Tessera Research Collective

Graduate-led research collective producing fresh insights on global security challenges.

Who We Are

Tessera is a graduate student–led research collective dedicated to international security studies. Founded in 2023 at the University of Toronto by graduate students in international relations, Tessera unites emerging scholars committed to rigorous research. Taking its name from the tiny tiles of a mosaic, the collective pieces together diverse evidence to build a clear, coherent picture of the complex security threats facing the contemporary international order. Our first public event — a January 26, 2023 expert panel on Myanmar’s civil war — set the tone for our engagement with urgent global issues.

Our Mission

We pursue three complementary goals. First, we keep the public informed of recent and relevant developments in international security. Second, we bridge theory and practice by using insights from international relations scholarship and expert mentorship to analyze real-world security challenges. Third, we cultivate a diverse, inclusive community of emerging scholars dedicated to security research.

What We Do?

While adhering to the highest ethical standards in social sciences, we engage in the following core activities:

Research reports and Op-eds in security studies
Graduate student seminars and conferences
Selection and publication of the best undergraduate papers
Academic and professional mentorship for undergraduates
A collaborative visual project documenting lived experiences in conflict-affected areas

We maintain an active social media presence to disseminate our research findings, collaborate with peer organizations, and amplify voices from conflict-affected regions.

Analysis and Events

Briefings with Tessera: Canada’s Strategic Defense Transformation and Procurement Challenges

Canada is undergoing a fundamental strategic shift in its defense posture, moving from decades of minimal investment toward active modernization and increased continental security engagement. This transformation is driven by

Analysis with PhD(c) Justinas Stankus: The Strategic Imperative for Western Engagement with Myanmar’s Democratic Forces

Myanmar's sovereignty has been fundamentally fragmented since the military coup of February 2021, leading to a complex multi-polar conflict and Balkanization of the country along ethnic and religious lines. While

Conversations with Dr. Salam Alsaadi: An Interview

A Raphael Morrison Dorman Postdoctoral Fellow, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. Salam Alsaadi holds a PhD in political science from the University of Toronto. He focuses on authoritarianism

Our Team

Tessera is led by a dedicated team of graduate students, currently serving in leading roles across four branches:
Management, Research, Editorial, and Publishing Outreach. Each member contributes to shaping the collective’s direction and advancing its mission in international relations and security studies.

Justinas Stankus

Team Lead, Co-Founder

Justinas is the co-founder of Tessera and is pursuing his PhD in Political Science. An EU citizen with a background in law, his research focuses on asymmetric warfare and contested sovereignties, particularly in Southeast Asia. He has previously worked for a Myanmar-based institute supporting the national ceasefire process as well as for the European Investment Bank.

Mia Conforti

Editor

Roberta Rosania Gerevasi

Chief Editor

Roberta is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Toronto. Her research explores the intersection of digital technologies and security, examining how states navigate conflict shaped by digital platforms, with a focus on censorship, surveillance, and information controls. Her broader interests include international security, research methods, and the dynamics of conflict contagion.

Thao-Mi Ha

Manager of Operations

Thao-Mi is a Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Toronto pursuing a double major in Political Science and Criminology and Socio-legal Studies. She manages operations for the Tessera research collective, with the goal of expanding global understanding of international security. Her interests include political transparency, governance, and advocacy.

Brandon Ma

Research Associate

Brandon is a third-year student at the University of Toronto double majoring in Political Science and Contemporary Asian Studies with a minor in Asian Canadian Studies. Growing up in Hong Kong, he experienced the interplay of Eastern and Western values, shaping his ability to navigate Western academic discourse while championing non-Western paradigms in global governance and development.

Justinas Stankus

Team Lead, Co-founder

Justinas is the co-founder of Tessera and is pursuing his PhD in Political Science. An EU citizen with a background in law, his research focuses on asymmetric warfare and contested sovereignties, particularly in Southeast Asia. He has previously worked for a Myanmar-based institute supporting the national ceasefire process as well as for the European Investment Bank.

Dan Prasuhn

Research Associate

Dan recently completed his BA in International Relations at the University of Toronto and intends to pursue graduate studies in public international law. His research interests center on the histories of foreign policy and international law, including his senior thesis on the founding of the United Nations.

Arash Aslan Beigi

Research Analyst

Arash is an Honours Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Toronto with leadership and policy experience in international affairs simulations and research. He has served as Chair of NATO and Specialized Agencies Coordinator at NAMUN, Director at UTMUN, and Director of Foreign Policy at the University of Toronto Policython, while also working as an Editor for the U of T Aerospace Team and Compliance Analyst with the G20 Research Group.

Taylor Stetka

Research Associate

Taylor is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto with experience in policy research, compliance analysis, and nonprofit administration. They serve as Lead Policy Researcher at The PEARS Project and as a Compliance Analyst with the G7 Research Group, and previously supported national emergency funding and donor relations at the Shine Through the Rain Foundation.

Zhou Zhou

Research Associate

Zhou is a PhD student in Anthropology at Rice University. Her research examines the blurry boundaries between legal and illegal economies on the China–Myanmar border, with a focus on informal currency exchange, cross-border money transfers, and their links to cyber fraud and state-building practices

Roberta Rosania Gerevasi

Chief Editor

Roberta is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Toronto. Her research explores the intersection of digital technologies and security, examining how states navigate conflict shaped by digital platforms, with a focus on censorship, surveillance, and information controls. Her broader interests include international security, research methods, and the dynamics of conflict contagion.

Edward Yoon

Editor

Edward is a Master’s student in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University. His academic interests span human behavior, international affairs, and organizational studies, with career aspirations in fields such as human resources and investment banking.

Gio Kaikatsishvili

Editor

Gio is completing his undergraduate studies in Political Science and Economics at the University of Toronto. A Lester B. Pearson Scholar and Laidlaw Research Scholar, he has experience as a Research Assistant and in G7 and G20 research at the Munk School. An aspiring attorney, he is passionate about addressing climate change and, beyond academics, mastering Italian cuisine.

Mia Conforti

Editor

Thao-Mi Ha

Manager of Operations

Thao-Mi is a Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Toronto pursuing a double major in Political Science and Criminology and Socio-legal Studies. She manages operations for the Tessera research collective, with the goal of expanding global understanding of international security. Her interests include political transparency, governance, and advocacy.

Melody He

Outreach Coordinator

Melody is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto specializing in the social sciences. She is active in student life as a committee member of the UT Chinese Network, contributing to events such as the ACE Career Fair, and also participates in campus activities including badminton and table tennis.

Lina Rostovtseva

Outreach Coordinator

Lina is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto majoring in Economics, with minors in Political Science and Art History. She is assisting Tessera with outreach and content creation. Lina’s research interests lie in the socio-psychological dimensions of political transformation — particularly how disinformation, violence, and digital media influence collective behavior and nation-building.

Join Us

If you’re passionate about international relations and security studies and eager to contribute to meaningful, student-led research, we invite you to join the Tessera Research Collective.

Membership is open to third- and fourth-year undergraduate and graduate students in the social sciences or humanities. To apply, please email us with a brief statement of interest.

We’re looking for people who are curious, motivated, and willing to work together. Whether you want to publish, organize events, or take part in discussions, there are plenty of ways to get involved and help shape the collective.

Let's get started.

The Tessera Collective is actively recruiting undergraduate students for positions in our publishing and outreach team, as well as graduate students looking to be analysts on our research team. To apply, get in touch with us – we are excited for you to be apart of Tessera.

Upcoming Events

The Conversation Series - The Accidental Hacker: When Good Lawyers Click Bad Links.

Law used to be about paper files and heavy briefcases. Now it’s about remembering not to open the email that says, “Client needs wire transfer before 5 p.m.”

In this talk, Toronto litigator Mehula Vats explores what happens when the courtroom meets the cloud — and how cybersecurity has quietly become one of the biggest issues in modern legal practice. She examines how data breaches, phishing scams, and even innocent digital shortcuts can turn into real legal risks, especially in high-pressure working environments.

Grounded in real-world experience, this Q/A reminds us that cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting servers — it’s about protecting trust. Because in law, sometimes the most dangerous thing isn’t your opposing counsel- it’s your inbox.