Kristen Belsher ’20

The IR Program would like to congratulate all those students who graduated from the IR Major in 2020. We want to honour the knowledge and insight these students have to share even though they are not able to do it in person, so will be featuring many of them in a series of interviews here online. Go forth, grads, we are proud of you! 


Name: Kristen Belsher

Started at UBC in: 2015

LinkedIn profile

Why did you choose to study IR?

I loved history and I loved political science. I didn’t want to choose between the two, and the IR program was the perfect blend of my two favourite topics. I’ve also been fortunate enough to travel internationally when I was a kid, and I wanted to learn more about the world and how it worked.

What was one significant learning moment that happened during your degree? 

As much as I loathe to say it, my economics courses! Economics has never come naturally to me and I really struggled to fulfill the econ course requirements. However, that was precisely why it was a significant learning moment – I got to study something I never would have studied if it hadn’t been an IR requirement, and in the process, I learned new ways of seeing how the world works and grew to understand the economy. The IR program pushed me out of my comfort zone, which in turn made my education that much more valuable.

What is one thing that you did/were involved in that you think future IR students should consider? 

I was part of the Arts Co-op Program and completed three work terms, including two in the federal government. It was one of the most rewarding parts of my degree, as it allowed me apply what I was learning in class to the real world. It also gave me the chance to explore different career options and test out what I might like to do with my degree.

Most memorable or favourite IR class? And why? 

The best class I took was Dr. Sens’ POLI 363 – Canadian Foreign Policy. He was a phenomenal professor, and the topics covered in class were fascinating, relevant, and essential in helping me learn about the role Canada plays in international relations.

Any advice for future IR Majors?

Participate in extracurriculars! Whether it’s Co-op, going on exchange, or joining a club like Model UN or the IR Student Association, you can learn so much outside of class. Not only do extracurriculars provide new spaces to learn and explore outside of a traditional lecture setting, they also allow you to get more out of your UBC experience.