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Tessera Institute for Global Affairs

Independent, non-partisan research on international security, governance, and global affairs—grounded in regional expertise and close attention to local dynamics.

Latest Research & Analysis

Research Ethics for Sustainability: From Ethical Principles to Collective Action

On 10 September 2026, Tessera Institute for Global Affairs hosted an online workshop on Research Ethics for Sustainability in collaboration with the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA).
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Briefings: The Mecca Accords and its Implications For India

Analytical Brief by Lakshya RohillaYPP Research Analyst, Tessera Institute for Global Affairs On August 7, 2026, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan, signed the tripartite Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, establishing a

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Analytical brief: India’s Relationship with West Asia

India’s expanding partnerships with rival powers across West Asia reveal both the opportunities of multialignment and the limits of strategic autonomy in protecting its energy, trade, and security interests.
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Paper Sovereignty: Why a New Defense Bank Won’t Solve Canada’s Arctic Vulnerability

Canada’s push to diversify defence partnerships and financing will mean little for Arctic sovereignty unless Ottawa can turn procurement plans into deployable military capability.
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Analysis: The Regionalization of Political Order in The Horn of Africa

From strategic ports to corridors, political order in the Horn of Africa is being reorganized through networks of states, external powers and local actors that conventional theories struggle to capture.
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Blood on the Algorithms: How Combat Footage Shapes the Propaganda of the Iran-US War

From polished US strike montages to Iran’s missile-and-drone videos, both sides are turning combat footage into evidence for competing claims of military dominance.
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Who We Are

Tessera is an independent, non-partisan research institute based in Toronto and working through an international network of scholars and practitioners. We produce rigorous, policy-relevant research on global affairs and international security, with particular attention to human security.

We believe global political change is best understood through the local contexts in which it unfolds. Our work draws on regional expertise, field research, and collaboration with scholars close to the issues we study. Like the tesserae of a mosaic, we bring these perspectives together to illuminate broader patterns of political and social change.

Our Mission

Our mission is to build an international, cross-institutional community in which researchers from different disciplines and career stages collaborate on timely, rigorous work that helps make sense of complex and consequential developments in global affairs.

What We Do?

1. Collaborative Research Lab

Our research model is built around horizontal cross-mentorship. Regular Work-in-Progress (WIP) sessions bring researchers together for structured peer review and collective refinement of ongoing work.

2. Applied Research & Analysis

We produce research reports, policy briefings, and op-eds on contemporary global and security challenges. Our work combines academic rigor with clear relevance for research, policy, and practitioner communities.

3. Scholarly Exchange & Professional Development

We help emerging and early-career researchers strengthen their professional profiles, develop publication opportunities, and connect with wider academic and policy communities.

Latest News & Events

  • September 11, 2026 | 📍 Online

Research Ethics for Sustainability: From Ethical Principles to Collective Action

On 10 September 2026, Tessera Institute for Global Affairs hosted an online workshop on Research Ethics for Sustainability in collaboration with the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA). The session was organized and led by Janina Bau, Policy and Project Officer at EARMA, and drew on training micro-modules developed through the EU-funded RE4GREEN project.

Please read more about this here.  

Tessera Welcomes New Colleagues

  • July 10, 2026 | 📍 Online

Tessera 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, and Janina Bau joins as Research Manager. We are delighted to welcome each of them to the team.

Our Team

Tessera brings together senior academics and practitioners with early-career professionals, including graduate students. We see this mix of experience as a strength, combining established expertise with emerging perspectives across research, publishing, outreach, and partnerships.

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

Chief 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.

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.

Melody Schmidt

Researcher Manager
Melody is an M.A. student at the University of Toronto's Munk School, in the Centre for European and Eurasian Affairs. Her interests are in Canadian defence policy, hybrid warfare, disinformation, and the contemporary security challenges of Eastern European states. She earned her Honours B.A. in History and Political Science at McGill University.

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.

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.

Yanis Senhadji

Research Fellow
Yanis Senhadji works on Canada–EU relations, geoeconomics, and economic security. His research interests also include strategic supply chains and critical minerals. He has previously worked at the European Parliament and European University Institute, and on Horizon Europe and international research programmes in France. He holds a Master’s degree in European Public Affairs from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and studied at Charles University in Prague and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

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.

Faiqa Javed

Research Fellow
Faiqa Javed is a Senior Research Fellow in Peace and Conflict Studies at Tessera 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.

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.

Hiyabel Samuel

Junior Research Fellow
Hiyabel Samuel is a researcher focused on geopolitical developments and emerging regional dynamics in the Horn of Africa. She holds an Honours B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, where she specialized in international relations and graduated with distinction. Alongside her research, she brings professional experience in diversity and inclusion, stakeholder engagement, communications, and community-focused programming.

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.

Farryzki Noor Thoriq

Junior 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.

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.

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.

Melody Schmidt

Researcher Manager
Melody is an M.A. student at the University of Toronto's Munk School, in the Centre for European and Eurasian Affairs. Her interests are in Canadian defence policy, hybrid warfare, disinformation, and the contemporary security challenges of Eastern European states. She earned her Honours B.A. in History and Political Science at McGill University.

Toni Meier

Research Associate & Legal Advisor
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.

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.

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.

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.

Kaylee Mak

Research Associate
Kaylee is a policy professional with experience across federal, provincial, municipal, and non-profit sectors, specializing in immigration policy, program delivery, and stakeholder engagement. She currently serves as a Program Advisor at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and previously worked as an Immigration Officer and Supervisor. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Politics and an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Toronto.

Alan Maričić, PhD

Head of Editorial (Interim)
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.

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.

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.

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.

Join The Emerging Scholars Network

Tessera’s Emerging Scholars Network brings together early-career researchers and practitioners working across international affairs and security studies. Members contribute to research, editorial, outreach, or event activities, depending on their role, and take part in periodic team and work-in-progress sessions. Most positions require approximately 5–10 hours per week.

In return, members gain opportunities to publish, strengthen their research profile, receive editorial and peer feedback, build professional networks, and contribute to policy-relevant work.


Share our vision but don’t see a suitable role listed? We are always interested in hearing from exceptional candidates — get in touch.

Contact Us

Applications Open:
Fall 2026 Positions

Applications are open until September 15, 2026, for Fall term internships. You may choose to join one of the following teams: Research, Communications, Fundraising, Marketing, and Outreach & Partnerships.

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

Submit your application