This new research cluster brings together an inter-disciplinary group of scholars from McGill University and Université de Montréal to analyze the evolution of international institutions—in terms of their purpose, mission, practices, and political dynamics—in response to endogenous and exogenous factors.

The programme seeks to:

1. develop general theoretical perspectives and concepts to study turbulence and crisis

2. analyze and theorize processes of institutional decay and/or reform

3. examine how specific institutions cope with turbulence and respond to ‘emerging’ issues (including migration, the impact of digital technology, and pandemics)

The cluster also focuses on specific institutions and forms of global policy-making that match the interests and expertise of its members, including the United Nations and its key agencies; the European Union; the International Criminal Court; and the International Organisation for Migration.

The programme currently includes a series of invited speakers, a reading group discussing recent works on international institutions and global governance (by international lawyers, political scientists, and historians), and a forthcoming workshop (in 2022) with scholars from Germany and the United Kingdom.