Two well-known Canadian foreign policy specialists have been appointed
to senior positions in the recently created Liu Centre for International
Studies at the University of British Columbia, UBC President David
Strangway announced today.
Ivan Head, who took leave from his position as professor of law
at the University of Alberta to serve as senior policy adviser to
former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau from 1968 to 1978, is named
director effective Sept. 1, 1997.
Gordon Smith, currently deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, is
appointed as senior fellow, effective Sept. 1, 1997, following his
retirement from the public service.
“The Liu Centre was created by UBC as an innovative endeavor,”
said Strangway. “Its scholarly focus will be on the study of global
issues; its method of operation will engage the talents of members
of each of the academic and practitioners’ communities. These two
appointments indicate clearly the contemporary nature of the activities
which the centre will pursue. I am delighted that UBC has been successful
in attracting them to this exciting new unit.”
Head and Smith are well-known and broadly recognized for their
contributions to Canadian foreign policy. Both have been members
of Canada’s foreign service and have long experience in Ottawa and
abroad. From 1978 to 1991 Head was president of the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC). He is currently a professor
of law and chair in South-North Studies at UBC. Smith has a long
and distinguished public service record with the departments of
National Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Social Development, as well
as the Privy Council Office. He has also served as ambassador to
the European communities, ambassador to NATO, and secretary to the
cabinet for federal-provincial relations. He was recently named
chairman of the Board of Governors of IDRC.
“The Liu Centre will be an important element in the UBC structure
of graduate research and teaching units, concentrating on international
issues and their impact upon Canada and Canadians,” said Frieda
Granot, Dean of Graduate Studies. “In the rapidly evolving global
community it is essential that policy makers be possessed of the
most complete and relevant knowledge to permit decisions to be taken
wisely and confidently. The gathering together of experts and practitioners
of a variety of disciplines and backgrounds will permit this centre
to make a valuable and distinctive contribution to society.”
Strangway added that the new centre intends to engage in participatory
activities with other B.C. and Canadian universities. Discussions
are in an advanced stage with the University of Victoria as a first
step in this process. Gordon Smith will play a key role in this
partnership. His UBC appointment is half-time, permitting him to
accept a similar position at UVic.
Biographical information on Ivan Head and Gordon Smith follows.
Biographical information
Ivan L. Head is a native of Calgary, educated at the University
of Alberta and at Harvard University. Following several years practising
law in Calgary, he entered the Dept. of External Affairs, serving
in Ottawa and Kuala Lumpur. Subsequently he became professor of
law at the University of Alberta prior to serving in the Prime Minister’s
Office as foreign policy adviser to former Prime Minister Pierre
Trudeau from 1968-1978. In 1978, he was appointed president of the
International Development Research Centre. He joined the faculty
of UBC in 1991 where he is professor of law and chair in South-North
Studies. He is the recipient of honorary doctorate degrees from
universities in Canada and abroad. Among his many publications are
The Canadian Way: Shaping Canada’s Foreign Policy 1968-1984,
co-authored with Pierre Trudeau, and On a Hinge of History: The
Mutual Vulnerability of South and North.
Gordon S. Smith was born in Montreal and educated at McGill
University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he
obtained his PhD in Political Science. Upon entering the Canadian
public service, he worked first in the Dept. of National Defence,
then joined External Affairs. He has twice served as a member of
the Canadian delegation to NATO, initially with responsibility for
nuclear and force planning, later (in 1985) becoming Canadian ambassador.
He spent a number of years in the Privy Council Office as associate
secretary to the cabinet, and later as secretary to the cabinet
for federal provincial relations. In 1991, Smith was appointed ambassador
to the European communities. He was named deputy minister of Foreign
Affairs in 1994, and has played an active role internationally in
the preparation of the G-7 summits as Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s
personal representative, and in a number of important bilateral
negotiations.
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