In his final term at UBC, join us for a reflection on continuity and change in international relations as we celebrate the 33-year career of Dr. Allen Sens at UBC. Alongside Dr. Sens, a panel of UBC professors will reflect on the major developments in the world over the past 30+ years, the evolution of the International Relations Program at UBC, and how teaching and learning in international relations has changed over time.
Dr. Allen Sens began his association with UBC as a young child, frequently visiting the original Brock Hall building with his father, who as a sessional instructor taught the course on animated filmmaking in what is now the Department of Theatre and Film from 1973 to 1985. Dr. Sens began attending UBC as an undergraduate student in 1982, graduating as a Political Science Major in 1986. Dr. Sens was then admitted into the MA Program in Political Science, graduating in 1988. He completed his PhD in Political Science at Queen’s University in 1993.
Dr Sens returned to UBC in a Postdoctoral position at the Centre for International Relations from 1993 to 1995. He was employed as a sessional instructor in the Department of Political Science from 1995 to 1998 before being appointed as a Sessional Instructor with tenure in 1999. From 1999 to 2009 Dr. Sens was the Chair of the International Relations Program, beginning a long association that continues to this day. In 2013, Dr. Sens was promoted to the new UBC rank of Professor of Teaching, the first in the Faculty of Arts.
Throughout his career, Dr. Sens has taught and co-taught courses in international relations, including courses on armed conflict and conflict management, nuclear weapons and arms control, Canadian foreign and defence policy, international peacekeeping, European security, and climate change and genomics. Beyond teaching, Dr. Sens has contributed as a consultant to government projects on Peace Operations and NATO enlargement, and was the Principal Investigator on two SSHRCC-funded projects on knowledge mobilization through long form radio podcasting.
Dr. Sens was a recipient of the UBC Killam Teaching Prize in 2003 and a recipient of the Canadian Political Science Association Prize for Teaching Excellence in 2018. He is a two-time recipient of the UBC Alma Mater Society Just Desserts Award and the UBC Open Education Resource Champion award.
Please join us on Thursday March 19th 2026 from 5:00 – 7:00pm in the Place of Many Trees room, Liu institute for a 1-hour panel discussion followed by a gourmet buffet and toast to Dr. Sens. Please RSVP using the form below and we look forward to seeing staff, alumni, current students, faculty, and friends for a warm celebration of an outstanding colleague.
If you are unable to attend but would like to share a memory of Dr. Sens or send a message, please fill out the form below the RSVP (include your name and degree info!):