U of L to be part of Smith’s research team for U.S. relations

By Lethbridge Herald on May 21, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

Premier Danielle Smith announced Friday that her government is launching a research initiative to better understand and respond to United States policy shifts that impact the province. 

The New North America Initiative, led by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, is a partnership between researchers from across Alberta, including the University of Lethbridge, and researchers from universities across the U.S., which will see an investment of $6.5 million over three years, to strengthen Canada-U.S. policy research.

“A strong and collaborative relationship with the United States is essential to Alberta’s long-term success. This initiative will deepen academic and policy partnerships, and expand Alberta’s research capacity, to support and develop effective responses to shifts in Canada-U.S. relations,” said Smith. 

The initiative will include researchers from the University of Alberta, Mount Royal University, University of Nebraska, University of Colorado, Arizona State University and Rice University.

Chris Kukucha, professor in the department of political sciences at the University of Lethbridge, told the Herald on Tuesday that the initiative is something that was originally introduced as a concept to those involved in March and right now is only in the beginning stages of planning. 

“It started back in March,” said Kukucha. “There was a round table in Calgary that I was part of. I was one of maybe 40 people who was invited, and it was a collection of businesspeople, academics, sectoral associations, CEOs.”

He said the roundtable was hosted by the Ministry of Advanced Education, wanting to seek input on a possible forum to study Canada-U.S. relations. 

“I didn’t hear anything more of it, and then I was invited to the second round, which was the announcement on Friday where it was clear that they made a decision to give a chunk of money to the School of Public Policy of the University of Calgary,” said Kukucha. 

He added that only a handful of people in the province do research on Canada-U.S. relations, and that’s why he was invited to the round tables. Kukucha adds that he focuses his research primarily in trade policy.

Kukucha shared some of the key points discussed at the round table and said that the idea is to have a better understanding of Canada-U.S. relations from a uniquely Albertan perspective, because that doesn’t really exist in the academic literature as most of it is done in Ontario and Quebec. 

“What that looks like is still very much in the process of trying to be figured out, but it’s increasing opportunities for researchers to have access to other institutions in the U.S. through networking and through funding.”

The project also involves opportunities for students to gain a better understanding through internships and student conferences, said Kukucha.. 

“There’s all sorts of things on the table right now, so it’s not entirely clear what this is going to look like, but the overall understanding is that there is a need to have a better understanding of Canada-U.S. relations from a western perspective, specifically an Alberta perspective.”

According to the Government of Alberta website, over the next three years, the initiative will bring key research and industry partners together to help Alberta better anticipate, manage and mitigate U.S. policy shifts.

And the New North America Initiative will connect thought leaders, government officials, the private sector and think tanks in Alberta and across the continent to increase understanding and share new ideas on relations with the U.S. 

In addition to coursework and hands-on involvement in research, the initiative will help train students in specific skills and knowledge to work for government, private sector and civil society in a new era of relations with the U.S.