McGill International Review
| Categories | International relations |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Daily electronic publication, annual print edition |
| Publisher | International Relations Students' Association of McGill (IRSAM) |
| Country | Canada |
| Website |
www |
The McGill International Review is a student-run scholarly journal and daily online publication based in Montréal, Québec and operated by the International Relations Students' Association of McGill (IRSAM), which provides academic analysis and coverage of world affairs under the aegis of McGill University. It is split into two components: an online edition and an annually-published print edition. The current online editor-in-chief is Benjamin Aloi and the print editor-in-chief is Marie Lemieux, who also hold seats on the IRSAM Board of Directors.[1]
History
Origins
The magazine was established in 2000 as an effort to lead a student-driven force in academia.[2] Toby A. A. Heaps, then vice-president for internal operations within IRSAM, compiled a collection of works by students, professors, and affiliates to produce the first edition, then known as Canada in the World. The magazine sought to establish itself as a neutral forum for university students to express their interest in international affairs. Early contributors included Louise Arbour, former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and renowned Canadian historian Desmond Morton.[2]
Restructuring
The structure of IRSAM was changed in 2010; consequentially, the magazine was given more autonomy.[2] Its emphasis shifted from being a space for academic discourse to creating a high-quality research journal by and for the McGill undergraduate community. In 2013, Ameya Pendse, then IRSAM Vice-President of Internal Operations, expanded the publication to include an online platform with the aim of engaging a wider year-round readership, both within and beyond McGill.[2] 2014 saw the introduction of blogs into the online edition, under then Editor-in-Chief Alexander Langer.
Current structure
The print edition has been produced biannually from 2000 to 2010, and annually since 2010. Papers are usually upwards of 15,000 words. Accepted writers, representing all academic disciplines and political persuasions of the McGill community, are paired with an editor. Together, they work on the submission for the duration of the school year. Before publishing, it is peer-reviewed.
Online
The online edition was launched in 2013 under Ameya Pendse, then IRSAM Vice-President of Internal Operations. It maintains a much larger base of writers than the print edition and is updated daily with new articles. The focus of the online edition is to offer fresh perspectives on "hot topics" as well as cover relatively-unexplored subjects and issues, fostering productive discussion and debate on international affairs. The online edition currently offers several other formats, in addition to its feature articles:
(1) The blogs section consists of four to five blogs that are updated regularly by a blogger regularly. The themes of these blogs are far more specialized and specific than the other parts of the online edition. They are meant to give the readership an opportunity to explore a concerted, direct concentration on a single topic instead of reading a digest.
(2) The media team, meanwhile, regularly produces visual and audio content (teaser videos, short documentaries, podcasts, interviews with high-profile figures in academia, politics and civil society) to complement the work of the feature team and pursue investigative projects on a number of niche issues.
Recent Achievements and Future
Under Dylan Lamberti (Editor in Chief, Online) and Miro Guzzini (Editor in Chief, Print), 2016-17 saw an exponential growth in readership, a dramatic increase in high quality submissions, and the production of more professionalized media projects (teaser videos, short documentaries, dynamic interviews with high-profile figures, podcasts, etc.) This team effort earned MIR its first nomination for Publication of the Year by the Student Society of McGill University (SSMU), as well as numerous academic citations.[3]
For 2017-18, Benjamin Aloi (Editor in Chief, Online) and Marie Lemieux (Editor in Chief, Print) will assume independent seats on the IRSAM Board of Directors for the first time in the publication’s history, and the two look to build on last year’s tremendous successes to consistently deliver excellent critical analysis in international affairs.[4]