About Us

MIR: Canada’s premier undergraduate journal of international affairs

The McGill International Review was founded in 2000 under the International Relations Students’ Association of McGill (IRSAM) as a student-led print journal dedicated to international affairs. From its earliest years, MIR sought to create a space where undergraduate perspectives could contribute to serious debates on global politics. Early contributors included Louise Arbour, the Governor General of Canada and formerly a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as renowned Canadian historian Desmond Morton.

In the early 2010s, MIR began its transformation from a traditional print journal into the publication it is today. The launch of its digital platform allowed MIR to move toward continuous, year-round commentary and analysis and to reach readers well beyond McGill. By the mid-2010s, the publication had grown rapidly, reaching more than 100,000 readers annually. MIR’s work also began to be cited and referenced by publications and institutions including Foreign Policy, Yale University, and the University of Toronto.

MIR also expanded beyond written journalism into podcasts, interviews, video, and other multimedia work. In recent years, podcast guests have included Canada’s 25th Ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae; CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward; UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese; Dr. Joanne Liu, former International President of Médecins Sans Frontières; and Kevin Page, Canada’s inaugural Parliamentary Budget Officer. These conversations have focused on giving students the opportunity to engage directly with leading figures in diplomacy, journalism, public policy, and international affairs.

For much of MIR’s history, its academic print journal and online publication operated under the same name. In 2018, the print journal became the separate Flux: International Relations Review, while MIR continued to develop as a digital publication focused on timely commentary, analysis, and multimedia journalism.

In 2019, MIR received its first Publication of the Year award from the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and has received the honour three more times since. More than twenty-five years after its founding, MIR now brings together over 100 students annually and remains one of McGill’s largest student-run publications, providing a platform for students from around the world to contribute to conversations on international affairs.