Summits | Meetings | Publications | Research | Search | Home | About the G7 Research Group
|
Summits | Meetings | Publications | Research | Search | Home | About the G7 Research Group |
|
About the G7 Research Group
The G7 Research Group is a global network of scholars, students and professionals in the academic, research, media, business, non-governmental, governmental and intergovernmental communities who follow the work of the G7, the G8 and related institutions. The group's mission to serve as the world's leading independent source of information, analysis and research on the G7/8. Founded in 1987, it is managed from Trinity College in the University of Toronto. Professional Advisory Council members, Special Advisors and participating researchers span the world. Trinity College's John W. Graham Library has become the global repository of G7/8 documents, transcripts, audiotapes, media reports, interviews, studies, essays, memorabilia and artifacts.
The membership of the G7 Research Group consists primarily of academics, business professionals and students from around the world. Much of the research activity is conducted by doctoral, masters and senior undergraduate students at the University of Toronto and elsewhere, and by alumni/ae of the group who have gone on to professional careers in related fields but have remained involved. Each year, the G7 and G8 Research Group recruits analysts and researchers who work on compliance and related research projects under the direction of a student executive based at the University of Toronto.
Enriched by their experience in the G7 Research Group, members have gone on to pursue careers with organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, General Electric, Dominion Securities, the Royal Bank of Canada, Andersen Consulting, the Monitor Company, the Bank of Montreal, Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail, the National Post, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CNN, Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, and other ministries and departments of the Government of Canada, Canadian Pacific Railway, law firms in Europe and North America and universities in Japan, Canada and the United States. Several have started their own enterprises.
Since its founding in 1987, many distinguished international experts have contributed significantly. In addition, the Professional Advisory Council and Special Advisors help create strategic partnerships with experts and major academic institutions from the summit countries.
The academics at the University of Toronto who have been involved in the G7 Research Group include the Honourable Bill Graham of the Faculty of Law and Canada's former minister of foreign affairs; Leonard Waverman, formerly of the Department of Economics; Louis Pauly and Michael Donnelly of Political Science; Robert Bothwell of History; Wendy Dobson of Management Studies, and Sylvia Ostry.
The G7 Research Group is responsible for the G7 Information Centre, which contains the world's most comprehensive and authoritative collection of information and analysis on the G7 and G8. The research group assembles, verify and post documents from the meetings leading up to and at each summit, the available official documentation of all past summits and ministerial meetings (in several G8 languages), scholarly writings and policy analyses, research studies, scholarship information, links to related sites and the "briefing books" for each summit published by GT Media. The website contains the annual reports on G7/8 members' compliance with their summit commitments, produced by the G7 Research Group.
 John J. Kirton [email] is director of the G7 Research Group, the G20 Research Group and the Global Health Diplomacy Program, and co-director of the BRICS Research Group, all based at all under the umbrella of the Global Governance Program based at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. A professor emeritus of political science, he has taught Canadian foreign policy, global governance and international relations. Kirton is the author of many books, chapters and articles on the G20, G7 and G8, including Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change (with Ella Kokotsis and Brittaney Warren, Routledge, 2022), China's G20 Leadership (Routledge, 2016), G20 Governance for a Globalized World (Ashgate, 2012) and (with Ella Kokotsis), The Global Governance of Climate Change: G7, G20 and UN Leadership (Ashgate, 2015), as well as The G8-G20 Relationship in Global Governance, co-edited with Marina Larionova (Ashgate, 2015), and Moving Health Sovereignty in Africa: Disease, Govenance, Climate Change, co-edited with Andrew F. Cooper, Franklyn Lisk and Hany Besada (Ashgate, 2014). Kirton is also co-editor of several summit-related publications published by GT Media and the Global Governance Media platform. |
Madeline Koch [email] is the executive director of the G7 Research Group, the G20 Research Group, the BRICS Research Group and the Global Health Diplomacy Program, all based at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. She is also co-editor of several summit-related publications published by GT Media and the Global Governance Media platform. She has participated in the G7 and G20 Research Groups' field teams on site starting in 1989 and at every G7/8 summit since 1999 and every G20 one since 2008. |
Ella Kokotsis, PhD, [email] is the director of research and climate finance policy for the G7 Research Group and the G20 Research Group at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. An expert on summit accountability and compliance, she has consulted with the Canadian government's National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations on their African development agenda, with the Russian government on global health issues in the lead-up to the 2006 St. Petersburg Summit, and with the Government of Canada on numerous summit-related issues during the 2010 Canadian G8 and G20 Summits. Her scholarly methodology for assessing compliance continues as the basis for the annual accountability reports produced by the G7 and G20 Research Groups. She is author of Keeping International Commitments: Compliance, Credibility and the G7 Summits and co-author of Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change (with John Kirton and Brittaney Warren, Routledge, 2022), The Global Governance of Climate Change: G7, G20 and UN Leadership (with John Kirton, Ashgate, 2015), as well as many articles and chapters. She also leads the group's work on climate change, energy and accountability. |
Julia Kulik, MPP, [email] is director of strategic initiatives for the G7 Research Group, G20 Research Group, BRICS Research Group and Global Health Diplomacy Program, based at Trinity College at the University of Toronto. She has researched and written on G7, G20 and BRICS performance particularly on the issues of gender equality, global health and regional security. She has co-authored various publications entitled "Achieving Gender Equality through G7 and G20 Governance," "Generating Global Health Governance through BRICS Summitry'' in Contemporary Politics and "Connecting Climate Change and Health through Global Summitry" in World Medical and Health Policy. She has attended numerous G7 and G20 summits and delivered papers on various topics of global governance at pre-summit conferences since 2009. She has provided strategic advice to G7 and G20 engagement groups, including the W20 and the U7+ Alliance. Julia also leads the group's work on gender equality and summit performance. |
Lida Preyma, [email] is director of critical minerals research and global finance with the G7 and G20 Research Groups and the Global Governance Program. She is the founder and CEO of Célandaire Capital. Previously, she was director of capital markets strategy and client insights and head of global anti-money laundering risk management for a major Canadian bank. She has served on B20 taskforces including finance and infrastructure, energy transition, anti-corruption and climate. She has served on Sustainable Business COP's working groups including building resilience for cities, infrastructure and water and transition finance and investment, and is a mentor for Creative Destruction Labs' Paris Climate stream. She first got involved with the G8 Research Group after graduation from her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto in 2003, and has served on many field teams at G7 and G20 summits ever since. She holds an MBA from the University of Cumbria. |
 Denisse Rudich [email] is director of innovation, crime and corruption with the G7 and G20 Research Groups. Based in London, she is founder and CEO of Rudich Advisory and also Derumari, and an associate fellow at RUSI. A global champion of financial crime prevention initiatives working at the intersection of policy, technology, sanctions and anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing and countering proliferation financing, she has over 20 years’ experience advising international organisations, regulators and other firms. |
Nancy Scott, [email] is a non-executive legal adviser to the G7 and G20 Research Groups and the Global Governance Program. She is also the Senior Vice-President and Deputy General Counsel at Cisco Technologies where she leads the global Sales Legal organization. A founding member of the G7 Research Group, she holds a bachelor of arts from the University of Manitoba, a master of arts in political science from the University of Toronto, an LLB from the University of British Columbia and a LLM from George Mason University. |
 Brittaney Warren [email], MES, is a senior researcher and volunteer manager with the Global Governance Program’s G7, G20 and BRICS Research Groups and Global Health Diplomacy Program, based at the University of Toronto. She is co-author of policy briefs including Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change, Clean Energy and Health and The G20: Ending Illicit Wildlife Trafficking, contributing research that bridges environmental sustainability, public health and international cooperation. Brittaney is pursuing a master’s degree in counselling psychotherapy, expanding her interdisciplinary interests to include mental health and well-being and integrating this lens into her research and community engagement. |
Current Chairs of Summit Studies |
 Raphaël Bitter [email] is co-chair of summit studies for the US 2027 presidency. He is pursuing an honour's bachelor of arts at the University of Toronto with a specialization in political science, and has worked with several University of Toronto–based organizations on policy and legal analysis. Raphaël has worked with the G7 Research Group as a compliance analyst for the 2024 Apulia Summit and compliance director for the 2025 Kananaskis Summit, and was a member of the field team in Evian for the G7 summit in 2026. |
 Jacob Rudolph [email] is co-chair of summit studies for the US 2027 presidency, having also served as co-chair of summit studies for Canada's 2025 Kananaskis Summit. He is sutdying economics, public policy and mathematics as a National Scholar at the University of Toronto. Jacob served as compliance analyst for Japan's 2023 Hiroshima Summit and compliance director for Italy's 2024 Apulila Summit, and was a member of the field team at the summit. Jacob also served as editor for the G20 Research Group. His research interests included economic inequality and policy in the macroeconomic, energy, environment and health fields. |
[back to top] |
Research Associates |
 Kathryn Kotris [email] has been a researcher for the G7 and G20 Research Groups since 2006. She is on the board of the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy and has been vice-president of compliance VP Compliance for Mortgage Architects since 2006. A housing advocate, she graduated with honours from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of arts in political science and history. |
Natasha Pirzada, [email] is a research associate with the G7 and G20 Research Groups and a senior immigration officer with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Her research focuses on G7 and G20 cooperation on migration, public health policy and climate change. She holds a bachelor's degree in government from Georgetown University and a master's in environmental studies from the University of Waterloo. |
Past Research Associates |
 Maria Marchyshyn [email] was a researcher for the G7 Research Group, the G20 Research Group and the BRICS Research Group since 2008. Her work focused on macroeconomic issues, including international trade and finance and topics regarding the European Union. She worked on compliance reports and summit conclusions on a wide range of topics. She attended the 2014 Brussels Summit as a member of the G8 Research Group field team. Maria is the Vice President of Finance with the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT). She has worked in the financial industry and as a researcher at the European Parliament in Brussels. She speaks five languages and is currently learning her sixth, Japanese. Maria completed an Honours degree in International Business Administration (IBBA) with specialization in finance at the Schulich School of Business at York University in 2004. |
Sarah Richardson, LL.B., LL.M., [email] was a research associate with the G7 Research Group and the G20 Research Group, with expertise in policy related to trade, environment and sustainable development. As an independent consultant, she has worked closely with the Government of Canada on environmental assessment of trade liberalization. International clients have included organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme and the European Commission as well as non-governmental organizations including the World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF-United States, Oxfam and Save the Children. Previously, Sarah was the manager of the Environment, Economy and Trade Programme at North America's Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the foreign policy advisor at the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. Most recently, Sarah has been active in the private sector, owning and operating a business importing, distributing and selling sustainably produced design objects from developed and developing countries alike. Sarah holds a BA in international relations from the University of Toronto, an LLB from Dalhousie University and an LLM from Columbia University. |
Sarah Scott, BA, [email] was a researcher with the G7 Research Group and chair of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the G20's 2016 Hangzhou Summit. Her work focused on macroeconomic issues, including international trade, as well as developmental issues. She worked on various compliance reports, and currently specializes in direction setting and migration. She attended the 2015 Elmau Summit as a member of the G7 Research Group field team and the G20's 2015 Antalya Summit. Sarah completed an honours degree in political science with specialization in global governance and developmental politics at the University of Toronto and a master of political science from York University. She joined the Ontario Public Service in 2021. |
 Alissa Wang [email] was a research assistant at the G7 Research Group, the G20 Research Group, the BRICS Research Group and the Global Health Diplomacy Program, based at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. She pursued an undergraduate degree with a specialist in international relations, a major in global health and a minor in political science. She was an editor for the reports produced by the G20 Research Group summit studies team, an analyst for the G7 Research Group summit studies team, and worked on compliance research. Alissa has been interested in Chinese history and politics as well as China's role in global governance. She was a member of the field team at the G7 Elmau Summit in Germany in 2015. |
Meredith Williams, BAH, [email] was the lead researcher on digital innovation and financial regulation for the G7 Research Group and the G20 Research Group since 2015. She graduated from Queen's University with an honours bachelor of arts in political science with a specialization in international relations and international political economy. She holds a master of law degree in innovation technology from the University of Edinburgh Law School, where she focused on data protection and consumer privacy under the General Data Protection Regulation. Meredith has held various strategy positions within wealth management at some of Canada's largest banks. |
Past Chairs of Summit Studies |
| Abdi Aidid was chair of summit studies for the G8 Camp David Summit in 2012. He holds a BA and an LLM from the University of Toronto and a JD from Yale Law School |
Humayun Ahmed was co-chair of summit studies for the 2017 Taormina Summit. He was involved in the G7 Research Group since 2015, as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director prior to his appointment as co-chair. He was involved in a range of biomedical science research since 2010, and worked in breast cancer genetics and epidemiology research at the Institute of Medical Sciences, and health policy analysis in conjunction with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Health Quality Ontario. Humayun has published and presented in the biomedical, finance and education sectors. He holds a BA in biology from Drake University and an MSc in medical science from the University of Toronto. |
Sarah Beard was the chair of summit studies for the 2017 Taormina Summit until April 2017, when she resigned in order to take up a position at Global Affairs Canada. She was involved with the G7 Research Group since 2009, and worked as both a compliance analyst and a lead analyst before her appointment as chair. She holds a Master of Philosophy degree in international relations from the University of Oxford, where she conducted research on the role of regional organizations in conflict mediation and went on to pursue a second master's degree in public policy from Carleton University. |
 Ambra Bisagni was co-chair of summit studies for Italy's 2024 Apulia Summit. She began working with the G7 Research Group in 2021, serving as a compliance analyst and a lead analyst. Ambra completed her batchelor's degree at the University of Toronto, pursuing a double major in political science and environmental studies, and went on to pursue a master of environmental studies at UPenn. Her research interests included geopolitics, international security, environmental policy and crisis management, and she hoped to pursue a career in this field in the future. |
Katrina Bland was chair of summit studies for the 2018 Charlevois Summit, having served as lead analyst. She was also a compliance analyst for the G20 Research Group. Her research focused on G7 and G20 gender and health issues, in addition to her other research interests in cross-cultural communication and international law. She holds an Honours BA in international relations and political science from the University of Toronto, an LLB from McGill University and a BCL from Oxford University. |
Meagan Byrd was chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group and an analyst with the G20 Research Group for the 2020 US-hosted year. She was a member of the field team for the G20's summit in Buenos Aires in 2018 and the G7's summit in Biarritz in 2019. Her research interests included international journalism, political communications and diplomacy. Meagan holds an honours bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Toronto and a master of journalism from the University of King's College in Halifax. |
| Janet Chow was chair of summit studies for the G8 Heiligendamm Summit in 2017. She holds an honours BA in international relations from the University of Toronto, an MA in international affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University and a JD from the University of Ottawa. |
| Vanessa Corlazolli was chair of summit studies for the 2006 St. Petersburg Summit. She holds an honours BA in peace and conflict studies from the University of Toronto and an MA in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. |
| Netila Demneri was chair of summit studies for the G8 and G20 Research Groups from 2009 to 2011. She holds a BA in political science from the University of Toronto. |
| Salimah Y. Ebrahim was co-chair of summit studies for the G8 2003 Evian Summit. She holds an BA in international relations and Middle East History from the University of Toronto, and an MA in science and climate communication from Columbia University. |
Sophia Glisch was the co-chair of summit studies for the 2017 Taormina Summit. She was involved in the G7 Research Group since 2015 a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director prior to her appointment as co-chair. Outside the group, Sophia was involved in quantitative and qualitative research consulting, translation and editing, publishing and presenting in the biomedical, finance and education sectors; she has also served in executive and advisory roles at several biotech, marketing, media and education companies. She owns and operates an education-technology company, regularly teaches standardized test preparation courses and consults for other businesses. She holds an honours bachelor of science from the University of Toronto. |
 Ilya Goheen was co-chair of summit studies for France's 2026 Evian Summit. He was a fourth-year student studying European affairs, public policy and political science at the University of Toronto. Ilya worked with the global governance group since 2022 in a variety of roles. His research interests included environmental policy, international security and strategic narratives. He went on to pursue an MA in European and Eurasian studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. |
 Samraggi Hazra was co-chair of summit studies for Italy's 2024 Apulia Summit. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she completed an honours bachelor of arts in ethics, society and law, international relations, and political science, and went on to pursue a JD at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. She worked as a compliance analyst for both the G7 and G20 Research Groups, and as a research assistant and a compliance director for the G7 Research Group. She also served as the co-chair of the G20 Research Group for India's 2023 New Delhi Summit. Samraggi's research interests included international law, health policy, geopolitics and international security. |
Angela Min Yi Hou was co-chair of summit studies for the 2019 Biarritz Summit, a compliance director with the G20 Research Group and the editor of the BRICS Research Group. She holds a double major in international relations and contemporary Asian Studies from the University of Toronto and a Masters in International Affairs, Environment, Resources and Sustainability, and International Trade and Finance from the Geneva Graduate Institute. She was a member of the field teams at the G20 summit in Hamburg in Germany in 2017, the G7 summit in Charlevoix in Canada in 2018, and the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in South Africa in 2018. |
Michael Humeniuk was the chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2016 Ise-Shima Summit. He was involved with the research group since 2012. In 2015, at the Schloss Elmau Summit, Michael was appointed as chair. He completed his undergraduate studies, majoring in neuroscience and immunology, and minoring in political science and philosophy. |
 Matthew Kieffer was co-chair of summit studies for the 2022 Elmau Summit hosted by Germany. He began working with the G7 and G20 Research Groups in 2019, serving as a compliance analyst and lead analyst with the G7 Research Group, and as a compliance director for the G20 Research Group. Matthew finished his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, with a double major in international relations and economics, with a minor in visual studies. |
Enko Koceku was chair of summit studies for the 2014 Brussels and 2015 Elmau summits. He was involved in the research group since 2010, beginning as a researcher and then serving as co-director of compliance in 2012 and 2013. He was appointed chair in 2013 and led the field team to the 2013 Lough Erne Summit in Northern Island and the 2014 Brussels Summit. He completed his Honours BA in political science with a minor in English at the University of Toronto in 2014, and holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management. |
 Angus MacKellar was co-chair of summit studies for Canada's 2025 Kananaskis Summit. He was in his third year at the University of Toronto on exchange at Sciences Po Paris. As a student in the Peace, Conflict and Justice and International Relations Programs, Angus used his time in Paris to focus on intelligence and security, which he hoped to continue to pursue in the future. Angus served the G7 Research Group as both a compliance analyst and a compliance director, primarily researching development and education, since 2022. He was also a member of the field team at Italy's 2024 Apulia Summit. He went on to pursue an MPhil in economic history at the University of Oxford. |
 Malhaar Moharir was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2023 Hiroshima Summit. He was a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a double major in international relations and political science, and went on to earn an MPhil in politics and international relations from the University of Cambridge. Malhaar worked with the Global Governance Research Groups since 2019 as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director with the G7 and G20 Research Groups. His research interests included global institutions, political economy, geopolitics and international security, and hopes to pursue both academic and policy-oriented work in the future. |
| Tony Navaneelan was chair of summit studies for the 2005 G8 Gleneagles Summit. He holds a BA in political science and government and a JD from the University of Toronto. |
| Bob Papanikolaou was co-chair of summit studies for the 2003 Evian Summit and chair of summit studies for the 2004 Sea Island Summit. He holds a BA from the University of Toronto. |
 Gabrielle Regimbal was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2022 Elmau Summit hosted by Germany. She worked with the G20 and G7 Research Groups since 2018, as a compliance analyst and lead analyst respectively. Gabrielle completed a double major in international relations and European studies at the University of Toronto in 2022, where she focused on international law and human rights, and went on to pursue an LLM at Columbia University. |
 Keah Sharma was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for the 2023 Hiroshima Summit. She worked as a lead analyst with the G7 Research Group and a compliance analyst and compliance director for the G20 Research Group. Keah was in her third year at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science and minoring in contemporary Asian studies and literature and critical theory, and went on to pursue a doctor of law at the American University Washington College of Law. Her research interests included international accountability and cooperation, digital transnational repression and the protection of human rights. She has previously worked with organizations such as PEN America and the Laidlaw Foundation and was interested in ways to promote government transparency. |
| Sarah Yun was chair of summit studies for the 2009 L'Aquila Summit. She holds an honours BA in political science and English from the University of Toronto, an MSc in comparative social policy from the University of Oxford and a JD from the University of Toronto. |
| Clifton Van der Linden was chair of summit studies for the 2008 G8 Toyako Hokkaido Summit. He holds an honours BA in economics and political science from McMaster University, an MA in journalism from Western University and a PhD in political science from the University of Toronto. |
 Petrina van Nieuwstadt was co-chair of summit studies for the G7 Research Group for France's 2026 presidency. She was pursuing a degree in philosophy at the University of Toronto, where she also served as a teaching assistant and as a research fellow at the Jackman Humanities Institute. Her roles with the G7 Research Group included compliance analyst for Japan's 2023 Hiroshima Summit, lead analyst for Italy's 2024 Apulia Summit, and editor on the executive team for Canada's 2025 Kananaskis Summit. She was also a field team member at both the Apulia and Kananaskis summits. |
G7 Research Group
Trinity College
6 Hoskin Avenue
Toronto ON M5S 1H8
Canada
1-416-946-8953
g7@utoronto.ca
 — 
|
This Information System is provided by the University of Toronto Libraries and the G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto. |
|
Please send comments to:
g7@utoronto.ca This page was last updated November 03, 2026. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
All contents copyright © 2026. University of Toronto unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.