The CFGR is Canada’s only charitable foundation focused solely on supporting and disseminating governance research from a Canadian perspective. Each year, through the Bertram Doctoral Scholarships, the CFGR supports corporate governance research undertaken by Canada’s most promising doctoral students.
Julien
Bazile, Université Laval
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Julien Bazile is a Ph.D. student in
International Management (Faculty of Business Administration, Université
Laval) and a research assistant with the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in
International Business. His research focuses on the resilience of global
supply chains in the face of contemporary systemic risks (geopolitical,
health, environmental and economic). Before attending Université Laval, he
obtained graduate degrees in France and in Asia (specifically at SciencesPo
Rennes and the Foreign Trade University of Hanoi). At the international
level, he worked in different fields related to political strategy and
supporting businesses through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. His
research has been presented several times at international conventions and
has been featured in publications. Because of his university, professional
and social involvement, he was selected to participate in the 61st Graduate
Study Programme at the United Nations Office in Geneva in the summer of 2023,
and was also awarded the Socrates distinction for excellence in teaching, in
addition to receiving research and excellence scholarships (specifically the
Arbour Foundation Scholarship for doctoral-level studies and a Governance
Research scholarship from the Centre universitaire d’expertise en gouvernance
de sociétés). In addition to conducting research, Julien Bazile also works as
an investment analyst with the Strategic Innovation Fund. |
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Patrick
Hartford, University of Toronto
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Patrick
Hartford is a doctoral student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law,
where he also teaches as an adjunct professor in the Global Professional
Master of Laws program. Patrick
received his BCom from McGill before studying law and global affairs at the
University of Toronto. After law school, he clerked for Justice Rosalie
Abella at the Supreme Court of Canada. He founded a LegalTech venture, which
was successfully acquired. Patrick has published several academic articles,
including one on contract law that was cited by the Supreme Court of Canada
in Canada v Fairmont Hotels. Research summary Patrick’s
doctoral thesis explores how corporate governance can evolve to better
account for corporations that are larger and more politically influential
than they were when the traditional theory of the firm emerged. The
traditional contractarian theory of the firm is grounded in private ordering
and conceptualizes the corporation as a nexus of contracts. Critics assert
that due to rising political power of large corporations, this approach to
corporate governance results in uncontrolled externalities. Patrick’s
research seeks to combine the analytical clarity of the contractarian
conception of the firm with a recognition that stakeholder interests can be
harmed if powerful corporations are inadequately regulated. |
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Andréane Sabourin Laflamme, Université de Sherbrooke
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Andréane Sabourin Laflamme is a doctoral
student at the Université de Sherbrooke’s Faculty of Law. She is also a
professor of philosophy at Collège André-Laurendeau. The focus of her Ph.D.
research is on the role of ethics and law in AI governance. She is a collegial researcher at
Obvia (Observatoire international sur les impacts sociétaux de l'IA et du
numérique) and a member of the CrRDG (Centre de recherche sur la régulation
et le droit de la gouvernance) at the Université de Sherbrooke. She is also co-founder of LEN.IA.
(Laboratoire d'éthique du numérique et de l'intelligence artificielle / AI
& Digital Ethics Lab) where she co-leads research projects on the
teaching of AI ethics, on digital citizenship and on AI ethics assessment
tools. She regularly appears in the media and as a speaker at events on
governance, law, and ethical issues related to AI. She also acts as a trainer
and consultant in AI ethics for various organizations. Research summary Her
thesis explores the normative role of ethics and law in implementing suitable
AI mechanisms in the context of its growing integration within organizational
practices. Starting from the premise that recent advances in AI provide
organizations with unprecedented opportunities, but also pose significant
risks, such as discrimination, and privacy and intellectual property
violations, this project proposes, on the basis of a pragmatic ethics, law
and governance theory framework, to connect, in a complementary manner,
ethics and law to develop adaptive, inclusive and contextual governance
mechanisms, thus responding to the specific challenges of AI within
organizations. |
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Mahdieh
Sarbazvatan, University of Calgary
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Mahdieh
Sarbazvatan is nearing the completion of her second year of Ph.D. studies at
the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, focusing on
Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Her recent paper, included with my
application as a writing sample, was accepted for presentation at the 2024
Academy of Management (AoM) Conference in Chicago. Currently, my research
centers on Generative Agent-Based Simulations (GABMs), which allow for the
exploration and quantification of relationships between policy interventions
and social outcomes. These simulations overcome the limitations of
traditional methods, enabling sophisticated modeling of human behavior and
providing a powerful tool for understanding complex social dynamics. This
research is particularly important for corporate governance, as it helps
develop best practices for effective and inclusive decision-making within
organizations. Research summary Her research explores
leveraging Generative AI, particularly Generative Agent-Based Models (GABM),
for enhancing decision-making in corporate governance. Recent advancements in
natural language processing and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have
enabled these models to emulate human-like reasoning. GABM extends
traditional agent-based models by embedding generative models, providing
agents with common sense, advanced reasoning, and cultural knowledge. This
research aims to apply GABM to corporate governance to test hypotheses
related to the influence of cultural orientation and gender diversity on
board decision-making, the impact of cognitive biases on CEOs, and the
preference for GABM simulations among board members. The findings are
expected to offer valuable insights for Canadian organizations, aiding in
better strategic planning and decision-making. |
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