Rainer Ricardo is a PhD candidate in political science at University of Montreal. His approach to the study of international politics is eclectic and interdisciplinary, bringing to dialogue IR Theory, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Psychology. Under the direction of Professor Mamoudou Gazibo, Rainer is actually conducting a doctoral thesis based on the study of international hierarchies built upon gratitude as political power. He also holds a master’s degree in political science from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), as well as a doctoral scholarship from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et Culture (FRQSC).