Renowned political scientist John Ravenhill appointed director of Balsillie School of International Affairs

WATERLOO, ON, June 3, 2013 /CNW/ - The board of the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) today announced the appointment of Professor John Ravenhill as director of the school.

Professor Ravenhill is the first externally appointed director of the BSIA. He will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school and the leadership of BSIA's world-class research in international affairs. He joins from the Australian National University where he is currently Head of the School of Politics and International Relations in the Research School of Social Sciences.

"Professor Ravenhill is an internationally renowned political scientist who brings immense experience to the Balsillie School of International Affairs," said Deborah MacLatchy, vice-president academic & provost at Wilfrid Laurier University and chair of the director search committee. "His combination of administrative, scholarly and outreach experience makes him the ideal choice to lead the School in support of its continued development as a centre of excellence in global governance."

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the Balsillie School in the next phase of its development," Professor Ravenhill said. "In the brief period since its foundation, the School has made enormous progress towards establishing itself as a leading international centre for research and teaching on international affairs. The School is well-placed to realize its full potential, building on the unique partnership between a leading think tank and two excellent universities, its world-class faculty, and marvelous physical facilities."

Prior to his current role, Professor Ravenhill served as the Chair of Politics at the University of Edinburgh, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, and Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia. He has also been a Visiting Professor at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, the University of Geneva, the International University of Japan, and at the University of California, Berkeley.

Professor Ravenhill has been a consultant for the World Bank, the US Department of State, and the Korean Development Institute.

As a hub in a global network of scholars, practitioners, and students, BSIA aims to develop new solutions to humanity's critical problems, improve global governance now and in the future, and enhance the quality of people's lives around the world. Founded in 2007, it is an equal collaboration among The Centre for International Governance Innovation, the University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Professor Ravenhill will be appointed to the Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo and serve full-time as director of the BSIA for five years. He will take up his position on September 1, 2013.

The current BSIA director, Professor David Welch, will serve until the end of his current appointment term, which ends on June 30. Terrence Levesque, BSIA associate director and professor of economics at Laurier, will be acting director from July 1 to September 1.

SOURCE: Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA)

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