Chaire de recherche du Canada en ÉPI

Université Laval

Team

Cynthia Couette is doing a PhD in cotutelle in Political Science at Laval University and in Regulation and Governance at the Australian National University. She is doing her research under the supervision of Prof. Jean-Frédéric Morin and Prof. Susan K. Sell. Her doctoral research builds on her master's thesis and is focused on the influence of private actors in the global governance of pharmaceutical patents. 

She completed her master's degree with research in International Studies (profile International Relations) at the Graduate School of International Studies, at Laval University. She also has a bachelor's degree in International Studies and Modern Languages, profile International Development.

On the side, Cynthia has been working as a Research Assistant for the chair's project The Polycentric Governance of the Earth's Orbital Space since 2021. She was first responsible for doing interviews before she joined the graphic visualization and analysis team. 

Research interest

Global Governance
International Political Economy
Non-State Actors
Social Justice
Pharmaceutical Patents

Teaching

Teaching Assistant for the course POL-1005 International Relations and the Challenges of Globalization

Peer-reviewed articles

  • Beaumier, G., C. Couette & JF Morin (2024) "Hybrid organisations and governance systems: the case of the European Space Agency," Journal of European Public Policy, DOI: 10.1080/13501763.2024.2325647 


    The constitutive organisations of governance systems tend to multiply and diversify over time. In parallel, a tendency toward homophily favours the creation of clusters of homogeneous organisations. Yet, few systems drift to the point of disconnection or dislocation. Several remain sufficiently cohesive to allow adaptation and other complex properties to emerge. To maintain equilibrium between order and chaos, some organisations must create bridges between otherwise homogeneous groups. This paper argues that hybrid organisations are ideally suited for this role. By their nature, hybrids share characteristics with different types of organisations in global governance, allowing them to overcome strict homophily and create bridges across clusters. Hybrids benefit from acting as brokers and in doing so, they facilitate the exchange of material and ideational resources across the governance system. Even if it is not their intention, they contribute to holding governance systems together and counterbalance the effect of homophily. We illustrate this argument by examining the space governance system and the hybrid nature, bridging activities, and brokerage role of the European Space Agency.


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