Governance and Policy

Governance and Policy Research

As societies grapple with increasingly complex challenges, they rely on strong, transparent governance and public policy to function and succeed. Laurier researchers seek to understand these political, economic, social and security issues in order to increase our capacity to deal with them.

As a partner in the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Laurier plays a prominent role in research and in educating the next generation of policymakers.

The Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy investigates public opinion and election polling, while the Laurier Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis brings together professional economists, government bodies and community stakeholders to advance our collective understanding of economic trends, policy applications and social issues.

Laurier’s International Migration Research Centre is one of Canada’s leading centres for research on topics such as migrant work, borders, displacement, detention and newcomer settlement.


For the Media

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Current Research Strengths

Conflict and Security

International public policy is created by political institutions to address issues affecting the public good. In an era of rapid globalization, researchers examine the domestic, national and international consequences of complex policies influencing global conflict and security.

Economic and Social Policy

Economics is a social science focused on how people and organizations make decisions and respond to incentives. Research in this field analyzes economic and social policies, combining the mathematical models of economic theory, real-world data and empirical techniques.

Global Migration Policy and Governance

International migration involves the movement of people across international borders and is a pressing concern nationally and globally, appearing regularly in all media. Research into migration is integral to contemporary politics, culture and economies.

Governance, Ethics and Control

The separation of ownership and control at public firms results in agency problems. Corporate governance topics have attracted the interest of a wide group of scholars in accounting, economics, finance, management and law. Research in this field examines a variety of topics covering governance, ethics, transparency and control.

Organizational Effectiveness

Researchers examine how decisions are made at for-profit and non-profit organizations, the factors that contribute to success, and how people learn, change and leverage knowledge to create effective organizations.

Policy Studies, Voting Behaviour and Public Opinion

Researchers in this field of political science provide constructive critiques of prevailing policy approaches and best-practice strategies for future directions. They investigate how public opinion is shaping, and being shaped by, public policy.

Emerging Research Strengths

Developing Educational Leaders in Global Contexts

The Centre for Leading Research in Education includes an Educator and Leadership Institute which conducts large-scale professional development and research with Canadian and international educational partners to develop leadership skills and governance processes.

Governance, Ethics and Social Responsibility

Social responsibility is a framework within which an organization contributes to sustainable development, including the health and welfare of society, while taking into account the expectations of stakeholders.

Supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals


quality education industry, innovation and infrastructure reduced inequalities sustainable cities and communities responsible consumption and production climate action peace, justice and strong institutions partnerships for the goals