The Journal of Political Studies is one of the longest-running and most highly regarded undergraduate research journals in the country. We are proud to be entirely student-run, from our editorial board to our graphic designers. The JPS is published by the UBC Political Science Student Association in partnership with the UBC Department of Political Science, and we have been in print for the past 16 years.

Each year we publish the best undergraduate political science papers by current and former UBC students. We publish papers that span a wide variety of subfields which include Canadian and US politics, international relations, political theory and comparative politics. Papers are selected on the basis of originality of research, conceptual innovation, topicality of subject matter, and overall quality of writing.

The JPS ensured that sustainability was a theme throughout this year’s production process. Thanks to the AMS Sustainability Project, we were able to offset our printing process to be 100% carbon-neutral, as well as print on 100% poster consumer waste paper. Additionally, we launched our website this year with the intention of moving to a paperless production process in the years to come. The website also provides a platform for us to showcase our past editions for readers to access at any time, in a paperless manner. Check out our website here: www.ubcjps.com .

What’s more, the JPS was sure to engage the undergraduate Arts student body and faculty on the topic of climate change, and students’ role within it, at our annual launch. This year we featured a talk entitled “Climate Change: Burning the World Tree” that outlined current prospects on anthropogenic climate change, and how students and academia can play a role in future actions on climate change. Additionally, this year’s Journal features a critical reflection paper of one student’s experiences while participating in protests on Burnaby Mountain. Thus in our production, distribution, and content, the JPS has made sustainability a top priority this year.

Through engaging with relevant and local climate change issues within the content of our Journal, promoting sustainable printing practices among undergraduate publications, and focusing on the theme of climate change at our launch, the JPS has made sustainability a core theme of our production and distribution. We intend to continue this into the future!