Borders in Globalization (University of Victoria)

What Borders in Globalization (University of Victoria) does

Borders in Globalization (BIG_Lab) is an international border research network and academic research laboratory operating within the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. Established in 2013, the lab connects policy actors and academics globally to advance border policy, management, and research. Its core technical asset is the BIG_Dyads Database, a relational repository tracking political, economic, demographic, geographic, and cultural dimensions of more than 800 land and maritime border dyads worldwide, documented in a Version 2 codebook released in 2024.

BIG_Lab's products span scholarly dissemination, data infrastructure, professional development, and public engagement. Scholarly outputs include the open-access peer-reviewed journal BIG_Review, the BIG_Books series, and two podcast series (BIG_Podcast and Frontlines Are Everywhere). The BIG_Dyads Database and its accompanying Codebook constitute the lab's principal data asset. Summer Institutes offer stackable micro-credentials in Border and Cross-Border Law, Trade and Customs, and Immigration and Mobility, delivered through UVic Continuing Studies with facilitation from operational partners including the Canada Border Services Agency, World Customs Organization, and Pacific NorthWest Economic Region. The Constellation of Truths project, funded by a 2025 SSHRC Insight Development Grant, is a novel theoretical framework examining (un)civil society actors in borderlands.

The organization operates as a non-commercial academic unit with no external shareholders. Revenue is generated through competitive research grants (primarily SSHRC), University of Victoria institutional support, and Summer Institute registration fees administered via UVic Continuing Studies. Customers and end-users include academic researchers, border professionals and policy makers, Indigenous-led organizations, and graduate students across North America, Europe, Japan/Asia-Pacific, Africa, Australia, and the United States. A core team of 10 is supported by approximately 52 fellows from academic institutions worldwide.

Name

Borders in Globalization (University of Victoria)

Legal name

Borders in Globalization (BIG_Lab), Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria

Website

https://biglobalization.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Borders in Globalization (BIG_Lab) is an academic research network at the University of Victoria that conducts comparative border studies, maintains the 800+ dyad BIG_Dyads Database, publishes open-access scholarship, and runs professional development programs for border professionals and academics worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Border Studies Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Global Research Universities (Multi-Campus/International Footprint) (EDAHABAI), Treaties, International Law & Boundary Affairs (BPAIAIAD), Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Border studies research
• Academic research network
• Professional development programs
• Open access publishing
• Comparative border policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Victoria

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SSHRC Research Funding: Primary funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Project No. 895-2021-1002) supporting research, publications, and network operations.
2. University of Victoria Support: Institutional support from University of Victoria, including office space at Centre for Global Studies and administrative infrastructure.
3. Summer Institute Registration Fees: Professional development programs offered through UVic Continuing Studies generate revenue from participant registrations for micro-credential programs and individual courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Borders in Globalization (BIG Lab) is an international border research network at the University of Victoria that conducts collaborative, policy-relevant research on contemporary borders and borderlands. Its core offerings include the BIG_Review open-access peer-reviewed journal, the BIG_Books series, the BIG_Dyads Database covering 800+ border dyads worldwide, professional development through Summer Institutes and micro-credentials, two podcast series, and the Constellation of Truths theoretical framework.

Product overview

Borders in Globalization (BIG) is an international border research network at the University of Victoria comprising research publications, educational programs, and knowledge platforms. The core offerings include the BIG_Review peer-reviewed journal and BIG_Books open-access book series for scholarly dissemination; the BIG_Dyads Database (a comprehensive repository covering 800+ border dyads worldwide); the BIG_Podcast and Frontlines Are Everywhere podcast series; Summer Institutes offering micro-credentials in border management; and the Constellation of Truths theoretical framework. Additionally, BIG_Talk Webinars provide ongoing public engagement on contemporary border issues. These products collectively serve academics, policy professionals, border practitioners, and students working at the intersection of borders, migration, trade, and Indigenous sovereignty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BIG_Review

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Transfrontier Euro-Institut Network (TEIN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2026Co-hosting the international conference 'Governing at the Border: Norms, Rules, Cross-Border and Transnational Practices; From the Citizen to the Institution' in Mons, Belgium, October 6-7, 2026. Partnership focuses on border governance research and cross-border management scholarship.
• University of VictoriacoreOthersInstitutional host providing office space, administrative infrastructure, and academic credibility through Centre for Global Studies. Located on traditional territory of WSANEEC, Songhees, and Esquimalt peoples.
• International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizing Border Heritage Sessions at Kyoto conference, November 2026. Partnership supports research on Japan's borders and mobility with competitive travel grants for graduate students and early career researchers.
• Kyoto UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizing international conference 'Shared Heritage? Transcending Insularity in Japan and the World' with Border Heritage Sessions. Focus on border heritage research in Japan.
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional facilitators for Summer Institute Trade and Customs program, providing real-world border agency expertise for professional development courses.
• World Customs Organization (WCO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization contributing to Trade and Customs programming in Summer Institutes, providing customs expertise and global perspective on border management.
• Pacific North West Economic Region (PNWER)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional organization partner contributing to Trade and Customs program delivery in Summer Institutes, focusing on cross-border economic cooperation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: Major public policy research organization producing scholarship on international affairs, economics, and governance. Comparable to BIG as a high-output research and convening institution, though operating at much larger scale across all policy areas.
• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): Established international affairs think tank covering a wide range of geopolitical topics. Comparable to BIG as a network-and-research-driven organization, though with much broader subject coverage and larger scale.
• Wilson Center: Non-partisan policy forum addressing global issues through independent research and convening. Comparable to BIG in combining scholarly research with public programming and policy engagement, but with a broader mandate.

Direct peers

• International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD): Intergovernmental organization supporting migration policy development through research, training, and capacity building. Directly comparable in offering professional development and policy-focused research to border professionals across jurisdictions.
• International Crisis Group: Independent organization working to prevent wars and shape policy through field-based analysis. Comparable to BIG in producing policy-relevant, comparative research with a global footprint and fellows network.
• Migration Policy Institute (MPI): Independent, nonpartisan think tank focused on migration and border policy research, analysis, and education. Directly comparable to BIG in producing policy-relevant data, reports, and training for migration professionals.
• Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI): Independent, nonpartisan think tank producing research and recommendations on global governance issues including borders, trade, and migration. Directly comparable in operating a research network that bridges academia and policy.
• International Migration Institute (IMI) at the University of Oxford: Academic research center producing comparative, interdisciplinary research on global migration and borders. Comparable to BIG as a university-hosted research network producing data assets and scholarly publications.
• Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI), Western Washington University: University-based policy research institute studying the US-Canada border region. Comparable to BIG as an academic border research center combining data, policy analysis, and community engagement.

Regional players

• Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS): Leading European think tank producing research on EU policy including migration and borders. Comparable in producing comparative research and policy briefs for professionals, though focused primarily on European governance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLkv6uge1ejR9oaxcRkENws5hcYc8Q13YN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biguvic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Borders in Globalization (University of Victoria)