On March 6, 2025, the CIC Winnipeg Branch held a networking event that brought students, young professionals, and international affairs specialists to explore careers in international affairs available to young people. A summary of the successful event is available below!

Where Ambition and Opportunity Meet: CIC Winnipeg’s Beyond Borders! Networking Event.  

By Beaudry Labossière  

Université de Saint-Boniface CIC Student Rep 

It is now harder than ever for young, ambitious students to get ahead, whether in career advancement or in more personal aspects of life. However, one thing this event has proven is that ambition is not dead. Students and young professionals alike have a desire to excel in all fields, but there seems to be a particular interest in international relations. Whether it’s due to our current political landscape or the increasingly interconnected world, young people are eager to get involved in this field. 

The CIC Winnipeg event  CIC BEYOND BORDERS: NAVIGATING CAREERS IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS aimed to make that dream a reality, and it was clear that students and young professionals were very interested. The CIC Winnipeg is committed to helping youths find their place in international affairs and to organizing events that educate, empower and allow them to find opportunities in the field. That’s why we were extremely pleased to welcome over a hundred students and young professionals to listen to our panel and to network with more than thirty professionals in the field. 

The event took place at the Manitoba Legislature and was split into two parts. The evening began with opening remarks from the CIC Winnipeg Branch President, Brad Kirbyson. We were then honoured to have the Minister of Advanced Education and Training, Renée Cable, deliver the keynote speech. Following this, we enjoyed a panel of experts in the field who provided valuable recommendations on advancing in international affairs, including specific guidance on the best educational paths. They also shed light on the often-complex question of what to expect from a career in international relations. Our esteemed panel offered practical advice on how to network more effectively and seek opportunities in the field. The panel included Alexandre Côté, Regional Director for Manitoba and Saskatchewan at Global Affairs Canada (GAC); Immaculate Nabisere, Food Security and Livelihood Program Lead at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC); and Marina Puzyreva, Senior Policy Advisor at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The audience also had the opportunity to engage with the panel through a Q&A session. 

After the panel, a networking session took place where students had the opportunity to ask questions directly to more than thirty professionals working in international affairs and learn more about their day-to-day roles. They also had the chance to discover opportunities within the field. 

The event was warmly received by participants—both students and young professionals—as well as career experts. 

The event was organized by the CIC Winnipeg student representatives and one of our Directors-at-Large, who is also a student. 

Emily Katsman (University of Manitoba), CIC Director-at-Large, collaborated with Beaudry Labossière (Université de Saint-Boniface), Cooper Roy (University of Manitoba), and Waleed Elshennawy (Canadian Mennonite University) to put on this event.   

A special thanks to our sponsors: the University of Manitoba’s Arts Student Body Council (ASBC), the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU), Global College at the University of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba, and the CIC Winnipeg Branch for sponsoring this event.