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Awards

Jason Stearns named inaugural FASS Newsmaker of the Year

September 21, 2026

Congratulations to International Studies associate professor Jason Stearns for receiving the inaugural Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Newsmaker of the Year Award

The FASS Newsmaker of the Year Award recognizes continuing FASS faculty members who, based on their research expertise, have demonstrated an impact on advancing public knowledge and shaping public opinion in the previous calendar year.

Over the past year, Stearns drew on his extensive expertise to help global audiences understand the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through interviews, commentary, and op-eds in major news outlets, he provided critical context on the conflict's causes and implications. His commitment to bringing evidence-based research into public conversations has earned him the FASS Newsmaker of the Year Award. 

Award recipient

Jason Stearns

International Studies

Jason Stearns is associate professor at Simon Fraser University’s School for International Studies and a scholar of conflict and politics in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is the co-founder of two research institutes : the Congo Research Group, based at New York University, and Ebuteli, based in Kinshasa. His research focuses on armed conflict, social movements, and international intervention in Africa. He is the author of two books, Dancing in the Glory of Monsters (PublicAffairs 2010) and The War That Doesn't Say Its Name (Princeton 2022). He has conducted research in the Great Lakes region for more than two decades and regularly contributes to policy and public debates on African security and governance.

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