MARK S. WILLIAMS
Political Studies & Global Studies
Vancouver Island University
Political Science
UBC
BIO
Professor of Political Studies and Global Studies
I joined the VIU faculty in 2013, teaching in both the Political Studies department and the Global Studies department. Prior to my relocation to beautiful Nanaimo, British Columbia, I completed a PhD in Political Science (International Relations) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and a MA in Political Science (Comparative Politics) and a BA (Political Science/Environmental Studies) at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.
PUBLISHED WORK
Selected Works
BOOKS
Williams, Mark S. The Politics of the Asia-Pacific: Triumphs, Challenges, and Threats. (Toronto: The University of Toronto Press, 2022).
Williams, Mark S. Mixed Martial Arts and the Quest for Legitimacy: The Sport vs. Spectacle Divide. (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2018).
Williams, Mark S. Indonesia, Islam, and the International Political Economy: Clash or Cooperation? (New York: Routledge, 2017).
ARTICLES & CHAPTERS IN EDITED BOOKS
Williams, Mark S., and Selina Haynes. "Canada's Accession to ASEAN's Treaty of Amity: Cooperation and Diplomatic Presence in Southeast Asia," Canadian Political Science Review 17 (2023), pp. 77-97.
Williams, Mark. S. “The Politics of the Asia-Pacific: An Introduction,” in The Politics of the Asia-Pacific: Triumphs, Challenges, and Threats. Mark S. Williams, ed. (University of Toronto Press, 2022), pp. 1-29.
Bowes, Matthew, Jeffrey Lewis, and Mark S. Williams. “Climate Change in the Asia-Pacific: Democracy, Authoritarianism, and Policy,” in The Politics of the Asia-Pacific: Triumphs, Challenges, and Threats. Mark S. Williams, ed. (University of Toronto Press, 2022), pp. 172-190.
Petersen, Lisa-Carolin, and Mark S. Williams. “Designing the Future of Cyber-Security in ASEAN,” in The Politics of the Asia-Pacific: Triumphs, Challenges, and Threats. Mark S. Williams, ed. (University of Toronto Press, 2022), pp. 278-292.
Williams, Mark. S. “The Korean Crisis: An Emergency Session of the United Nations Security Council,” in The Politics of the Asia-Pacific: Triumphs, Challenges, and Threats. Mark S. Williams, ed. (University of Toronto Press, 2022), pp. 295-305.
Williams, Mark. S, Quinn Campbell, and Madison Lussier. “The Women’s Movement in the Asia-Pacific” in The Politics of the Asia-Pacific: Triumphs, Challenges, and Threats. Mark S. Williams, ed. (University of Toronto Press, 2022), pp. 306-317.
Williams, Mark. S, and Selina D. Haynes. “From the Asian Financial Crisis to the Looming Threat of Deglobalization: An ASEAN Plus Three Summit,” in The Politics of the Asia-Pacific: Triumphs, Challenges, and Threats. Mark S. Williams, ed. (University of Toronto Press, 2022), pp. 318-334.
Haynes, Selina L. and Mark S. Williams. "Forbearance, Endogenous Development, and Aid Work," International Dialogue 11 (2021), pp. 4-32.
Williams, Mark S. "The Role of a Faculty Advisor for A Model United Nations Conference: 5 Lessons Learned from Practice," Journal of Political Science Education (2019), pp. 1-9.
Williams, Mark S. “Public Corruption and Civic Disclosure: Natural Resources in Indonesia,” in Democracy and Civil Society in a Global Era. Marguerite Marlin and Scott Romaniuk, eds. (Routledge, 2016), pp. 204-219.
Williams, Mark S. “Yudhoyono’s Third Way: Islamic Democracy, National Stability and Economic Development in Indonesia,” in Indonesia’s Ascent: Power, Leadership and Asia’s Security Order. Christopher Roberts, Ahmad D. Habir, and Leonard Sebastian, eds. (Palgrave MacMillan, 2015), pp. 69-92.
Williams, Mark S. and Julie Rorison, “Conversations on the Regime and the Institution: the Copenhagen Accord and Global Environmental Governance,” Bridges: Conversations in Global Politics and Public Policy 1, 1 (2012), pp. 44-70.
Stubbs, Richard, and Mark S. Williams. “The Poor Cousin? Canada-ASEAN Relations,” International Journal 64, 4 (Autumn 2009), pp. 927-939.
Williams, Mark S. “Iranian Non-Compliance with the IAEA,” Peace Magazine 25, 2 (April-June 2009), pp. 21-23.
Williams, Mark S. “Canada at War in the Pacific: The Case of Complex Neorealism,” International Journal of Canadian Studies 37 (Summer 2008), pp. 167-176.
Williams, Mark S., and Paul Williams. “The Weaponization of Oil in the Messages of Usama bin Laden,” Journal of Military and Strategic Studies 10, 2 (Winter 2007-08), pp. 1-37.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research primarily concerns issues pertaining Canadian foreign policy, the Asia-Pacific, and the politics of sport. I am currently working on a book project on Canadian foreign policy and the rules-based international order.
TEACHING
Courses taught at VIU
I teach a variety of courses spanning the introductory, intermediate and advanced levels of Political Studies. I generally incorporate active learning strategies in the classroom, such as discussions, simulations, experiential learning, and problem-based learning.
POLITICAL STUDIES
• 100 Identities and Communities: An Introduction to Politics
• 151 Law and Politics of Canada
• 200 International Security
• 201 International Political Economy
• 220 American Government
• 300 International Organizations
• 301 Implementing Human Rights
• 303 Diplomacy & Power at the UN
• 320 American Foreign Policy
• 321 Canadian Foreign Policy
• 330 Comparative Public Policy
• 335 Asian Governments and Politics
• 393 Topics in International Politics
• 400 International Relations Theory
• 490 & 491 Directed Studies, I-II
GLOBAL STUDIES
• 211 Global Political and Economic Systems and Institutions
• 381 The Internship Report
• 391 Responses to Globalization
• 491 Applied Seminar
GET IN TOUCH
Contact Mark regarding research, course offerings or any other inquires.
VIU Social Sciences, Nanaimo Campus