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The Border Policy Research Institute

The Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI) at Western Washington University is a multidisciplinary institute that undertakes research to inform policy-makers on matters related to the Canada–United States border, particularly in the Cascadia region.

Priority focus areas include:

Border management
Economic relationships
Cross-border mobility
Cross-border collaboration

Western Washington University established the BPRI in 2005 after September 11th transformed border relations and security. The BPRI continues to promote research, academic programs, and public programming on critical policy issues affecting border crossings between British Columbia and Washington State. We work closely with cognate programs at the university and collaborate with many public and private entities throughout the region.

Strengthening Collaboration between Washington State and British Columbia

Appeals to Transboundary Ecology: Cross-Border Advocacy at the Skagit Headwaters Donut Hole

Learning from the Past: Governing Transboundary Nooksack River Flooding

225 Years in the Making: How Canadian Universities Honor the Jay Treaty Through Cross-Border Tuition Policies

This presentation will explore how several Canadian universities have recently adopted policies that extend domestic tuition rates to Indigenous students living in (territories claimed by) the United States and how other universities in Canada may follow suit, bringing their commitments to Indigenization and reconciliation in line with the Jay Treaty, as well as the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Date: Wed, 05/10/2023 - 11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.

Location: Zoom Link

Whatcom-B.C. personal vehicle traffic remains below pre-pandemic levels

All eyes on summer. Six months after most restrictions were lifted on cross-border land travel between the U.S. and Canada, one question remains: Where are all the Canadians? Or, put more directly: Where are all of the cars and their passengers’ retail and tourism dollars?

New Cross-Border Partnerships