Pablo Policzer

Pablo Policzer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Arts. His academic work focuses primarily on Latin American politics, with special attention to governance from a complex systems perspective.

Policzer earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of British Columbia in 1989 and completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2001.

His research interests span comparative politics of Latin America, with particular focus on the evolution of violent conflict among armed actors such as militaries, police forces, and non-state armed groups in both authoritarian and democratic regimes. More recently, Policzer has been studying collaborative governance in extractive industry areas, especially involving indigenous communities, through a complex systems lens. This work is part of his participation in the university's "Human Dynamics in a Changing World" strategic initiative (2015-2021). He is currently developing a project exploring collaborative governance in the extractive sector in Latin America with partners across disciplines in different parts of the region.

Policzer's scholarly output reveals a consistent engagement with Chilean politics, indigenous rights, and the dynamics of political violence in Latin America. His work increasingly incorporates complex systems theory to understand governance challenges, particularly in resource extraction contexts involving indigenous communities. His publications span academic journals, books, and public commentary in outlets like Latinoamérica21 and Le Monde Diplomatique, demonstrating both scholarly rigor and engagement with contemporary political debates in the region.

• CPSA Comparative Politics Prize (2010)
• Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title (2009)
• Tier II CRC in Latin American Politics (2005)

Policzer has supervised numerous graduate students across various degree programs including PhD, MA, and MSS candidates. His former doctoral students have completed dissertations on topics ranging from peasant movements in Haiti and Nicaragua to presidential power in Brazil. Many of his students have received departmental awards for their theses. He has also been involved in collaborative research projects exploring less technocratic and more collaborative forms of governance in the extractive sector in Latin America, drawing inspiration from global normative shifts toward greater participation with indigenous communities.

Currently, Policzer is developing a new course on Complex Governance for the 2023-24 academic year that will draw on his research into collaborative governance models. His teaching portfolio includes POLI 473 States and Regimes in Latin America, POLI 359 Introduction to Comparative Politics, and POLI 201 Introduction to Politics and Government, demonstrating his commitment to both specialized and foundational political science education.