Vincent Pouliot
James McGill Professor
External Awards:
Bessel Prize, Humboldt Foundation (2023-2024)
Member, Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists (2018-...)
Hedley Bull Prize in International Relations (ECPR), 2017
Second Place, Chadwick Alger Award (ISA), 2017
Best Article Award (ISA Diplomatic Studies), 2017
Best Article Award (EJIR), 2015 (with Rebecca Adler-Nissen)
Prize in International Relations (CPSA), 2011
At McGill University:
James McGill Professor (2018-...)
William Dawson Scholar (2011-2018)
“Best Course in International Relations” (2016), Political Science Students Association
Faculty of Arts Award for Distinction in Research (2015)
"Best Course in International Relations" (2014), Political Science Students Association
International fellowships:
Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) (2023-2024)
European University Institute (2023)
Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2022)
Vienna Institute of International Studies (2022)
Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) (2017)
CÉRI-Sciences Po Paris (2014-2016)
School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland (2015)
Institut d'études avancées de Paris (2014-2015)
Technische Universitat Darmstadt (2015)
Waseda University, Tokyo (2008)
PhD, University of Toronto (2008)
By appointment; please email
International Relations
Political sociology of international organizations
Global governance and global policymaking
Global historical sociology
Multilateral diplomacy
IR and social theory
The Global Politics of Languages (book project)
The Politics of Hybrid Global Governance Practices (SSHRC-funded project, 2020-2025)
Books
9. With Jean-Philippe Thérien (2024), Comment s'élabore une politique mondiale. Dans les coulisses de l'ONU. Paris: Presses de Sciences Po.
8. With Jean-Philippe Thérien (2023), Global Policymaking: The Patchwork of Global Governance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
7. With Piki Ish-Shalom and Markus Kornprobst, eds. (2021), Theorizing World Orders: Cognitive Evolution and Beyond. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
6. Vincent Pouliot (2017), L’ordre hiérarchique international. Les luttes de rang dans la diplomatie multilatérale. Paris: Presses de Sciences Po.
5. Vincent Pouliot (2016), International Pecking Orders: The Politics and Practice of Multilateral Diplomacy. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press.
Winner of the inaugural Hedley Bull Prize in International Relations (2017) awarded by the ECPR; second place, Chadwick Alger Award (2017) for the best book on international organizations (ISA); finalist (2017), International Theory Book Prize (ISA); finalist (2017), CPSA Prize in International Relations; shortlisted, Susan Strange Book Prize (BISA)
4. Ole Jacob Sending, Vincent Pouliot and Iver B. Neumann, eds. (2015), Diplomacy and the Making of World Politics. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press.
3. Emanuel Adler and Vincent Pouliot, eds. (2011), International Practices. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press.
Mandarin translation now available.
2. Vincent Pouliot (2010), International Security in Practice: The Politics of NATO-Russia Diplomacy. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press.
Winner of the 2011 Prize in International Relations awarded by the Canadian Political Science Association for “the best book published in 2009 or 2010”; and recipient of a Honorable Mention for the 2011 Lepgold Prize awarded by Georgetown University for “exceptional contributions to the study of international relations.”
1. Markus Kornprobst, Vincent Pouliot, Nisha Shah and Ruben Zaiotti, eds. (2008), Metaphors of Globalization: Mirrors, Magicians and Mutinies. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Articles in refereed journals
37. Lou Pingeot and Vincent Pouliot (2024), "Agency Is Positionally Distributed: Practice Theory and (Post-) Colonial Structures," International Studies Quarterly.
36. Vincent Pouliot and Ole Jacob Sending (2024), "Wager Upon Wager: Assessing Iver B. Neumann's Contribution to International Relations," Cooperation and Conflict, first view.
35. Vincent Pouliot and Scott Patterson (2024), "Domesticating Wealth Inequality," Global Studies Quarterly.
34. Vincent Pouliot (2023), "Une vision particulièrement lucide du métier d'internationaliste et de ses pratiques quotidiennes," Études internationales 52(2): 200-204.
33. Vincent Pouliot (2021), "Beyond the Profession, Into the Everyday? Grasping the Politics of Diplomatic Practice," International Political Sociology 15(4): 559-562.
32. With Costas Constantinou et al. (2021), "Thinking with Diplomacy: Within and Beyond Practice Theory," International Political Sociology, 15(4): 562-566.
31. Vincent Pouliot (2021), "Global Governance in the Age of Epistemic Authority," International Theory 13(1): 144-156.
30. Vincent Pouliot (2020), "The Gray Area of Institutional Change: How the Security Council Transforms Its Practices on the Fly," Journal of Global Security Studies 6(3), lead article.
29. Vincent Pouliot (2020), "Historical Institutionalism Meets Practice Theory: Renewing the Selection Process of the United Nations Secretary-General," International Organization 74(4): 742-772.
28. Jean-Philippe Thérien and Vincent Pouliot (2020), "Global Governance as Patchwork: The Making of the Sustainable Development Goals," Review of International Political Economy 27(3): 612-636.
27. Emanuel Adler and Vincent Pouliot, “Prácticas internacionales,” Revista Uruguaya de Ciencia Politica 28(1), 2019, 15-58.
26. Vincent Pouliot and Jean-Philippe Thérien (2018), "Global Governance in Practice," Global Policy 9(2): 163-172.
25. Vincent Pouliot (2018), "La logique du praticable: une théorie de la pratique des communautés de sécurité," Études internationales 48(2): 153-190.
24. Vincent Pouliot (2018), "La logique du praticable dans le rétroviseur," Études internationales 48(2): 257-270.
23. Vincent Pouliot and Jean-Philippe Thérien (2018), "Global Governance: A Struggle Over Universal Values," International Studies Review 20(1): 55-73.
22. James Ford, Michelle Maillet, Vincent Pouliot, Thomas Meredith and Alicia Cavanaug (2016), "Adaptation and Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change," Climatic Change 139(3-4): 429-443.
21. Vincent Pouliot (2016), "Hierarchy in Practice: Multilateral Diplomacy and the Governance of International Security," European Journal of International Security 1 (1): 5-26. [Related blog post]
Co-winner, 2017 Best Article Award (ISA Diplomatic Studies)
20. Vincent Pouliot and Jean-Philippe Thérien (2015), "The Politics of Inclusion: Changing Patterns in the Governance of International Security," Review of International Studies 41 (2): 211-237.
19. Vincent Pouliot and Jérémie Cornut (2015), “Practice Theory and the Study of Diplomacy: A Research Agenda,” Cooperation and Conflict 50 (3): 297-315.
18. Andrew Cooper and Vincent Pouliot (2015), “How Much Is Global Governance Changing? The G20 as International Practice,” Cooperation and Conflict 50 (3): 334-350.
17. Rebecca Adler-Nissen and Vincent Pouliot (2014), "Power in Practice: Negotiating the International Intervention in Libya," European Journal of International Relations 20 (4): 889-911.
Best Article Award, EJIR 2014-2015 (ECPR)
16. Daniel H. Nexon and Vincent Pouliot (2013), "'Things of Networks': Situating ANT in International Relations," International Political Sociology 7 (3): 342-345.
15. Emanuel Adler and Vincent Pouliot (2011), “International Practices,” International Theory 3 (1): 1-36. [Follow-up blog post (2015)]
14. Iver B. Neumann and Vincent Pouliot (2011), “Untimely Russia: Hysteresis in Russian-Western Relations over the Past Millennium,” Security Studies 20 (1): 105-137.
13. Vincent Pouliot (2011), “Multilateralism as an End in Itself,” International Studies Perspectives 12 (1): 18-26.
12. Ole Jacob Sending, Vincent Pouliot and Iver B. Neumann (2011), “The Future of Diplomacy: Changing Practices, Evolving Relationships,” International Journal 66 (3), 527-542.
11. Vincent Pouliot (2011), “Diplomats as Permanent Representatives: The Practical Logics of the Multilateral Pecking Order,” International Journal 66 (3): 543-561.
10. Vincent Pouliot (2010), “The Materials of Practice: Nuclear Warheads, Rhetorical Commonplaces and Committee Meetings in Russian-Atlantic Relations,” Cooperation and Conflict 45 (3): 294-311.
9. Vincent Pouliot (2008), “The Logic of Practicality: A Theory of Practice of Security Communities,” International Organization 62 (2): 257-288.
Selected among the “greatest hits” by the editors in “International Organization at 70”
8. Frédéric Mérand and Vincent Pouliot (2008), “Le monde de Pierre Bourdieu : Éléments pour une théorie sociale des relations internationales,” Canadian Journal of Political Science 41 (3): 603-625.
7. Vincent Pouliot (2007), “‘Sobjectivism’: Toward a Constructivist Methodology,” International Studies Quarterly 51 (2): 359-384.
6. Vincent Pouliot (2007), “Pacification without Collective Identification: Russia and the Transatlantic Security Community in the post-Cold War Era,” Journal of Peace Research 44 (5): 603-620.
5. Vincent Pouliot (2006), “The Alive and Well Transatlantic Security Community: A Theoretical Reply to Michael Cox,” European Journal of International Relations 12 (1): 119-127.
4. Jean-Philippe Thérien and Vincent Pouliot (2006), “The Global Compact: Shifting the Politics of International Development?” Global Governance 12 (1): 55-75.
3. Vincent Pouliot (2004), “The Essence of Constructivism,” Journal of International Relations and Development 7 (3): 319-336.
2. Vincent Pouliot and Niels Lachmann (2004), “Les communautés de sécurité, vecteurs d’ordre régional et international,” Revue internationale et stratégique 54: 131-140.
1. Vincent Pouliot (2003), “La Russie et la communauté atlantique. Vers une culture commune de sécurité?” Études internationales 34 (1): 25-51.
Chapters in refereed edited collections
21. “Practice Analysis,” in Fanny Badache, Leah R. Kimber and Lucile Maertens, eds., International Organizations and Research Methods: An Introduction. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 325-332.
20. With Jennifer Welsh, Frédéric Mérand, T.V. Paul and Jean-Philippe Thérien (2023), “La gouvernance mondiale dans la foulée de la pandémie,” in Frédéric Mérand and Jennifer Welsh, eds., Le monde d’après. Les conséquences de la COVID-19 sur les relations internationales. Montréal: Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 39-58.
19. Vincent Pouliot (2022), "The Evolution of International Practices,” in Alena Drieschova, Christian Bueger and Ted Hopf, eds., Conceptualizing International Practices: Directions for the Practice Turn in International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
18. Vincent Pouliot, Markus Kornprobst and Piki Ish-Shalom (2021), “Cognitive Evolution and World Ordering: Opening New Vistas,” in Markus Kornprobst, Piki Ish-Shalom and Vincent Pouliot, eds., Theorizing World Orders: Cognitive Evolution and Beyond. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
17. Frédéric Mérand and Vincent Pouliot (2020), “International Institutions and Peaceful Change,” in T.V. Paul, Deborah Welch Larson, Harold A. Trinkunas, Anders Wivel and Ralf Emmers, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Peaceful Change in International Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
16. Sarah-Myriam Martin-Brûlé, Lou Pingeot and Vincent Pouliot (2019), "The Power Politics of United Nations Peace Operations," in Anders Wivel and T.V. Paul, eds., International Institutions and Power Politics: Bridging the Divide. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
15. Vincent Pouliot (2017), "Against Authority: The Heavy Weight of International Hierarchy," in Ayse Zarakol, ed., Hierarchies in World Politics, Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 113-133.
14. Jérémie Cornut and Vincent Pouliot (2017), "Bilateral and Multilateral Diplomatic Practices," in Pauline Kerr and Geoffrey Wiseman, eds., Diplomacy in a Globalizing World, Oxford: Oxford University, 185-198.
13. Vincent Pouliot (2015), "The Practice of Permanent Representation at International Organizations," in Ole Jacob Sending, Vincent Pouliot and Iver B. Neumann, eds., Diplomacy and the Making of World Politics, Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 80-108.
12. Ole Jacob Sending, Vincent Pouliot and Iver B. Neumann, "Introduction," in Ole Jacob Sending, Vincent Pouliot and Iver B. Neumann, eds., Diplomacy and the Making of World Politics, Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1-28.
11. Vincent Pouliot (2014), “Practice Tracing,” in Andrew Bennett and Jeffrey T. Checkel, eds., Process Tracing: From Metaphor to Analytic Tool, Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 237-259.
10. Vincent Pouliot (2014), “Setting Status in Stone: The Negotiation of International Institutional Privileges,” in T.V. Paul, Deborah Welch Larson and William Wohlforth, eds., Status in World Politics, Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 192-217.
9. Vincent Pouliot (2012), “Regional Security Practices and Russian-Atlantic Relations,” in T.V. Paul, ed., International Relations Theory and Regional Transformation. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 210-229.
8. Vincent Pouliot (2012), “Methodology: Putting Practice Theory in Practice,” in Rebecca Adler-Nissen, ed., Bourdieu in International Relations. London and New York: Routledge, 45-58.
7. Vincent Pouliot and Frédéric Mérand (2012), “A Political Sociology of International Relations,” in Rebecca Adler-Nissen, ed., Bourdieu in International Relations. London and New York: Routledge, 24-44.
6. Vincent Pouliot (2011), "The Year NATO Lost Russia," in Frédéric Mérand, Martial Foucault and Bastien Irondelle, eds., European Security Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 239-259.
5. Vincent Pouliot (2011), “Constructivism in International Relations,” in International Encyclopedia of Political Science. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
4. Vincent Pouliot (2010), “Teaching International Political Sociology,” in Bob Denemark, ed., International Studies Encyclopedia. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell, 6820-6839.
3. Vincent Pouliot (2008), “Reflexive Mirror: Everything Takes Place As If Threats Were Going Global," in Markus Kornprobst, Vincent Pouliot, Nisha Shah and Ruben Zaiotti, eds., Metaphors of Globalization: Mirrors, Magicians and Mutinies. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 34-49.
2. Markus Kornprobst, Vincent Pouliot, Nisha Shah and Ruben Zaiotti, “Introduction: Mirrors, Magicians and Mutinies of Globalization," in Markus Kornprobst, Vincent Pouliot, Nisha Shah and Ruben Zaiotti, eds., Metaphors of Globalization: Mirrors, Magicians and Mutinies. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008, pp. 1-16.
1. Markus Kornprobst, Vincent Pouliot, Nisha Shah and Ruben Zaiotti (2008), "Conclusion: Metaphors We Globalize By," in Markus Kornprobst, Vincent Pouliot, Nisha Shah and Ruben Zaiotti, eds., Metaphors of Globalization: Mirrors, Magicians and Mutinies. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 237-252.
Other publications
15. Vincent Pouliot (2024), Guillaume Devin vu d'ailleurs. Trois regards d'universitaires francophones, Études internationales.
14. Vincent Pouliot (2023), IR Scholarship-Best Praxis, festschrift for Stefano Guzini edited by Trine Villumsen Berling and Ulrik Pram Gad, Danish Institute for International Studies.
13. Lou Pingeot and Vincent Pouliot (2017), "Replacer la paix au coeur des opérations de l'ONU," Policy Options, 7 November.
12. Vincent Pouliot (2017), "Les défis du multilatéralisme et de la gouvernance mondiale," Fellows 22.
11. Lou Pingeot and Vincent Pouliot (2017), "New Trends in United Nations-led Peace Operations: Canadian and Global Perspectives," CIPSS conference report.
10. Emanuel Adler and Vincent Pouliot (2015), "Fulfilling the Promises of Practice Theory in IR," International Studies Quarterly blog.
9. Vincent Pouliot (2015), "Making Sense of Diplomatic Pecking Orders in International Security," European Journal of International Security blog.
8. Vincent Pouliot and Jérémie Cornut (2015), “Diplomacy in Theory and in Practice” (special issue), Cooperation and Conflict 50 (3).
7. Vincent Pouliot, Ole Jacob Sending and Iver B. Neumann, eds. (2011), “The Future of Diplomacy” (special issue), International Journal 66 (3).
6. Vincent Pouliot (2011), “Dealing with the Symbolic Irritant in NATO-Russia Diplomacy,” NATO Review (summer).
5. Vincent Pouliot (2011), “Author’s Response (Review of Vincent Pouliot’s International Security in Practice),” H-Diplo/ISSF Roundtable 2 (5), 44-53.
4. Vincent Pouliot and Frédéric Mérand (2010), “Pierre Bourdieu et la théorie des relations internationales,” in Alex Macleod and Dan O’Meara, eds., Théories des relations internationales. Contestations et résistances, 2nd edition. Montreal: Athena, 421-437.
3. Vincent Pouliot (2010), Book review of Stéphane Roussel, ed., “Culture stratégique et politique de défense. L’expérience canadienne,” in Canadian Journal of Political Science 43 (1).
2. Vincent Pouliot (2008), “Alliance,” Communauté de sécurité,” “Complexe de sécurité,” “Culture stratégique,” “Sécurité collective,” in Alex Macleod, ed., Relations internationales et sécurité : théories et concepts, 3rd edition. Montreal: Athena.
1. Vincent Pouliot (2005), Book review of Janice Bially Mattern, “Ordering International Politics,” International Affairs 81 (4), 862-864.
POLI245—Introduction aux relations internationales
POLI345—International Organizations
POLI449—Diplomacy in Practice
POLI575—Honours Seminar: The Politics of Global Governance
POLI671—International Relations Theory
POLI676—International Political Sociology: IR as Postcolonial Relations
POLI678—Research Workshop in International Politics
POLI700—PhD Field Seminar