Globalization Student Highlight: Kristen and The Diamond Industry

Wondering if a Masters in Globalization could be the right fit for you? Explore this potential path!

Kristen Kirby is a current Globalization Masters student. She is a student with hands on Jeweler experience focusing her research paper on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPSC) and the diamond industry. The following is Kristen’s input on her experience in this program and why it is a great fit for her.

What was your education path like?
I graduated from McMaster with a BA (Hons) in Global Peace and Social Justice and Environment and Society. During my undergrad, I took several courses on globalization and became interested in how globalization is often an invisible process that impacts socioeconomics, human rights, and environmental sustainability.

What is the Master’s Program like?
The program is incredibly interdisciplinary and offers students an opportunity to learn and engage with complex global issues from multiple perspectives. The program has broadened my understanding, provided me with a more nuanced worldview, and is relevant and critical in today’s interconnected world.

What is the focus of your Major Research Paper?
My research will focus on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPSC) and the certification’s implicit and explicit function within the global diamond industry. The diamond industry has historically been known for its lack of transparency and ethical concerns. In response to these issues, the KPCS is an international regulation and multilateral trade regime established in 2003 to control the import and export of ‘conflict’ diamonds. My paper will examine the limitations of the KPSC as an international regulatory mechanism in ensuring transparency, highlighting the diamond industry’s accountability challenges.