Tessera Research Collective

An international scholarly network grounded in horizontal cross-mentorship and solidarity, advancing rigorous research and producing high-impact analysis on global affairs.

Who We Are

Tessera is an independent and non-partisan research collective based in Toronto. Operating as an international network, we are dedicated to the rigorous study of global affairs and international security, with particular attention to human security.

We operate on the conviction that macro-level political shifts are best understood through granular attention to local dynamics. This approach requires a commitment to area expertise and fieldwork-based observation, developed in close collaboration with scholars from the communities and contexts under study. Like the tesserae of a mosaic, the collective assembles precise and contextually grounded insights into a coherent picture of complex and evolving security challenges.

Our Mission

Tessera is dedicated to cultivating a collaborative research community and bridging the gap between scholarly inquiry and policy-relevant analysis in global affairs, international security, and human security. We support emerging and early-career scholars in producing rigorous, accessible, and contextually grounded research that speaks to real-world policy challenges across regions and disciplines.

What We Do?

1. The Collaborative Research Lab

At the core of our work is a model of horizontal cross-mentorship. We host regular Work-in-Progress (WIP) sessions where researchers at all levels engage in intensive peer review to ensure that every paper is refined through collective expertise.

2. Applied Research & Analysis

We help translate rigorous scholarship into research reports, policy briefings, and op-eds that address contemporary security dilemmas. By applying academic frameworks to real-world challenges, we produce analysis that is both theoretically grounded and directly relevant to research, policy, and practitioner communities.

3. Scholarly Exchange & Professional Development

We provide a platform for emerging scholars and early-career researchers to develop their professional profiles, share their work across institutional boundaries, and connect with wider academic and policy communities. We support our researchers by:

Navigating high-impact publication pathways, from collaborative submissions to peer-reviewed journals to rapid-response analysis across our own platforms.
Co-organizing conference panels at major international forums to showcase member research.
Hosting cross-institutional seminars and Work In Progress (WIP) sessions that connect our researchers with experts and policy practitioners.

Recent Commentary & Analysis

Below the Threshold: What the Baltic States Can Teach NATO About Countering Russia

While the West studies Ukraine's war for lessons, the Baltic states have spent two decades learning how to counter Russia without one.

How China Interprets Wang Yi’s Visit to Canada and Canada’s China Policy

Wang Yi's May 2026 visit to Ottawa was billed as a reset. But comparing China's official statements with its policy scholars reveals how Beijing really reads Canada's shift.

Türkiye, From the Margins to the Center of the NATO Table. How a Punished Ally Becomes an Indispensable Supplier

Mr. Ahmedoğlu discusses why Türkiye could not buy its seat at NATO's table with sixty years of bases and soldiers, yet secured it with drones and shells in a decade.

Op-Ed: Africa is the Off-Ramp Middle Powers Need

Since the United States has indicated a desire to protect its domestic economy and partially withdraw from the post-World War II trading system, middle powers are scrambling to adjust.

Op-Ed by Mani Nouri: From Rescue Mission to What, Exactly? Part II

Mr. Nouri argues that the "rescue mission" framing of the 2025 war on Iran was a deliberately capacious narrative serving several aims as Washington and Jerusalem pursued divergent objectives.

Op-Ed: Mani Nouri, PhD(c), discussed the popular uprising in Iran

It appears the Iran war was sold as a humanitarian liberation of the Iranian people, but has steadily collapsed into a transactional negotiation with the surviving regime.

Subscribe to the TRC Newsletter for timely analysis, policy briefs, expert commentary, and updates on upcoming events.

To complement our internal analysis, we recommend the following commentary from international affairs platforms: Independent Thinking by Chatham House; The Foreign Desk by Monocle.

Latest News & Events

Tessera Welcomes New Colleagues

Tessera Research Collective is pleased to announce several additions to its leadership and research team as the organization continues to grow.

Counsel Elaine Wong has joined as Head of Legal, helping ensure compliance and professionalism across the organization. Alberto Hylander joins as Strategy & Management Advisor, Rafael A. Velasquez Garcia joins as Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Peace & Conflict Research Cluster, and Janina Bau joins as Research Manager. We are delighted to welcome each of them to the team.

General Meeting (July)

General Meeting (June)

General Meeting (May)

The invitation link has been circulated by email.

The Landscape of Resilience: A Discussion with Joah McGee April 20, 2026 | Toronto (Location TBD)

The Tessera Research Collective is pleased to host Joah McGee, founder of the humanitarian non-profit Better Burma and host of the Insight Myanmar Podcast.

Joah has maintained a nearly 20-year relationship with Myanmar, residing in the country from 2003 until 2021. During the period of direct military rule (2007–2011), he served as a Training Coordinator at the American Center (U.S. Embassy Yangon), where he designed educational programs focused on building capacity within an emerging civil society. Since its founding in 2019, his Insight Myanmar Podcast has become a primary English-language resource for in-depth analysis of the country’s political and spiritual landscape. International outlets, including Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, and ABC News, frequently cite the platform’s interviews with activists and local leaders.

Drawing from hundreds of interviews conducted before and after the 2021 coup, Joah will offer reflections on how grassroots agency is leveraged to strengthen human security and resilience in the face of systemic crisis. This 90-minute session is designed for early-career researchers looking to deepen their understanding of humanitarian challenges under military dictatorship.

Space is limited. Please RSVP.

Our Team

Tessera’s team is organized around three core pillars: research and analysis, publishing and disseminating our work, and community building and strategic partnerships. A shared vision, coupled with active initiative and responsibility, serves as our primary baseline—bringing professors and early-career professionals, including PhD candidates and upper-year undergraduates, to the same table.

Justinas Stankus, LL.M.

Team Lead, Co-Founder

Justinas is a doctoral researcher in Political Science and a Fulbright Fellow. As part of the Fulbright Fellowship, he spent a year at Cornell University. His research interrogates the dynamics of contentious politics and state-building, with Myanmar as his primary case study.

Thao-Mi Ha

Head of Publishing & Outreach

Thao-Mi is a Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Toronto pursuing a double major in Political Science and Criminology and Socio-legal Studies. She manages operations for the Tessera research collective, with the goal of expanding global understanding of international security. Her interests include political transparency, governance, and advocacy.

Alaa Al-Aridi, PhD

Editor

Alaa holds a PhD in Public International Law and is an Associate Professor of Practice at Vilnius University. His research and lectures focus on hybrid warfare, contemporary conflicts, international humanitarian law, and human rights. With a strong academic background that includes prior research in maritime law, he also serves as a Subject Matter Expert in high-risk investigations, specializing in AML/CTF compliance and international legal frameworks.

Alberto Hylander

Operations & Organisational Development Advisor

Alberto brings 15+ years of international experience designing and implementing organisational structures, processes, and strategic frameworks for complex, multicultural environments. He has led operational transformation and EU-funded programme delivery across diverse sectors—from higher education to accessibility work to international development—with deep expertise in aligning teams, workflows, and governance systems.

Patrick Green, MSc

Co-Head of Research

Patrick recently graduated from University College London with a MSc in Security Studies. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto with majors in Economics and International Relations. His research interests include political economy, international security, and strategic risk management. Patrick's distinguished MSc dissertation examined how US foreign policy has shaped other states’ nuclear technological development.

Elaine Wong

Head of Legal

Ms. Wong is a corporate and regulatory lawyer qualified in Canada and England & Wales, with expertise in compliance, risk management, and governance. She currently acts as Director of Legal Solutions at Goodlawyer, and previously served as Senior Legal Counsel, Regulatory Compliance at Lumine Group. Her earlier roles include Director, Legal Regulatory Compliance at Martinrea International. Her work strengthens Tessera's legal foundations.

Dan Prasuhn

Co-Head of Research

Dan recently completed his BA in International Relations at the University of Toronto and intends to pursue graduate studies in public international law. His research interests center on the histories of foreign policy and international law, including his senior thesis on the founding of the United Nations.

Farshid Keramat

Senior Research Fellow

Farshid Keramat is a Senior Research Fellow at the Tessera Research Collective and an Instructor of Political Science and Law at University Canada West, where he serves on the University Senate. An alumnus of the University of Sheffield and the University of British Columbia, Farshid brings over 13 years of experience in Canadian higher education. He is the author of Introduction to Canadian Law and the founder of World Change Review.

Lisanne Koehler

Research Fellow

I am a Master’s student pursuing a double degree between the London School of Economics and the University of Toronto in Public Administration and Global Affairs. My background is in social justice and human rights - two fields in which I have gotten involved through volunteering and extracurricular activities. I am also the founder of the Advocacy to Action Journal at the University of Toronto.

Jacob Hoffman

Research Fellow

Jacob Hoffman is a graduate from Trinity College Dublin, where he completed an MPhil in International History. His dissertation focused on the conflict media and combat footage as propaganda during the Spanish Civil War. He completed an undergraduate degree at the University of California Santa Barbara, double majoring in History and Global Studies. He has previously served in a number of positions, including as a UN Political Affairs Intern.

Patricia Mace

Senior Research Fellow

Patricia Mace is a certified mediator and public participation facilitator with experience designing inclusive dialogue processes. She directed Brown University’s Community Dialogue Project and serves as Conciliator and Program Administrator at the City of Bellevue Conflict Resolution Center. At UN Women, she advanced the Women, Peace and Security agenda and researched security training and inclusion policies. She has coached over 100 mediators.

Shushan Grigoryan

Research Fellow

Shushan is a geopolitical analyst at a security think tank and a graduate student at Columbia University, where she studies politics with a regional focus on Eurasia—Russia and the South Caucasus—the Near East, and Africa. Her research examines the intersection of geopolitics, domestic politics, energy, and conflict in these regions. She also has experience in public sector policy and research and has published both academic research and policy-oriented work. Previously, she earned a master's degree in Education Policy from UCL.

Farryzki Noor Thoriq

Research Fellow

Farryzki Noor Thoriq is a University of Toronto alum, holding an Honours Bachelor's Degree in International Relations, Public Policy and Urban Studies. His senior thesis focuses on evaluating the rise of Alternative Financial Systems on the effectiveness of international sanctions. He earned a full-ride scholarship from the Indonesian Ministry of Education and is currently working as a Constituency Affairs Assistant at the office of Olivia Chow, the Mayor of Toronto.

Dr. Alois Mugadza

Senior Research Fellow

Dr. Mugadza is a Teaching and Research Fellow at the University of the West Indies, Barbados. He holds a PhD in Law (cum laude) from the Universitat de Girona (Spain). He previously held research fellowships at the University of Groningen (Netherlands) and the University of Johannesburg (South Africa). His broader experience includes roles with Natural Justice (South Africa), the Centre for Water Security and Cooperation (USA), and the United Nations University – Environment and Human Security (Germany).

Kiara Yllescas

Research Fellow

Kiara Yllescas is a Research Intern in the Science, Technology and Innovation for Development Section at UNCTAD, supporting work for the CSTD on data governance. She is a Master of International Public Policy graduate from the Balsillie School of International Affairs and a PhD candidate in Anthropology at the University of Victoria. Her work focuses on technology and innovation policy, data governance, and sustainability.

Julien Lukubika

Junior Research Fellow

Julien Lukubika is a Research Fellow at Tessera Research Collective and an Advanced Master's student in Globalization and Development at the University of Antwerp. He holds degrees in Development Management and Microfinance from the Institut Supérieur d'Informatique et de Gestion (ISIG), Goma. A former UN Volunteer with UNOPS, he has conducted applied research and policy analysis in conflict-affected contexts, including eastern DRC.

Nathan Feltmate

Research Fellow

Nathan Feltmate is a graduate student at the University of Oxford, currently completing his MPhil in International Relations, with his dissertation focusing on Canada’s Arctic policy. He previously attended the University of Toronto, where he completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts. He majored in International Relations and Peace, Conflict and Justice Studies, and earned awards, including the Chancellor’s Medal Award in Arts. Nathan has previously held positions at the World Bank.

Mümin Ahmedoğlu

Research Fellow

Mümin Ahmedoğlu is a doctoral researcher and university assistant at the University of Vienna, specializing in defence economics, public procurement, and innovation policy. His research examines how industrial asymmetries, sovereignty concerns, and institutional design shape defence cooperation, procurement efficiency, and technological innovation in Europe. Combining contract theory, econometrics, and computational methods, his work seeks to translate rigorous academic research into policy-relevant insights on European security and the defence-industrial base.

Faiqa Javed

Research Fellow

Faiqa Javed is a Senior Research Fellow in Peace and Conflict Studies at Tessera Research Collective and a Research Analyst at Claudio X. González Center for the United States and Mexico, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University. She earned a Master of Global Affairs from Rice University and a Master of Arts in Sociology from Texas Southern University. Her research focuses on human rights, humanitarian governance, migration, peacebuilding, security governance, and militarization.

Patrick Green, MSc

Research Manager

Patrick recently graduated from University College London with a MSc in Security Studies. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto with majors in Economics and International Relations. His research interests include political economy, international security, and strategic risk management. Patrick's distinguished MSc dissertation examined how US foreign policy has shaped other states’ nuclear technological development.

Toni Meier

Research Associate

Toni is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto with a double major in Political Science and International Relations, with practical experience in legislative politics and youth engagement. With her goal of a career in law and international affairs, her research focuses on major power dynamics, the role of international law and conventions, and global cooperation.

Dan Prasuhn

Research Manager

Dan recently completed his BA in International Relations at the University of Toronto and intends to pursue graduate studies in public international law. His research interests center on the histories of foreign policy and international law, including his senior thesis on the founding of the United Nations.

Valeriia Shatska

Research Associate & Event Manager

Valeriia Shatska is a recent Master of Arts graduate in Global Politics from McMaster University, where she previously earned an Honours BA in Political Science with a specialization in Global Citizenship. Her master's research examined citizenship-by-investment programs and their implications for migration, governance, and global inequality. She is also a Dean's Honour List recipient.

Janina Bau

Researcher Manager

Janina is working as a Policy and Project Officer in Brussels. She has expertise in EU-funded projects, mainly in the Horizon Europe framework, focusing on research ethics and integrity, and the evolving role of research management. She is experienced in supporting policy and advocacy initiatives through the European Research Area and stakeholder engagement across Europe and beyond. Janina holds a MA degree in Political Science and a BA degree in European Studies.

Noa Sarah Evers

Research Associate

Noa Evers is a PhD student at Aarhus University, where she researches how the Arctic Council engages with colonial legacies and postcolonial dynamics in its cultural heritage projects. She holds a BA in Scandinavian Languages and Cultures from the University of Amsterdam and is currently completing an MA in European Studies at Aarhus University alongside her PhD studies. Her work focuses on Arctic human security, particularly on Denmark and Greenland.

Alireza Mani

Contributor

Alireza “Mani” is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at the University of Toronto, specializing in international relations and comparative politics. He is particularly interested in great power politics and global democratization and autocratization waves. His dissertation project examines how great powers influence contemporary democratic backsliding worldwide.

Isaac Erimia

YPP Coordinator, Research Analyst

Isaac is a Honours Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Toronto, double majoring in History and Political Science. He has competed in Moot Court Competitions at the Undergraduate Level and has taken part in Policy research. His interest revolves around Canadian Foreign Policy and the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping missions.

Lorriane Lu

Researcher Analyst

Lorriane Liu is currently completing her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Political Science at the University of Toronto. She is involved with the G7 and G20 Research Groups. Lorriane has published work on AI geopolitics and feminist activism in undergraduate journals and advises Senator Marilou McPhedran through the Canadian Council of Young Feminists on youth policy and legislation.

Kaylee Mak

Research Analyst

Kaylee holds a Master’s in Applied Politics from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a policy researcher with experience across federal, provincial, and non-profit policy environments. Her work focuses on regulatory analysis, emerging technology governance, and institutional policy design, with a particular interest in how governments adapt to technological and geopolitical change. She has contributed to complex policy and program analysis within large public institutions.

Kyla Perry

Research Analyst

Kyla Perry recently completed an Honours B.Soc.Sc. in Political Science at the University of Ottawa, where her work focused on international relations, political violence, and feminist and gender studies. She has worked as news editor at The Fulcrum, uOttawa's independent English student newspaper, and as a research assistant at uOttawa's polcommtech research lab.

Alan Maričić, PhD

Head of Editorial

Dr. Alan Maričić is a Postdoctoral Fellow in History at the University of Saskatchewan. He holds a PhD in History from the University of Waterloo (2019), where his dissertation examined Yugoslavia’s relations with the two German states during the Cold War. His research focuses on East-South relations, nonalignment, Yugoslav foreign policy, and German Cold War history

Alexandra Giorgis-Audrain

Editorial Associate

Alexandra Giorgis-Audrain is a Master of Global Governance graduate and currently works in the public sector. She has experience with writing articles and training concerning diverse international issues including social determinants of health, indigenous cultural sensitivity, and intergenerational trauma. She is particularly interested in equity, gender issues, and health. She has done extensive research on gender-based violence in Myanmar, and on human trafficking in Canada.

Alaa Al-Aridi, PhD

Editor

Alaa holds a PhD in Public International Law and is an Associate Professor of Practice at Vilnius University. His research and lectures focus on hybrid warfare, contemporary conflicts, international humanitarian law, and human rights. With a strong academic background that includes prior research in maritime law, he also serves as a Subject Matter Expert in high-risk investigations, specializing in AML/CTF compliance and international legal frameworks.

Catherine Moez, PhD

Editor

Dr. Catherine Moez is a postdoctoral research fellow at University of Leicester and King’s College London, currently working on a project on long-run public opinion on immigration in Europe. She is interested in quantitative research methodologies, and topically on understanding the drivers of support for anti-establishment political parties. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a PhD in political science in 2024.

Ranvinderjit Kaur, PhD

Editor

Ranvinderjit Kaur, PhD, is an Education Coach and Academic Advisor based in Ontario, Canada, with advanced training in social policy and governance. She previously served for 12 years as an Assistant Professor in India, conducting field‑based research on democratic decentralisation, primary healthcare, women’s empowerment, and labour precarity. Her current interests centre on community wellbeing, equity, and the everyday factors that shape human security, with emerging comparative work on Indigenous communities internationally.

Thao-Mi Ha

Head of Publishing & Outreach

Thao-Mi is a Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Toronto pursuing a double major in Political Science and Criminology and Socio-legal Studies. She manages operations for the Tessera research collective, with the goal of expanding global understanding of international security. Her interests include political transparency, governance, and advocacy.

Melody He

Operations Officer

Melody is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto specializing in the social sciences. She is active in student life as a committee member of the UT Chinese Network, contributing to events such as the ACE Career Fair, and also participates in campus activities including badminton and table tennis.

Mariana Santos

People and Culture (Europe)

Mariana Flora is a dual-focused leader at Tessera. With 16 years of experience spanning finance, technology, and ESG, she integrates People & Culture leadership with applied research to support Tessera’s commitment to area expertise and fieldwork-based observation. Her work aligns people practices with high-performance cultures and ethically grounded research outputs, ensuring that organizational priorities reflect both global standards and local realities.

Kasia Stojnic

Operations Officer

Kasia Stojnic is an Honours Health Psychology student at Carleton University with interests in psychological research, mental health, and community engagement. Her current research focuses on global sickle cell disease, particularly hydroxyurea accessibility and the psychological, social, and health-related impacts of the disease. She has experience in student leadership, equity-focused governance, volunteer coordination, campus event planning, and federal public service.

Valeriia Shatska

Research Associate & Event Manager

Valeriia Shatska is a recent Master of Arts graduate in Global Politics from McMaster University, where she previously earned an Honours BA in Political Science with a specialization in Global Citizenship. Her master's research examined citizenship-by-investment programs and their implications for migration, governance, and global inequality. She is also a Dean's Honour List recipient.

Minh Tam Huynh

Operations Officer

Minh Tam is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto with a BA in Sociology and Minors in Political Science and English. Her research interests lie at the intersection of gender politics, labor, and diaspora studies. She is currently balancing her time between applications to MA programs and her alter-ego as an illustrator, working in small press publishing and volunteering for local Toronto community groups.

Join The Emerging Scholars Network

Tessera Research Collective brings together early-career researchers and practitioners working across international affairs and security studies. Participation involves contributing to Tessera’s research, editorial, outreach, or event activities, depending on the role. Participants attend periodic meetings, may be expected to contribute to work-in-progress sessions, support publications or events, and remain actively engaged with their assigned team. The expected time commitment varies by position, but participants typically spend 5–10 hours per week on their role. In return, participants gain opportunities to develop their research profile, receive editorial and peer feedback, expand their professional networks, and contribute to policy-relevant publications.

Share our vision but don’t see a specific role listed? We are always looking for exceptional talent — reach out.

Applications Open:
Fall-Winter 2026 Positions

Applications are open until July 15, 2026, for positions across Tessera’s Communications, Editorial, Strategy & Fundraising, Marketing, Outreach & Partnerships, and Research teams.

For upper-year undergraduate students, these opportunities are offered as three-month internships. For recent graduates and early-career professionals, placements may be arranged in accordance with applicants’ availability, qualifications, and Tessera’s organizational needs.