It didn’t take Luke Lee long to realize political science wasn’t for him. Luckily, the third-year New College student found an alternative that fits his interests perfectly.
“”I’ve always been interested in politics, governance, and related areas. In high school, I participated in clubs related to social justice advocacy,” Luke remembered. “We organized a local debate with our MP candidates during the 2021 elections, but my interest in politics didn’t translate into political science because I didn’t enjoy the political theory-heavy courses. Public policy, which is more applied, seemed like the next best thing. It offers a lot of flexibility, with only a few required courses and the rest being electives from various departments and faculties.”
Now a student of economics, management, and public policy, the undergraduate from Halifax is the VP of Operations & Finance with the University of Toronto Policython (UTP).
The student group is dedicated to helping each other develop the skills and experiences necessary to excel in policymaking and advocacy. Policy, policy creation, policy implementation, and policy communication are all skills UTP and its event highlight.
They are hosting Policython 2025 from March 5-9, 2025. The policython sees student teams of 3-4 turn a prompt about a global issue into a fully formed policy brief they present to a panel of expert judges. This year’s theme is Amplifying Voices at the Margins, and it seeks to centre those whose perspectives are often overlooked or even silenced.
Event participation will appeal to students seeking new ways to apply their knowledge of economic policy. And, as an added bonus, they don’t need to miss classes or be part of an existing team to participate in the 5-day long event.
“When people register, they can either register as a team, or as an individual and we will assign them to a team. This year, we’ve structured the schedule so that the first four days are almost entirely online and asynchronous,” Luke explained. “Students can work on their policy brief on their own time within their teams. Our only in-person day will be Sunday, which will be a full day of activities. Once they receive their prompt on Wednesday morning, they can coordinate with their teams to work virtually or in person.”
Luke, who has been involved with UTP for the past two and a half years, has merged the policy creation and communication skills he developed through the club with a hands-on research position.
“Right now, I am a research assistant at the Reach Alliance,” Luke said. “There, I’m part of a team investigating access to justice issues for women in Brazil. We’re looking at how community paralegal programs are implemented, their successes, and failures across Brazil, and how we can apply those lessons to other parts of the world.”
Interested? Register here to participate in the Policython by February 22, 2025. The cost of the hybrid event is $20.
Return to the Department of Economics website.
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