Abstract
“Canada has today an opportunity for leadership in world affairs” wrote the then-president of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, R.M. Fowler, introducing the first issue of International Journal in November 1945. “But to be able to grasp this opportunity there must be more than action by our political leaders,” he continued: “they must be supported by the informed and thoughtful public opinion of Canadians generally.” That is as true in the age of climate change and drone strikes as it was in the immediate aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and now as then this journal has a part to play.
International Journal has played that part for 70 years, under the editorial leadership of a succession of high-profile scholars including James Eayrs and Robert Spencer (1959–84), Kim Richard Nossal (1992–97), and David Haglund and Joseph Jockel (2002/03–13). Over the last three years, editors-in-chief Adam Chapnick and Mairi MacDonald have presided over an extraordinary process of renewal, building on the journal’s traditional strengths while adapting to rapid changes in the publishing environment. We are pleased to inherit this momentum and thank them for their foresight, creativity, and hard work. International Journal today occupies a unique position both in Canada and abroad, and we intend to build on its strong reputation in the study of Canadian foreign policy and diplomatic history, while adding new emphases to areas such as foreign economic policy.
Brian Bow is associate professor of Political Science and director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at Dalhousie University. He has published widely on Canadian foreign policy, Canada–US relations, and regional politics in North America. Jack Cunningham is program coordinator at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at Trinity College and the Munk School of Global Affairs in the University of Toronto. He has co-edited volumes on the Afghan conflict and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This is not the first time that a political scientist and a historian have been paired as co-editors at IJ; it reflects—and, we expect, will reinforce—the journal’s longstanding commitment to an eclectic, interdisciplinary approach to the study of international relations and Canada’s place in the world.
That approach, and the variety of perspectives it entails, is on display in this issue. Peter Price leads off with a groundbreaking study of the responses of Canadian theorists of international law to the First World War. This is followed by T.V. Paul’s consideration of the vexing questions of deterrence and credibility pertaining to nuclear weapons. Then, Matthieu Landriault and Paul Minard assess the political gains of standing up for Arctic sovereignty. Darren Brunk discusses “whole-of-society” peacebuilding, while Ja-hyun Chun examines Japanese civil society and the deterioration of relations between Japan and South Korea. We then have two essays on international education: Caitlin Byrne explores Australia’s recent efforts to enhance regional soft power through student mobility, and in this issue’s Policy Brief, Janine Knight-Grofe and Lisa Deacon put Canada’s strategy for global engagement through international education in comparative perspective. In our Teaching Tool essay, David Black and Ben O’Bright address the role of the private sector in international development. Our Lessons of History feature, ably edited by David Webster, is represented this time by Michael K. Carroll’s reconsideration of peacekeeping. And our wide-ranging book review section, adroitly helmed by Mathilde Von Bulow, rounds out the issue.
International Journal awards three prizes annually, and it is our happy duty to announce the winners for 2015. The Marcel Cadieux Distinguished Writing Award is funded by the Canadian International Council and provides $1000 to the author of the best article on Canadian foreign policy in an issue of International Journal. Yen Pau Woo is 2015’s winner for “On the future of foreign policy think tanks in Canada” (vol. 70, no. 4: 629–636). The CIC also funds the Marvin Gelber Essay Prize, which awards $1000 to the author of the best article by a junior scholar. This year’s winner is Nathan Allen, for “Keeping rising Asia at a distance: Canadian attitudes toward trade agreements with Asian Countries” (vol. 70, no. 2: 286–308). And our publisher, SAGE, funds the $1000 SAGE Prize for International Scholarship, which goes to the author of the best article on international affairs. Our latest winner is Priscilla Roberts, for “A century of international affairs think tanks in historical perspective” (vol. 70, no. 4: 535–555). These articles epitomize the high standard of scholarship that is the hallmark of International Journal.