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About the G20 Research Group

Who We Are | Regional Offices | Research and Publications | Contact Us

The G20 Research Group is a global network of scholars, students and professionals in the academic, research, business, non-governmental and other communities who follow the work of the G20 leaders, finance ministers and central bank governors, and other G20 institutions. It is directed from Trinity College in the University of Toronto, also the home of the G7 Research Group.

Our mission is to serve as the world's leading independent source of information and analysis on the G20. As scholars, we accurately describe, explain and interpret what the G20 and its members do. As teachers and public educators, we present to the global community and G20 governments the results of our research and information about the G20. As citizens, we foster transparency and accountability in G20 governance, including assessments of G20 members' compliance with their summit commitments and the connection between civil society and G20 governors. And as professionals, we offer policy advice about G20 governance, but do not engage in advocacy for or about the G20 or the issues it might address.

The G20 Research Group hosts the G20 Information Centre, a comprehensive permanent collection of information and analysis available online at no charge. It complements the G7 Information Centre, which houses publicly available archives on the G20 as well as the G7 and G8, and the BRICS Information Centre.

The G20 Research Group also hosts a speakers series in its efforts to educate scholars and the public about the issues and agenda of the G20. Past speakers have included senior officials of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and scholars from Columbia University and elsewhere.

For each G20 summit and other related meetings, when possible, the G20 Research Group sends a field team to assist the world's media on site and collect the documentation uniquely available there.

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Who We Are

John J. Kirton [email] is director of the G20 Research Group, G7 Research Group, and the Global Health Diplomacy Program, and co-director of the BRICS Research Group, 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 Project.

Madeline Koch [email] is the executive director of the G20 Research Group, the G7 and G8 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 Project. She has participated in the G8 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 accountability for the G20 Research Group and the G7 and 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 G8 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 leads the group's work on climate change, energy and accountability.

Julia Kulik, MPP, [email] is director of research for the G20 Research Group, G7 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 G20, G7 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 G20 and G7 summits and delivered papers on various topics of global governance at pre-summit conferences since 2009. She has provided strategic advice to G20 and G7 engagement groups, including the W20 and the U7+ Alliance. Julia leads the group's work on gender equality and summit performance.

Brittaney Warren [email], MES, is director of compliance studies and lead researcher on climate change for the G20 Research Group, the G7 Research Group and the BRICS Research Group at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. She is co-author of Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change (with John Kirton and Ella Kokotsis, Routledge, 2022). She has published on the G20 and G7's governance of climate change and the environment, including its links to health and digitalization, and on accountability measures to improve summit performance. She holds a master's degree in environmental studies from York University and a BA in international relations from the University of Toronto.

Brinda Batra [email] is co-chair, with Tisya Raina, of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for Brazil's 2024 G20 presidency. She is in her third year at the University of Toronto, where she is pursuing a specialist in management and international business. She has worked with the G7 and G20 Research Groups since her first year of studies, and has served as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director. She was a member of the G20 field team for the 2023 New Delhi summit and remains involved with the G7 Research Group as a compliance director. Brinda's research has included trade, international taxation and macroeconomics and she takes a particular interest in international trade law.

Tisya Raina [email] is co-chair, with Brinda Batra, of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for Brazil's 2024 G20 presidency. She is in her third year at the University of Toronto, where she is pursuing a major in peace, conflict and justice, and double minors in contemporary Asian studies and Canadian studies. She has worked with the Global Governance Program's research groups since 2021 as a compliance analyst, lead analyst, and compliance director with the G7 and G20 Research Groups. She is currently also an editor with the G7 Research Group. Tisya's research interests lay in the interaction of national and international law, media bias's relationship with partisanship and misinformation.

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Research Associates

Kathryn Kotris [email] has been a researcher for the G20 Research Group and the G7 and G8 Research Group since 2006. She is on the advisory board of the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy and has been vice-president of compliance VP Compliance for Mortgage Architects since 2006. She graduated with honours from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of arts in political science and history.

Maria Marchyshyn [email] is a researcher for the G20 Research Group, the G7 and G8 Research Group, and the BRICS Research Group and has been involved with them since 2008. Her work focuses on macroeconomic issues, including international trade and finance and topics regarding the European Union. She has worked on compliance reports, and currently specializes on summit conclusions on a wide range of topics. She has 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] is a research associate with the G20 Research Group and the G7 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 B.A. in international relations from the University of Toronto, an LL.B. from Dalhousie University and an LL.M. from Columbia University.

Alissa Wang [email] is a research assistant at the G20 Research Group, the G7 and G8 Research Group, the BRICS Research Group and the Global Health Diplomacy Program, based at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. She is pursuing an undergraduate degree with a specialist in international relations, a major in global health and a minor in political science. She is 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 works on compliance research. Alissa is 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] has been the lead researcher on digital innovation and financial regulation for the G20 Research Group and the G7 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 and is currently pursuing a career at the largest tech company in the world.

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Past Chairs of Summit Studies

Netila Demneri, BA, was chair of the executive of summit studies for the G8 and G20 Research Groups from 2009 to 2011.

Ava-Dayna Sefa, BA, MGA, was chair of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the 2012 Los Cabos and 2013 St. Petersburg summits.

Sarah Scott, BA, [email] was chair of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the 2016 Hangzhou and 2017 Hamburg Summit and a researcher for the G7 Research Group. Her work focused on macroeconomic issues, including international trade, as well as developmental issues. She worked on various compliance reports, and specialized 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.

Antonia Tsapralis, BA, MGA, was chair of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the 2014 Brisbane and 2015 Antalya summits.

Sophie Barnett, [email] was co-chair, with Hélène Emorine, of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the 2017 Hamburg Summit in Germany. She holds an honours bachelor of arts in international relations from the University of Toronto and is currently working towards her juris doctor. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Sophie served as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director, before becoming co-chair. She also attended the 2017 G7 Taormina Summit in Italy.

Hélène Emorine, [email] was co-chair, with Sophie Barnett, of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the 2017 Hamburg Summit in Germany and a researcher for the G7 Research Group. She has been involved with the G20 Research Group since her first year of studies and has served as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director. Her research focuses on cooperation between states and non-state actors through international and plurilateral institutions on counter-terrorism, climate change, tax administration, entrepreneurship and the digital economy. Fully bilingual, Hélène has been interviewed in English and French by Radio-Canada, France 24, CBC and Xinxua News, among others, as an expert on the G20 and the G7. She earned a specialist degree in international relations and a minor in European Union studies from the University of Toronto, and went on to graduate studies at Oxford University.

Alessandra Cicci, [email] was co-chair, with Ji Yoon Han, of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the 2019 Osaka Summit in Japan and a researcher for the G7 Research Group. Her research interests include global governance, migration and human security. Alessandra has been interviewed at various summits by CTV News, Al Jazeera and the BBC, among others. She holds an honours bachelor of arts in political science, Italian and European Union studies and is pursuing graduate studies in public policy and global affairs at Sciences Po and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Ji Yoon Han, [email] was co-chair, with Alessandra Cicci, of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the 2018 Buenos Aires Summit in Argentina. She graduated with an honours bachelor of arts in political science and bioethics from the University of Toronto. Ji Yoon previously served as compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director for both the G20 and G7 Research Groups. Her research interests are in international financial institution reform and trade. Ji Yoon has attended G7 and G20 summits in Hamburg, Germany, Charlevoix, Canada, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is currently completing a master's degree in public policy at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.

Sofia Lopez, [email] was chair of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the 2020 Riyadh Summit in Saudi Arabia and is a researcher for the G7 Research Group.

Mary Noh, [email] was co-chair, with Kaylin Dawe, of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for Italy's 2021 G20 presidency. She served as compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director for both the G20 and G7 Research Groups. Mary completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto with a major in international relations and a minor in East Asian studies and political science. Her research interests include North America's political relations with Asia and Asia's role in global governance. She was a member of the G20 Research Group's team for the 2020 Riyadh Summit.

Kaylin Dawe, [email] co-chaired, with Sonja Dobson, the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for Indonesia's 2022 G20 presidency, and was co-chair with Mary Noh of the team for Italy's 2021 G20 presidency. She earned her HBA at the University of Toronto, graduating in June 2020 with a specialization in political science and a major in history. She has worked with the G20 and G7 Research Groups since 2018, serving as a compliance analyst before becoming a lead analyst for the G7 Research Group, then a compliance director for the G20 Research Group. She was a member of the G20 Research Group's team for the 2020 Riyadh Summit, and remains involved in the G7 Research Group as editor. Her research largely focuses on climate change, emissions reduction and resilience, as well as gender equality.

Sonja Dobson [email] co-chaired the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for the 2022 Indonesian G20 presidency. She has served as editor of the BRICS Research Group since 2018 and is also lead researcher on development for the G7 Research Group. She is a PhD student in peace and conflict studies at the University of Otago in New Zealand, focusing on the intersection of the local and the global. She holds a master's degree in conflict studies and human rights from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and an honours BA in African studies and political science from the University of Toronto.

Samraggi Hazra [email] was co-chair, with Eisha Khan, of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for India's 2023 G20 presidency. She was in her final year at the University of Toronto, where she pursued a double major in international relations and in ethics, society and law, and a minor in political science. She has worked as a compliance analyst for both the G7 and G20 Research Groups, and has also worked as a research assistant. She was also a compliance director with the G7 Research Group. Samraggi's research interests include international law, health policy, geopolitics and international security, and she hopes to continue in this field both academically and professionally.

Eisha Khan [email] was co-chair, with Samraggi Hazra, of the executive of summit studies for the G20 Research Group for India's 2023 G20 presidency. She was a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, pursuing a double major in history and philosophy. Eisha had worked with the Global Governance Program's research groups since 2019 as a compliance analyst, lead analyst and compliance director with the G7 and G20 Research Groups. Her research interests include global affairs and the protection of human rights, in the context of gender equality.

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Regional Offices

Argentina: Buenos Aires

Sabrina Shaw, PhD [email]

Australia: Brisbane

Caitlin Byrne, PhD [email]

Australia: Sydney

Annie Beaulieu [email]

China: Shanghai

Zhu Jiejin, PhD [email]

France: Paris

Hélène Emorine [email]

Japan: Tokyo

Shinichiro Uda [email]

Italy: Rome

Chiara Oldani, PhD [email]

Russia: Vladivostok

Victoria Panova, PhD [email]

United Kingdom: London

Denisse Rudich, MA [email]

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Research and Publications

Among the material available on the G20 Information Centre is a document detailing the plans and prospects for the G20's agenda. The website also contains the regular reports on G20 members' compliance with their summit commitments, produced by the G20 Research Group and its partner at the Center for International Institutions Research (CIIR) of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) in Moscow.

Background Books

Working with the Global Governance Project and GT Media based in the United Kingdom, the G20 Research Group has produced a background publication for every G20 summit since then, all available online as well as in print. Electronic editions are available here.

Academic Books

The G20: Evolution, Interrelationships, Documentation, 2nd edition, Peter I. Hajnal (2019)

Accountability for Effectiveness in Global Governance, edited by Marina Larionova and John Kirton (2017)

China's G20 Governance, John Kirton (2016)

The Global Governance of Climate Change: G7, G20 and UN Leadership, John Kirton and Ella Kokotsis (2015)

The G8-G20 Relationship in Global Governance, edited by Marina Larionova and John Kirton (2015)

G20 Governance for a Globalized World, John Kirton (2013)

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Contact Us

G20 Research Group
Trinity College
6 Hoskin Avenue
Toronto ON M5S 1H8
Canada
1-416-946-8953
g20@utoronto.ca

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