Mr. Urban is a doctoral student at the University of Oxford where he studies international relations. Before moving (temporarily) across the pond for graduate work at Oxford, he completed a Master's degree in international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, and BAs in both history and politics at Queen’s University in Kingston.

While his academic interests might draw him away from the day-to-day hurly-burly of Canadian politics towards more abstract questions of what constitutes a community, how humanity can avoid war, and what measures can be taken to foster sustainable peace at the global level, his prolonged involvement with the Youth Parliament of Manitoba and student government at Queen’s have fostered in him an abiding interest in, and engagement with, the public policy debates and questions which animate Canada’s national conversation.

In his spare time Michael enjoys traveling, cooking, running, reading, volunteering, attempting to get a curling team started at Oxford, and reviving the national Youth Parliament of Canada. Aside from these other pursuits, he also enjoys cheering on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Montreal Canadians (that is, at least until the Jets come home).