Gillian Mathurin / en Work together to fight Russian aggression, Estonian President Alar Karis tells students during 茄子直播 visit /news/work-together-fight-russian-aggression-estonian-president-alar-karis-tells-students-during-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Work together to fight Russian aggression, Estonian President Alar Karis tells students during 茄子直播 visit</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Nov22_JamieNapier_DSC03551-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=dZe-CdEN 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Nov22_JamieNapier_DSC03551-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Y-oAMEBd 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Nov22_JamieNapier_DSC03551-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=J99Tz1DM 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Nov22_JamieNapier_DSC03551-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=dZe-CdEN" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-11-25T09:29:41-05:00" title="Friday, November 25, 2022 - 09:29" class="datetime">Fri, 11/25/2022 - 09:29</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Estonia's President Alar Karis speaks at an event hosted by 茄子直播's Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy on Nov. 22, 2022 (photo by Jamie Napier)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gillian-mathurin" hreflang="en">Gillian Mathurin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/russia" hreflang="en">Russia</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ukraine" hreflang="en">Ukraine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Estonian President Alar Karis warned against Russian aggression and called on the world to mobilize in support of Ukraine at a sold-out event at the University of Toronto鈥檚&nbsp;Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy this week.</p> <p>鈥淭he Euro-Atlantic security architecture and our shared values face the most serious threat since the end of the Second World War,鈥 said&nbsp;Karis at the Nov. 22 event.&nbsp;鈥淚n Europe, that threat comes from Russia, and how we respond to it will have implications for the world we live in for decades to come.</p> <p>鈥淲e may have briefly believed that the world had changed and borders, at least in Europe, would not be changed by military force, that people could choose their own form of government and generally live in peace. However, as became clear on 24th February 2022, the empire next door had awakened, and begun reclaiming its sphere of influence once more.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>In his address, Karis described how Russian President Vladimir Putin鈥檚 efforts go far beyond Ukraine, aiming to destroy the Euro-Atlantic security architecture and restore dominance over the Baltic States and Poland.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/Nov22_JamieNapier_DSC03732-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>Estonia鈥檚&nbsp;President Alar Karis 鈥嬧嬧媡ook part in a Q&amp;A moderated by Andres Kasekamp&nbsp;(photo by Jamie Napier)</em></p> <p>Karis spoke with an in-person audience of Munk School students and community members at the school鈥檚 Campbell Conference Facility. He was welcomed by Munk School Director <strong>Peter Loewen</strong>&nbsp;and took part in a lively Q&amp;A moderated by&nbsp;<strong>Andres Kasekamp</strong>, Elmar Tamp玫ld Chair of Estonian Studies at the Munk School and a professor in the&nbsp;department of history in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.</p> <p>It was a great honour to host President Karis here at the Munk School,鈥 said Loewen. 鈥淗is deep commitment to upholding our shared democratic values in the face of aggression is inspiring. I share his conclusion: 鈥楾he only thing we can do now is to do everything to help Ukraine.鈥欌</p> <p>Prior to speaking at the Munk School, Karis attended the Halifax International Security Forum and met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of Canada鈥檚 role in our shared international security. 鈥淭he value of the trans-Atlantic bond goes beyond the numbers of troops and weapons systems. It is a political community, a community of values, and we have demonstrated already that we are much stronger together.鈥</p> <p>鈥淧utin鈥檚 strategy for the moment is to coerce us into giving up on Ukraine by imposing costs on our societies. His primary tool is to weaponize its energy resources by restricting their accessibility, thereby threatening shortages, and by damaging our economies through inflation. In his immediate neighbourhood, Russia can also use hybrid warfare to scare and destabilize. This includes sabotaging energy infrastructure, using the migration weapon&nbsp;and carrying out cyber-attacks.</p> <p>鈥淲e must be prepared to overcome these challenges, and not allow those tactics to cow us.鈥</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/Nov22_JamieNapier_DSC03839-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>Estonian President Alar Karis spoke&nbsp;with Munk School students and community members&nbsp;(photo by Jamie Napier)</em></p> <p>Karis described Estonia鈥檚 own efforts to increase its national military capabilities, find alternative sources of energy, enhance energy infrastructure and secure its own borders with Russia in the face of this pressure. He also spoke of Estonia鈥檚 efforts to support Ukraine, taking in 60,000 refugees 鈥 equivalent to four per cent of the country鈥檚 total population 鈥 and giving the equivalent of a quarter of its total military budget in equipment and weapons in support of the war effort.</p> <p>Karis is not the first Estonian leader to have visited the Munk School, which is home to the only endowed chair of Estonian studies in North America. In 2018, then-Prime Minister J眉ri Ratas gave a public lecture, followed by former President Toomas Ilves in 2019. Karis, a molecular geneticist and biologist by training, was sworn in last year. He had earlier served as rector of the University of Tartu (a 茄子直播 partner institution) and visited 茄子直播 in that capacity in 2009.</p> <p>Hearing directly from Estonia鈥檚 president was particularly important for&nbsp;<strong>Aleksa Gold</strong>, president of the Estonian Students Association 茄子直播, and a four-time Estonian national swim champion. 鈥淚t was a real privilege to have President Alar Karis join us at 茄子直播 and provide important insights into and educate us on the current turmoil in Europe. Being a student, especially one whose cultural roots come from a small nation, it was special to have the country鈥檚 leader come and take time out of his schedule to be with us and teach us valuable lessons.鈥</p> <p><strong>Chloe Qin</strong>, a third-year history major, was struck by Karis鈥檚 steadfast commitment to Ukraine. 鈥淚t is incumbent upon Estonia and Canada, two of the leading democracies in the world, to defend liberalism by supporting the efforts of courageous Ukrainians in the defence of their homeland against Russian aggression.鈥</p> <p>For Karis, the need to support Ukraine is personal. 鈥淚t is important to realize, that when we talk about abstract concepts 鈥 security architecture, democracy, freedom 鈥 we are actually talking about very real consequences for real people. Violence, death, and destruction happen to people.鈥</p> <p>鈥淚n Estonia, we have experienced the same things you see on your screens happening in Ukraine,鈥 said Karis. 鈥淚n fact, many Estonians had to flee to Canada and other free countries in the 1940s to avoid the same fate that befell the inhabitants of Bucha, Mariupol, Kherson. We will always remain grateful to Canada of accepting Estonian refugees, some of whom, in their desperation, crossed the Atlantic on self-made 鈥榁iking boats鈥. And we are grateful to Canada for doing its important part in NATO, the organization that safeguards our collective security and through that, our shared values.鈥</p> <p>Karis implored the audience to continue fighting aggression and for the democratic values that bind our countries.</p> <p>鈥淲e must all think that this is our business. I still remember what it meant to live in the Soviet Union&nbsp;鈥 and many Estonians do. This is why we will not stop fighting for freedom and we will not stop helping others who do the same. I hope that we are in this together.鈥</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="media_embed" height="422px" width="750px"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/klDQ6Og7KrE" title="YouTube video player" width="750px"></iframe></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:29:41 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 178321 at Power lies in partnerships, president of Kosovo tells students during 茄子直播 visit /news/power-lies-partnerships-president-kosovo-tells-students-during-u-t-visit <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Power lies in partnerships, president of Kosovo tells students during 茄子直播 visit</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/11.22-9%20--%20President%20Osmani%20visit%20-%20Photo%20by%20Dewey%20Chang-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=uLHvRb1D 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/11.22-9%20--%20President%20Osmani%20visit%20-%20Photo%20by%20Dewey%20Chang-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Dn79I4qU 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/11.22-9%20--%20President%20Osmani%20visit%20-%20Photo%20by%20Dewey%20Chang-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=DcmfvxHF 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/11.22-9%20--%20President%20Osmani%20visit%20-%20Photo%20by%20Dewey%20Chang-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=uLHvRb1D" alt="President Osmani visit"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-11-25T13:15:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 25, 2021 - 13:15" class="datetime">Thu, 11/25/2021 - 13:15</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Kosovo鈥檚 President Vjosa Osmani visited Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy, where she spoke to students and answered their questions (photo by Dewey Chang)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gillian-mathurin" hreflang="en">Gillian Mathurin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/joseph-wong" hreflang="en">Joseph Wong</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>鈥淭here is power in partnerships. Our power truly lies in the friendships and the partnerships we create around the world. None of us will be successful [against the global challenges we face] unless we really work together.鈥</p> <p>That was the message Kosovo鈥檚 President&nbsp;Vjosa Osmani&nbsp;shared at the University of Toronto鈥檚 Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy earlier this week.</p> <p>鈥淐ountries, no matter how small they are, can have a big impact,鈥 said Osmani, noting that after the fall of Kabul earlier this year, Kosovo was the first country in the world to offer to take in refugees. 鈥淲e were refugees ourselves. We know what it feels like. We know what it is to have these doors open when you are forced to flee because no one really chooses to be a refugee, but anyone can become one.</p> <p>鈥淔or us, the words 鈥榥ever forget鈥 have never been just a slogan; they have meant everything to us. So, if we get a chance to lend a helping hand to those in need to those who have been expelled from their homes, separated from their loved ones, forced to leave the house where they were born and raised 鈥 if there's one nation that will help no matter how small we are, that will be us, because today we鈥檙e alive. We are sovereign, independent and thriving.鈥</p> <p>Osmani, who holds a&nbsp;PhD and is former professor of international law and international relations, spoke with an in-person audience of Munk School students that was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOraNhDbrD8">broadcast to the public.</a> She was welcomed to 茄子直播 by <b>Joseph Wong</b>, vice-president, international, <b>Peter Loewen</b>, director of the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy, and <b>Robert Austin</b>, associate director of the Munk School鈥檚 Centre for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies.</p> <p><img alt="Professor Joseph Wong, President Vjosa Osmani and Professor Robert Austin" class="media-element file-media-original" data-delta="1" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/11.22-4%20-%20President%20Osmani%20visit%20-%20Photo%20by%20Dewey%20Chang-crop.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Professor Joseph Wong,&nbsp;President Vjosa Osmani and Professor Robert Austin (photo by Dewey Chang)</em></p> <p>鈥淧resident Osmani鈥檚 experience&nbsp;鈥 especially during the 1999 war, her discussion of&nbsp;Kosovo鈥檚 support of refugees from Afghanistan, the need for European integration&nbsp;鈥 really touched on subjects that are not just relevant for&nbsp;Kosovo, but for all of us,鈥 said Austin, a professor and&nbsp;expert on the Balkans who teaches 鈥淐onflicts and Para-States in the EU鈥檚 Backyard,鈥 a course that explores the regional disputes between Balkan countries as they bid to join the European Union.</p> <p>鈥淚 first met Dr. Osmani in 2008 when I was in Kosovo for the independence declaration. I was travelling with 10 students from the University of Toronto for an <a href="https://learningabroad.utoronto.ca/experiences/international-indigenous-course-module-icm/">international course module</a> and it was just luck that we arrived the day before Kosovo declared its independence. I could tell then that she was a person of incredible integrity and so I was delighted when she became Kosovo鈥檚 president.鈥</p> <p>Austin noted that Osmani is not the first Kosovar president to visit 茄子直播. Kosovo鈥檚 founding father, Ibrahim Rugova, visited the Munk School in 2001. 鈥淚t was an extremely<i> </i>important signal of Canada鈥檚 support for Kosovo that came well in advance of Kosovo鈥檚 independence in 2008,鈥 Austin said.&nbsp;鈥淭he late President Rugova, who died in 2006, remains an iconic figure in Kosovo. I met with his widow on Kosovo Independence Day in February 2008 in Prishtina and she said his visit to Toronto was his favorite.鈥</p> <p>Osmani praised the&nbsp;support of Canada and Canadians.</p> <p>鈥淚t is because we had friends by our side, friends like Canada, who opened its doors to 8,000 Kosovar refugees,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey were there for us, not just when the war was going on 鈥 We had friends like you, we had friends like Professor Austin, who were our voice when we had no voice. [They] made sure that the voice of the people of Kosovo was heard in every table in the parliaments around the world and that really opened doors for us. When you are heard and you have that chance to tell the truth about what's going on in your country and when you really cherish these friendships, then miracles can happen like they did in the Republic of Kosovo.鈥</p> <p>Hearing Kosovo鈥檚 president speak about the country鈥檚 struggles and efforts to chart a new course brought to life to what students have been learning in the program, said <b>Ashley Renz</b>, a second-year master鈥檚 student at the Munk School鈥檚 Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies.</p> <p>鈥淚n my studies, I鈥檝e focused on sexual trauma survivors in Kosovo during and after the war. She has brought the issue into the foreground, working with local women鈥檚 and advocacy organizations, and emphasizing the role of women in shaping post-war policy. Her administration has brought major changes in terms of providing recognition of the trauma that so many women endured and in bringing the issue to light,鈥 said Renz, noting that Kosovo now marks April 14&nbsp;as a day of recognition for sexual trauma survivors. 鈥淗er passion is so evident. You can see how much she cares about the future of Kosovo.鈥</p> <p>For <b>Isabelle Avakumovic-Pointon</b>, a student in the first year of her master鈥檚 degree in European and Russian affairs, the president鈥檚 words gave context to her family鈥檚 own lived experience.</p> <p>鈥淢y family is from the Balkans,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he presence of history, the trauma of history, the complications of history are stories I鈥檝e grown up with. It was fascinating to hear the president of Kosovo speak about those things and how they affect policy in the day-to-day. President Osmani recognized that Kosovo is facing significant challenges but believes that they can overcome them 鈥 That was very refreshing. To hear the president speak for herself and about her people was really powerful.鈥</p> <p>鈥淔or me, the fact that our students&nbsp;鈥 graduate and undergraduate&nbsp;鈥&nbsp;had an exclusive audience with&nbsp;Kosovo鈥檚 president was the best part of the day,鈥 said Austin. 鈥淸The students] were extremely prepared and I could feel the emotion in the air. For them to be able to stand up<span style="background:white"> in front of a president and ask tough questions 鈥 these are the opportunities that stay with them forever.鈥</span></p> <p><b><span style="background:white">Isaure Vorstman</span></b><span style="background:white"> agrees. </span></p> <p><span style="background:white">鈥</span><span style="border:1pt none windowtext; padding:0cm">It was an unforgettable experience,鈥 said Vorstman, a master鈥檚&nbsp;</span><span style="background:white">candidate in European and Russian affairs. 鈥</span><span style="border:1pt none windowtext; padding:0cm">It's one thing for me to be given the chance to study a topic that I am passionate about in graduate school, but yet another to have my own graduate program organize these kinds of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that motivate me even more to deepen my knowledge and understanding of these parts of the world.鈥</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p align="center" style="text-align:center">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 25 Nov 2021 18:15:00 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301168 at