Munk One


Faculty List

Professor 
J. Wong, MA, PhD  

Introduction

Munk One at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy is an interdisciplinary academic program in global affairs for first-year students. It offers students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of global justice, innovations for global solutions, and social and economic inequality. Participating in Munk One ignites intellectual curiosity, elevates knowledge of world affairs, and connects first-year students to the Munk School community.

Munk One is an application-based, selective academic program that consists of four half-credit courses (2.0 credits in total) and is limited to an enrollment of 25 students. Students must submit an online application with a resumé and supplementary application material immediately after gaining admission to the University of Toronto. Newly admitted students in the Faculty of Arts & Science (St. George campus) are eligible for admission. Students who demonstrate strong intellectual vitality, commitment to public service, and integrity are encouraged to apply. We welcome students from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and academic interests.

Students enrolled in Munk One belong to a vibrant, dynamic, and diverse community of Munk undergraduates as well as graduate students in the Munk School’s two professional graduate programs. Courses in Munk One are taught by top scholars and award-winning faculty. Munk One students engage with distinguished Munk Fellows such as current and former Canadian ambassadors, members of the federal and provincial public service, private sector innovators, influential journalists, and global affairs and public policy leaders from around the world. Students are encouraged to participate in the vast array of academic and professional opportunities offered at the Munk School, such as conferences, symposia, seminars, co-curricular activities, and faculty-led research projects. Munk One students are mentored by Munk One alumni and also engage in academic programming typically offered only to graduate students, such as a case competition.

The objective of the Munk One’s Global Justice stream is to orient students to issues of socioeconomic divisions, poverty, geopolitical complexities, global security, human rights, and sustainable development. The courses are curated and sequenced to build students’ academic skills and knowledge of topics related to global justice. Each of the four courses are delivered as small group seminars with guided discussion and scholarly activities moderated by Munk faculty. The program also features experiential learning and opportunities for beyond-the-classroom study.

In the first semester, students enroll in two complementary courses which build the theoretical foundation necessary to understand and analyze issues of global justice.

MUN100H1: Global Innovation explores innovation’s role as a key driver of economic growth, population health, and societal success. Using contemporary and historical cases from across the globe, this course asks: When does innovation occur? How do we recognize moments of innovation? Who benefits from innovation?  How can we foster equitable innovation?  

In MUN110H1: Peace, Conflict and Justice in the Indo-Pacific, students focus on a specific region and explore issues in that area related to sustainable development, geopolitical conflicts, social inequality, and regional stability. Students also propose policy pathways designed to promote sustainable prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

In the second semester, students apply the knowledge and tools gained in the first semester to specific challenges.

In MUN130H1: Climate, Energy, and Power, students explore the relationship between energy practices and social and economic power. This class considers the inequality caused by climate change, emergent energy technologies, and the institutional and regulatory conditions that shape national, regional, and international environmental policies.

MUN140H1: Design for Social Change and Inclusion is Munk One’s capstone course. In this hands-on, experiential learning class, students tackle real-world problems in partnership with an organization working on global challenges.

Courses in the Munk One Global Justice stream are particularly relevant for students who are interested in pursuing further studies in the areas of Peace, Conflict, and Justice. Munk One also serves as a gateway to other undergraduate courses offered at the Munk School, such as Public Policy and Governance, Contemporary Asian Studies at the Asian Institute, Centre for European and Eurasian Studies, and the Centre for the Study of the United States. It may also interest students who wish to pursue studies in International Relations, Political Science, and other disciplines with a focus on international affairs.

Program Director: Professor Rie Kijima, rie.kijima@utoronto.ca

Program and Events Coordinator: Simone DeFacendis, munk.one@utoronto.ca or 416-946-0326


Regarding Munk One Courses

Munk One students intending to pursue Peace, Conflict and Justice, Contemporary Asian Studies, and Public Policy programs (undergraduate programs run through the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy), are also eligible to count some of their Munk One coursework toward their degree requirements.

Munk One Courses

MUN100H1 - Global Innovation

Previous Course Number: MUN101H1

Hours: 24S

Innovation has always been a key driver of economic growth, population health, and societal success. Transformative change has historically been linked to major innovations such as urban sanitation, pasteurization, the printing press and the industrial revolution. Currently, the opportunity to enhance life chances worldwide relies on innovating for the poor, social innovation, and the ability to harness scientific and technological knowledge. What precisely is innovation? When does innovation happen? Who benefits from innovation? How can innovation be fostered, and how do innovations spread? Relying on major global transformations and country-specific case studies (for example, South Korea, Taiwan, Israel and India), this course examines the drivers of innovation, the political, social, economic, and scientific and technological factors that are critical to promoting innovation and addressing current global challenges, and the consequences of innovation. Restricted to first-year students admitted to Munk One. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: Admission to Munk One
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

MUN110H1 - Peace, Conflict and Justice in the Indo-Pacific

Hours: 24S

In recent years, countries including Canada, India, Japan, and the United States have devised Indo-Pacific strategies in recognition of the rising importance of the region. The region now accounts for half of the world’s people, 60 percent of world’s GDP, and two-thirds of global economic growth. Devising effective solutions for the policy challenges related to the Indo-Pacific will be crucial to prevent catastrophic conflict and promote sustainable prosperity in the 21st century. In this class, students will examine the nature of policy problems with a global scope - in areas such as the management of geopolitical conflict, economic security, and human rights and transnational justice - and devise solutions tailored to emerging challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Restricted to first-year students admitted to Munk One. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: Admission to Munk One
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

MUN130H1 - Climate, Energy, and Power

Hours: 24S

Energy is at the crux of a range of pressing global issues, including climate change and the existential threat it poses across the world. This class uses energy – sometimes as a focal point, sometimes as an entry point – to examine a range of issues including inequality, emergent technologies and policy making in a global context. Restricted to first-year students admitted to Munk One. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: Admission to Munk One
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

MUN140H1 - Design for Social Change and Inclusion

Hours: 24S

Framed around a design challenge, in this class students work in teams to come up with an innovative, equity-focused approach to a global problem. To this end, the course includes modules on topics such as: collecting primary data (via interviews and/or focus groups); conducting secondary research; identifying beneficiaries’ needs; developing a mindset for social innovation; assessing feasibility and viability; and how to develop culturally responsive and relevant propositions. Restricted to first-year students admitted to Munk One. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: Admission to Munk One
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

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