Justine Dazé: Advocating for Humanitarian Policy in a Shifting World
For Justine Dazé, the journey to NPSIA was guided by curiosity, a strong sense of purpose, and a deep interest n the intersections of humanitarian policy and international law. After completing an undergraduate degree in international development, Dazé sought a graduate program that offered both depth and flexibility—something she found in NPSIA’s Health, Displacement and Humanitarian Policy stream.
“I was drawn to the humanitarian stream because it’s something so few schools offer in a meaningful way,” she explains. “But once I got here, I really took advantage of NPSIA’s interdisciplinary structure—exploring subjects I had not studied before such as peacebuilding, civil-military relations, the use of force, and nuclear disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation.”
That openness to interdisciplinary learning paid off. Though she ultimately graduated under the Security and Defence Policy stream, Dazé’s academic path remained deeply rooted in humanitarian issues, which consistently guided her research interests. In one course, for example, she examined the nexus of poverty, conflict and climate change – using Sudan as a case study to identify the barriers to effective humanitarian responses in contexts affected by all three crises.
A highlight of her time at NPSIA was winning the William Barton Award in Nuclear Disarmament for her research on Dual-Use Research of Concern (DURC). Her research explored global regulatory gaps in biosafety and biosecurity and the complex challenge of balancing scientific innovation in the life sciences with the risks of potential misuse or causing unintended harm. “It wasn’t a topic I expected to dive into,” she says. “But this opportunity taught me that stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to meaningful, even award-winning, work.”
While completing her degree, Dazé worked full time as a policy analyst in the federal government—first with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), and now with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), where she works in the field of biometrics. She credits NPSIA with sharpening her policy-writing skills and developing her ability to navigate complex policy issues with clarity and confidence.
“You learn to think critically, write fast, and write well—often on subjects you’re still learning about, and often for multiple papers at once. That pressure prepares you for the real world.”
Professors like Michael Manulak, Hunter McGill, and Jeremy Wildeman played important roles in her development, encouraging deep thinking and real-world application. “Professor McGill had this wealth of experience in humanitarian policy. His work was clearly driven by a deep commitment to humanitarian values, and you could see that he truly cared about the communities he supported through the projects and programs he led.”
Reflecting on the program, Dazé says her proudest achievement was completing the coursework while working full time—a feat that required “a lot of hard work, and a lot of tears,” but ultimately strengthened her confidence and professional skills. Looking ahead, she plans to stay with the CBSA for now but is seriously considering pursuing a PhD in Europe.
“There’s still so much to do,” she says. “This field is incredibly challenging, especially given growing global instability and the compounding scale of humanitarian crises we’re witnessing. But ultimately, I believe our generation carries both a moral responsibility and a unique opportunity to drive meaningful change rooted in justice, equity and human dignity.