ca