The Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management at Carleton University is pleased to announce a one-year Canadian Election Integrity Project with Facebook. As part of this project, Kevin Chan, head of public policy at Facebook Canada, has been appointed as a Visiting Scholar.
Through a series of engagements in collaboration with Riddell students, faculty and the broader political ecosystem, the project will reflect on the 2019 federal election and Facebook’s ongoing work through the Canadian Election Integrity Initiative with the goal of developing lessons learned for the next federal election. This exercise is all the more relevant given the shifting landscape of elections and the importance of protecting the democratic process, online and off.
The Riddell program offers Canada’s first graduate degree in applied politics. Twenty-five students are admitted each year to study Canadian political institutions, strategic communications, public opinion research, leadership, advocacy, policy, and campaigns. Graduates work for Cabinet ministers, members of Parliament, senators, government relations firms, advocacy organizations and business associations.
“We look forward to reflecting on the 2019 federal election and Facebook’s ongoing work through the Canadian Election Integrity Initiative in collaboration with Riddell students, faculty and the broader political ecosystem,” said Kevin Chan, head of public policy at Facebook Canada. “Investing in technology, people and partnerships is an integral part of our work to protect the integrity of elections on our platform and positively contribute to the democratic process.’”
“Few issues are more important to the integrity of Canadian elections than the role of social media,” said Stephen Azzi, director of the Riddell program. “We’re delighted to launch this project to stimulate a frank discussion about how Facebook can protect and advance our democracy.”
For more information, contact Stephen Azzi, associate professor and program supervisor, Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management, stephen.azzi@carleton.ca, and Erin Taylor, communications manager, Facebook Canada, erintaylor@fb.com.