2025: The Year Foreign Aid Fell Off a Cliff - The McLeod Group McLeod Group blog by Stephen Brown, April 20, 2026 The latest numbers on foreign aid are out, and 2025 proved to be a record-breaking year – but not for the right reasons. It was a historic retreat, w...

Dire insights on the precipitous drop in global foreign aid (ODA) in 2025 by @stephenbrown.bsky.social for the McLeod Group: www.mcleodgroup.ca/2026/04/2025...

Congratulations to Acadia Sociology Honours Student Meadow Hunter on receiving a Webster Undergraduate Research Award to support her upcoming honours thesis research!

Well done Meadow!

Read more about the work of the Fed Family Lab led by Dr. Lesley Frank @franklyless.bsky.social!

Involving faculty/students from across Acadia, the Lab's research on the infant formula crisis showcases the value of interdisciplinary work on key social problems.

www2.acadiau.ca/about-acadia...

Deep dive on the Sugiman scandal at TMU. An amazing Canadian Sociologist treated so poorly by the institution she served so diligently.

torontolife.com/deep-dives/w...

Deep dive on the Sugiman scandal at TMU. An amazing Canadian Sociologist treated so poorly by the institution she served so diligently.

torontolife.com/deep-dives/w...

Group photo of Acadia Sociology students and faculty in front of the BAC building.

That's a wrap on the Winter 2026 semester at Acadia Sociology. 👏Congratulations🎉 to our amazing students for a super year. Good luck on your exams and enjoy your summer term! Don't forget to talk to your academic advisor about your schedule for 2026-2027. #commitsociology

Today we are 🎉congratulating🎉 the members of the Department of Sociology's Anti-Colonization and Anti-Racism Committee (ACARC) on receiving the "Committing Sociology" recognition from the Canadian Sociological Association.

Read more here:
committingsociology.ca/anti-coloniz...

Unintended consequences of federal restrictions on international students? Instead of small increases or small reductions, we saw massive declines in every province. Wonder why Universities are hurting?

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Unintended consequences of federal restrictions on international students? Instead of small increases or small reductions, we saw massive declines in every province. Wonder why Universities are hurting?

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

The 2026 Acadia Sociology and Law & Society Honours Presentations are this coming Wednesday, March 25th at 5:45pm in BAC 142.

Learn about the original research our students have done this year, and join us for a reception afterwards!

A webinar co-organized by the Canadian Sociological Association's Sociology of Education Research Cluster (CSA) and the Canadian Association of Sociology of Education (CASE).
March 26, 2026 @ 12:00 PM Eastern Time

Learn more and register: www.csa-scs.ca/news/educati...

Our amazing Acadia Sociology students are committing sociology yet again: Next up, they'll examine Schedule H in discussion with the Provost and an ASU rep.

Tuesday, March 10 at 12:30pm in BAC 353

All are welcome!

An illustration of selection on significance for a test with 50% power

I wrote a short blog post that describes selection on significance in plain language and then proposes and criticizes two alternatives (selection on precision and registered reports). This is me working through my thoughts online, so feedback is very welcome.
ryancbriggs.net/blog/the-pro...

My latest article, with Heather Dicks and Lisa Kaida, is out now in the Canadian Journal of Development Studies. This research stems from our recent SSHRC Insight Development Grant on aid and remittances. Check it out:

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

🚨 A defining moment for global health data.

The termination of the #USAID-supported Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Program has wide-ranging consequences. We reflect on the collapse and argue what should come next in a new PNAS: doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2…

📊 9,000+ studies

SOSA Speakers Series

I will be in Halifax tomorrow (February 27) @dalhousie.bsky.social Sociology & Social Anthropology to talk about global aid networks and their evolution over time.
Room McCain #1116 @ 2:30PM.

www.dal.ca/faculty/arts...

Danielle Smith says 'significant' deficits to come, rules out tax hikes and big cuts | CBC News Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says "significant" deficits are in store for the province as her government tries to grapple with low oil prices.

Once again, for the hundredth time: Alberta could solve this with a simple PST. You'd be able to balance the budget *and* save non-renewable resource royalties for the future.

But, of course, the self-appointed "fiscal conservatives" won't entertain the idea. #abpoli

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Join us for Dr. Robyn Maynard's public lecture (Policing Black Lives) tomorrow at 7PM in the KCIC Auditorium. All are welcome!

It's cold outside..stay in and join this February webinar!

Learn more: www.csa-scs.ca/news/tips-tr...

Acadia Sociology is excited to host Dr. Robyn Maynard next week for a public lecture, a research talk, and a discussion with racialized students/faculty/staff.

All are welcome for the lecture "Policing Black Lives" (7pm Feb 5th) and the research talk "Abolition and Fascism" (11:30am Feb 6th).

Nice summary of the Government of NS' recent overreach in the post-secondary sector here from the Dalhousie Coalition for Collegial Governance. Dal-focused, but the Schedule H discussion applies to every university in the province.
cocogov.org/blog/post-007/

Looking forward to participating in this Computational Social Sciences symposium at @dalhousieu.bsky.social this weekend: www.cssbridgingdisciplines.ca

Why the US Collapsed I wrote this a few years from now… Historians, political analysts, and much of the general public around the world have long discussed why the United States of America collapsed in the mid- to late 2...

What were the main causes behind the collapse of the United States back in the mid- to late 2020s?

Here's my overview:
www.internationalaffairsfornormalpeople.eu/why-the-us-c...

Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United

The US has published a list today of dozens of environmental, scientific, and development organizations and treaties from which it is withdrawing. This list includes the IPCC; IRENA; the UNFCCC; UN Water; IPBES; among many others. Absolutely nuts. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

A firm with a reputation for recommending deep cuts and layoffs has been hired as a consultant to review Nova Scotia's universities - Halifax Examiner I don't like that university programs are having to justify themselves merely in terms of the jobs that students get after graduation.

More on the current NS government-mandated review of universities in the province

www.halifaxexaminer.ca/morning-file...

Why we still need ivory towers - Halifax Examiner When universities are pushed to align themselves too closely with political priorities or labour market needs, their ability to nurture democratic capacities is weakened.

Insightful commentary from Kate Ashley @kmans.bsky.social on the NS Government's recent overreach with our Universities

www.halifaxexaminer.ca/commentary/w...

Congratulations to the newly-minted Dr. Judyannet Muchiri @judyannet.bsky.social on her successful PhD Defence @memorialu.bsky.social Sociology today! Bravo Dr. Muchiri!

Yeah, as I've been saying, we overcompensated because the media ran with the stupid 'GDP per capita' and 'immigrants hurt housing' framing. This is long-run damage to the economy by short-term thinking, feeding xenophobia, and helping to further destroy Canada's world class universities.

Norway Strengthens International Efforts to Promote LGBTQ+ Rights | Norad.no Norway is increasing its support to organisations working to advance LGBTQ+ rights, including efforts to combat violence and discrimination. Norad is entering new agreements with the Norwegian organis...

In response to the growing backlash against international LGBTQI+ rights and other aid donors' waning support, Norway is increasing its funding in this area. A good example for other countries, such as Canada, to follow. www.norad.no/en/news/news...

2026 CSA-SCS Annual Conference Fourwaves - 2026 CSA-SCS Annual Conference

I am co-chairing the Sociology of Development Research Cluster sessions at the 2026 CSA Conference:
- DEV1 Development & its Discontents;
- DEV2 Conflict/Development;
- DEV3 SocDev Omnibus.

Read the CFP and submit your abstract here:
event.fourwaves.com/2026-csa-scs...

@csa-scs.bsky.social