Bridging Worlds: Aimee Tymkin’s Path from Prairie Politics to International Policy

Graduating from NPSIA with a master’s in international affairs, Aimee Tymkin has made the most of every opportunity the program had to offer—from co-op placements and international exchanges to advocacy work with diplomats, government officials and parliamentarians. Originally from Manitoba, Aimee came to Ottawa with a strong foundation in political science and international development from the University of Winnipeg, as well as a deep passion for human rights approaches. Her experience as a youth delegate for Canada to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women was the catalyst that led her to NPSIA, where she could study international affairs in Canada’s political epicentre.

While at NPSIA, Aimee immersed herself in both academic and extracurricular pursuits. She served as a Secretariat for the UN Association in Canada’s Model UN on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, helped build the UN Association in Canada’s branch in her hometown of Winnipeg, attended the Council of Europe’s World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg, was a member of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Young Professionals Program and participated in the Forum et Defense Strategy’s Young Leaders Program in Defence and Security Program in Paris and Montréal. There, she co-authored an article published in Revue Défense Nationale on Arctic security and Indigenous autonomy, a milestone she proudly sees as both personal and professional.

Aimee’s exchange to National Chengchi University in Taiwan was another defining moment. Studying Chinese foreign policy while living in Taipei gave her a deeper, firsthand understanding of East Asia’s geopolitical dynamics. The experience also reconnected her with Taiwanese civil society leaders she had previously met in Ottawa, allowing her to explore the real-world implications of Cross-Strait relations.

Back in Ottawa, Aimee completed two co-op placements—one with Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace, and Security at Global Affairs Canada, and the other at Finance Canada, where she has since bridged into a full-time position. Aimee found the presence of community at NPSIA priceless and led her to develop lasting friendships that made the program even more enriching. She credits NPSIA’s interdisciplinary structure, particularly the mandatory economics and policy components, with preparing her for the real-world demands of government work.

Though Aimee’s formal studies have ended, her passion for foreign affairs is far from over. She continues to engage in civil society work and human rights research at the University of Winnipeg and hopes to represent Canada internationally again in the future. “NPSIA helped me understand the world in a more grounded, practical way,” she says. “And it showed me how to turn that understanding into action.”