Temporary home of the Global Governance Program
based at the University of Toronto
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Temporary home of the Global Governance Program
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About the G7 Research Group
The G7 Research Group is a global network of scholars, students and professionals in the academic, research, media, business, non-governmental, governmental and intergovernmental communities who follow the work of the G7, the G8 and related institutions. The group's mission to serve as the world's leading independent source of information, analysis and research on the G7/8. Founded in 1987, it is managed from Trinity College in the University of Toronto. Professional Advisory Council members, Special Advisors and participating researchers span the world. Trinity College's John W. Graham Library has become the global repository of G7/8 documents, transcripts, audiotapes, media reports, interviews, studies, essays, memorabilia and artifacts.
The membership of the G7 Research Group consists primarily of academics, business professionals and students from around the world. Much of the research activity is conducted by doctoral, masters and senior undergraduate students at the University of Toronto and elsewhere, and by alumni/ae of the group who have gone on to professional careers in related fields but have remained involved. Each year, the G7 and G8 Research Group recruits analysts and researchers who work on compliance and related research projects under the direction of a student executive based at the University of Toronto.
Enriched by their experience in the G7 Research Group, members have gone on to pursue careers with organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, General Electric, Dominion Securities, the Royal Bank of Canada, Andersen Consulting, the Monitor Company, the Bank of Montreal, Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail, the National Post, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CNN, Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, and other ministries and departments of the Government of Canada, Canadian Pacific Railway, law firms in Europe and North America and universities in Japan, Canada and the United States. Several have started their own enterprises.
Since its founding in 1987, many distinguished international experts have contributed significantly. In addition, the Professional Advisory Council and Special Advisors help create strategic partnerships with experts and major academic institutions from the summit countries.
The academics at the University of Toronto who have been involved in the G7 Research Group include the Honourable Bill Graham of the Faculty of Law and Canada's former minister of foreign affairs; Leonard Waverman, formerly of the Department of Economics; Louis Pauly and Michael Donnelly of Political Science; Robert Bothwell of History; Wendy Dobson of Management Studies, and Sylvia Ostry.
The G7 Research Group is responsible for the G7 Information Centre, which contains the world's most comprehensive and authoritative collection of information and analysis on the G7 and G8. The research group assembles, verify and post documents from the meetings leading up to and at each summit, the available official documentation of all past summits and ministerial meetings (in several G8 languages), scholarly writings and policy analyses, research studies, scholarship information, links to related sites and the "briefing books" for each summit published by GT Media. The website contains the annual reports on G7/8 members' compliance with their summit commitments, produced by the G7 Research Group.
 John J. Kirton [email] is director of the G7 Research Group, the G20 Research Group and the Global Health Diplomacy Program, and co-director of the BRICS Research Group, all based at all under the umbrella of the Global Governance Program based at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. A professor emeritus of political science, he has taught Canadian foreign policy, global governance and international relations. Kirton is the author of many books, chapters and articles on the G20, G7 and G8, including Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change (with Ella Kokotsis and Brittaney Warren, Routledge, 2022), China's G20 Leadership (Routledge, 2016), G20 Governance for a Globalized World (Ashgate, 2012) and (with Ella Kokotsis), The Global Governance of Climate Change: G7, G20 and UN Leadership (Ashgate, 2015), as well as The G8-G20 Relationship in Global Governance, co-edited with Marina Larionova (Ashgate, 2015), and Moving Health Sovereignty in Africa: Disease, Govenance, Climate Change, co-edited with Andrew F. Cooper, Franklyn Lisk and Hany Besada (Ashgate, 2014). Kirton is also co-editor of several summit-related publications published by GT Media and the Global Governance Project. |
Madeline Koch [email] is the executive director of the G7 Research Group, the G20 Research Group, the BRICS Research Group and the Global Health Diplomacy Program, all based at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. She is also co-editor of several summit-related publications published by GT Media and the Global Governance Project. She has participated in the G7 and G20 Research Groups' field teams on site starting in 1989 and at every G7/8 summit since 1999 and every G20 one since 2008. |
Ella Kokotsis, PhD, [email] is the director of climate finance strategy for the G7 Research Group and the G20 Research Group at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. An expert on summit accountability and compliance, she has consulted with the Canadian government's National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations on their African development agenda, with the Russian government on global health issues in the lead-up to the 2006 St. Petersburg Summit, and with the Government of Canada on numerous summit-related issues during the 2010 Canadian G8 and G20 Summits. Her scholarly methodology for assessing compliance continues as the basis for the annual accountability reports produced by the G7 and G20 Research Groups. She is author of Keeping International Commitments: Compliance, Credibility and the G7 Summits and co-author of Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change (with John Kirton and Brittaney Warren, Routledge, 2022), The Global Governance of Climate Change: G7, G20 and UN Leadership (with John Kirton, Ashgate, 2015), as well as many articles and chapters.
She also leads the group's work on climate change, energy and accountability. |
Julia Kulik, MPP, [email] is director of strategic initiatives for the G7 Research Group, G20 Research Group, BRICS Research Group and Global Health Diplomacy Program, based at Trinity College at the University of Toronto. She has researched and written on G7, G20 and BRICS performance particularly on the issues of gender equality, global health and regional security. She has co-authored various publications entitled "Achieving Gender Equality through G7 and G20 Governance," "Generating Global Health Governance through BRICS Summitry'' in Contemporary Politics and "Connecting Climate Change and Health through Global Summitry" in World Medical and Health Policy. She has attended numerous G7 and G20 summits and delivered papers on various topics of global governance at pre-summit conferences since 2009. She has provided strategic advice to G7 and G20 engagement groups, including the W20 and the U7+ Alliance. Julia also leads the group's work on gender equality and summit performance. |
 Brittaney Warren [email], MES, is director of compliance studies and lead researcher on climate change for the G7 Research Group, the G20 Research Group and the BRICS Research Group at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. She is co-author of Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change (with John Kirton and Ella Kokotsis, Routledge, 2022). She has also published on the G20 and G7's governance of climate change and the environment, including its links to health and digitalization, and on accountability measures to improve summit performance. She holds a master's degree in environmental studies from York University and a BA in international relations from the University of Toronto. |
Current Chairs of Summit Studies |
 Angus MacKellar [email] is co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for Canada's 2025 Kananaskis Summit. He is entering his third year at the University of Toronto, on exchange at Sciences Po Paris. As a student in the Peace, Conflict and Justice and International Relations Programs, Angus is using his time in Paris to focus on intelligence and security, which he hopes to continue to pursue in the future. Since 2022, Angus has served the G7 Research Group as both a compliance analyst and a compliance director, primarily researching development and education. He was also a member of the field team at Italy's 2024 Apulia Summit. |
 Jacob Rudolph [email] is co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for Canada's 2025 Kananaskis Summit. He studies economics, public policy and mathematics as a National Scholar at the University of Toronto. At the G7 Research Group, Jacob served as compliance analyst for Japan's 2023 Hiroshima Summit and compliance director for Italy's 2024 Apulila Summit, and was a member of the field team at the summit. Jacob also serves as editor for the G20 Research Group. His research interests include economic inequality and policy in the macroeconomic, energy, environment, and health fields. Jacob is pursuing a career at the intersection of policy design and political strategy.
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Research Associates |
 Kathryn Kotris [email] has been a researcher for the G7 Research Group and the G20 Research Group since 2006. She is on the advisory board of the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy and has been vice-president of compliance VP Compliance for Mortgage Architects since 2006. She graduated with honours from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of arts in political science and history.
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 Maria Marchyshyn [email] is a researcher for the G7 Research Group, the G20 Research Group, and the BRICS Research Group and has been involved with them since 2008. Her work focuses on macroeconomic issues, including international trade and finance and topics regarding the European Union. She has worked on compliance reports, and currently specializes on summit conclusions on a wide range of topics. She has attended the 2014 Brussels Summit as a member of the G8 Research Group field team. Maria is the Vice President of Finance with the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT). She has worked in the financial industry and as a researcher at the European Parliament in Brussels. She speaks five languages and is currently learning her sixth, Japanese. Maria completed an Honours degree in International Business Administration (IBBA) with specialization in finance at the Schulich School of Business at York University in 2004.
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Sarah Richardson, LL.B., LL.M., [email] is a research associate with the G7 Research Group and the G20 Research Group, with expertise in policy related to trade, environment and sustainable development. As an independent consultant, she has worked closely with the Government of Canada on environmental assessment of trade liberalization. International clients have included organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme and the European Commission as well as non-governmental organizations including the World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF-United States, Oxfam and Save the Children. Previously, Sarah was the manager of the Environment, Economy and Trade Programme at North America's Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the foreign policy advisor at the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. Most recently, Sarah has been active in the private sector, owning and operating a business importing, distributing and selling sustainably produced design objects from developed and developing countries alike. Sarah holds a B.A. in international relations from the University of Toronto, an LL.B. from Dalhousie University and an LL.M. from Columbia University. |
Sarah Scott, BA, [email] is a researcher with the G7 Research Group and chair of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the G20's 2016 Hangzhou Summit. Her work focuses on macroeconomic issues, including international trade, as well as developmental issues. She has worked on various compliance reports, and currently specializes in direction setting and migration. She attended the 2015 Elmau Summit as a member of the G7 Research Group field team and the G20's 2015 Antalya Summit. Sarah completed an honours degree in political science with specialization in global governance and developmental politics at the University of Toronto. |
 Alissa Wang [email] is a research assistant at the G7 Research Group, the G20 Research Group, the BRICS Research Group and the Global Health Diplomacy Program, based at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. She is pursuing an undergraduate degree with a specialist in international relations, a major in global health and a minor in political science. She is an editor for the reports produced by the G20 Research Group summit studies team, an analyst for the G7 Research Group summit studies team, and works on compliance research. Alissa is interested in Chinese history and politics as well as China's role in global governance. She was a member of the field team at the G7 Elmau Summit in Germany in 2015.
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Meredith Williams, BAH, [email] has been the lead researcher on digital innovation and financial regulation for the G7 Research Group and the G20 Research Group since 2015. She graduated from Queen's University with an honours bachelor of arts in political science with a specialization in international relations and international political economy. She holds a master of law degree in innovation technology from the University of Edinburgh Law School, where she focused on data protection and consumer privacy under the General Data Protection Regulation. Meredith has held various strategy positions within wealth management at some of Canada's largest banks and is currently pursuing a career at the largest tech company in the world. |
Past Chairs of Summit Studies |
 Ambra Bisagni [email] (she/her) was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for Italy's 2024 Apulia Summit. She began working with the G7 Research Group in 2021, serving as a compliance analyst and a lead analyst. Ambra is completing her batchelor's degree at the University of Toronto, pursuing a double major in political science and environmental studies. Her research interests include geopolitics, international security, environmental policy and crisis management, and she hopes to pursue a career in this field in the future. |
 Samraggi Hazra [email] was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for Italy's 2024 Apulia Summit. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she completed an honours bachelor of arts in ethics, society and law, international relations, and political science. She is currently a law student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. She has worked as a compliance analyst for both the G7 and G20 Research Groups, and has also worked as a research assistant and a compliance director for the G7 Research Group. She also served as the co-chair of the G20 Research Group for India's 2023 New Delhi Summit. Samraggi's research interests include international law, health policy, geopolitics and international security, and she hopes to continue in this field both academically and professionally. |
 Malhaar Moharir [email] was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2023 Hiroshima Summit. He was a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a double major in international relations and political science. Malhaar has worked with the Global Governance Research Groups since 2019, serving as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director with the G7 and G20 Research Groups. His research interests include global institutions, political economy, geopolitics and international security, and hopes to pursue both academic and policy-oriented work in the future. |
 Keah Sharma [email] (she/her) was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2023 Hiroshima Summit. She has worked as a lead analyst with the G7 Research Group and a compliance analyst and compliance director for the G20 Research Group. Keah was in her third year at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science and minoring in contemporary Asian studies and literature and critical theory. Her research interests include international accountability and cooperation, digital transnational repression and the protection of human rights. She has previously worked with organizations such as PEN America and the Laidlaw Foundation and continues to be interested in ways to promote government transparency. |
 Matthew Kieffer [email] was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2022 Elmau Summit hosted by Germany. He began working with the G7 and G20 Research Groups in 2019, serving as a compliance analyst and lead analyst with the G7 Research Group, and as a compliance director for the G20 Research Group. Matthew is finishing his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, pursuing a double major in international relations and economics, with a minor in visual studies. |
 Gabrielle Regimbal [email] was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2022 Elmau Summit hosted by Germany. She worked with the G20 and G7 Research Groups since 2018, as a compliance analyst and lead analyst respectively. Gabrielle completed a double major in international relations and European studies at the University of Toronto in 2022, where she focused on international law and human rights. She is passionate about multilateralism and international cooperation as a means of tackling the world's major problems and aspires for a career advocating for the protection of human rights, especially in the context of the climate crisis. |
Meagan Byrd [email] was chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group and an analyst with the G20 Research Group based at Trinity College in the University of Toronto for the 2020 US-hosted year. She was a member of the field team for the G20's summit in Buenos Aires in 2018 and the G7's summit in Biarritz in 2019. Her research interests include international journalism, political communications and diplomacy. Meagan holds an honours bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Toronto and is working on a master of journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax. |
Angela Min Yi Hou [email] was co-chair of summit studies with the G7 Research Group for the 2019 Biarritz Summit, a compliance director with the G20 Research Group and the editor of the BRICS Research Group. She holds a double major in international relations and contemporary Asian Studies from the University of Toronto. Angela's academic interests focus on China's role in global governance and international institutions. She was a member of the field teams at the G20 summit in Hamburg in Germany in 2017, the G7 summit in Charlevoix in Canada in 2018, and the (upcoming) BRICS summit in Johannesburg in South Africa in 2018. |
Julia Tops [email] was co-chair of summit studies with the G7 Research Group for the 2019 Biarritz Summit. She completed a double major in international relations and contemporary Asian studies at the University of Toronto. She joined the G7 and G20 Research Groups in her first year of studies and has since served as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director. Her research interests focus on gender and employment issues, in addition to her other interests in development and international law. |
Katrina Bland [email] holds an Honours BA in international relations and political science from the University of Toronto. She was chair of summit studies for the 2018 Charlevois Summit, having served as lead analyst. She is also a compliance analyst for the G20 Research Group. Her research focuses on G7 and G20 gender and health issues, in addition to her other research interests in cross-cultural communication and international law. |
Humayun Ahmed [email], BA and MSc candidate, was the co-chair of the Executive Committee of Summit Studies for the 2017 Taormina Summit. He has been involved in the G7 Research Group since 2015, working as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director prior to his appointment as co-chair. He has been involved in a range of biomedical science research since 2010, and is currently working in breast cancer genetics and epidemiology research at the Institute of Medical Sciences, and health policy analysis in conjunction with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Health Quality Ontario. Humayun has published and presented in the biomedical, finance and education sectors; he also owns and operates an education-technology company, regularly teaches standardized test preparation courses and consults for other businesses. |
Sophia Glisch [email], HBSc candidate, was the co-chair of the Executive Committee of Summit Studies for the 2017 Taormina Summit. She has been involved in the G7 Research Group since 2015, working as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director prior to her appointment as co-chair. Outside the group, Sophia is involved in quantitative and qualitative research consulting, translation, and editing, publishing and presenting in the biomedical, finance and education sectors; she has also served in executive and advisory roles at several biotech, marketing, media and education companies. Currently, she owns and operates an education-technology company, regularly teaches standardized test preparation courses and consults for other businesses. |
Sarah Beard, MPhil (Oxon) [email], was the chair of the executive committee of summit studies for the 2017 Taormina Summit until April 2017, when she resigned in order to take up a position at Global Affairs Canada. She was involved with the G7 Research Group since 2009, and worked as both a compliance analyst and a lead analyst before her appointment as chair. She holds a Master of Philosophy degree in international relations from the University of Oxford, where she conducted research on the role of regional organizations in conflict mediation and is completing a second master's degree in public policy from Carleton University. |
Michael Humeniuk [email] was the chair of the executive of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2016 Ise-Shima Summit. He has been involved with the research group since 2012. In 2015, at the Schloss Elmau Summit, Michael was appointed as chair. He has completed his undergraduate studies, majoring in neuroscience and immunology, and minoring in political science and philosophy. Michael has worked in neuroscience laboratories researching epilepsy and pedophilia.
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Enko Koceku [email] was chair of the executive of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2014 Brussels and 2015 Elmau summits. He has been involved in the research group since 2010, beginning as a researcher and then serving as co-director of compliance in 2012 and 2013. He was appointed chair in 2013 and led the field team to the 2013 Lough Erne Summit in Northern Island and the 2014 Brussels Summit.
He completed his Honours BA in political science with a minor in English at the University of Toronto in 2014. |
| Abdi Aidid, 2012 Camp David Summit Netila Demneri, 2011 Deauville Summit Netila Demneri, 2010 Muskoka Summit Sarah Yun, 2009 L'Aquila Summit Cliff Vanderlinden, 2008 Toyako Hokkaido Summit Janet Chow, 2007 Heiligendamm Summit Vanessa Corlazzoli, 2006 St. Petersburg Summit Tony Navaneelan, 2005 Gleneagles Summit Bob Papanikolaou, 2004 Sea Island Summit Bob Papanikolaou and Salimah Ebrahim, 2003 Evian Summit |
G7 Research Group
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1-416-946-8953
g7@utoronto.ca
This Information System is provided by the Global Governance Program, |