$6 million from the Wilson Foundation and friends creates Henry Habib Diplomacy Accelerator at Concordia

The Wilson Foundation has given $3 million to Concordia’s Faculty of Arts and Science to establish the Henry Habib Diplomacy Accelerator. The donation will help prepare the next generation of diplomacy professionals through hands-on learning, mentorship and research opportunities.

The leadership gift is complemented by an additional $3 million in matched support from former students of Professor Henry Habib. This group of alumni donors includes: Richard J. Renaud, BComm 69, LLD 09, namesake of the Richard J. Renaud Science Complex on Loyola Campus; André Desmarais, BComm 78, LLD 07, deputy chairman of Power Corporation of Canada; and Peter Kruyt, BComm 78, former chair of Concordia’s Board of Governors.

Together with the Wilson Foundation, these gifts bring the total support for the accelerator to $6 million.

“This remarkable commitment from the Wilson Foundation strengthens Concordia’s applied learning programs in public affairs,” says Concordia President Graham Carr. “The Henry Habib Diplomacy Accelerator will give students practical opportunities to learn from experienced public servants and diplomats, while preparing them for professional careers in diplomacy.”

Henry Habib was a distinguished scholar who founded the Department of Political Science at Loyola College, one of Concordia’s two founding institutions, in 1961 and later served as department chair from 1982 to 1998. A Governor Emeritus of Concordia’s Board of Governors, the Great Concordian is recognized for his contributions to political science and his lifelong dedication to mentoring students.

The Wilson Foundation was established by the late Lynton “Red” Wilson, a Canadian business and public service leader who passed away in February. Over decades, Red Wilson and the Wilson Foundation have supported major initiatives in post-secondary education, public policy, the arts and community development across Canada.

“Red Wilson had a well-deserved, unique and very successful career spanning senior leadership roles in government and the private sector,” says Wilson Foundation representative and former Habib student David Masse. “The promotion of leadership skills is one of the goals he set for his foundation. This endowment funding is closely tied to that objective.”

A distinctive applied diplomacy program

The accelerator is built on seven pillars that combine to create a distinctive applied diplomacy program. These include undergraduate support, a Public-Servant-in-Residence, a Diplomat-in-Residence, graduate fellowships at the Master of Arts in Public Policy and Public Administration (MPPPA) and PhD levels, mentorship and internships, the Henry Habib Speaker Series on Applied Diplomacy and the IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute in Applied Diplomacy.

The IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute in Applied Diplomacy, offered in partnership with the International Political Science Association, is the first IPSA summer school held in Canada. The 10-day program combines policy-oriented seminars with a practical Diplomacy Lab and includes field visits to Global Affairs Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Montreal’s international organizations and proximity to Ottawa provide participants with opportunities to network with diplomats and global affairs professionals.

“The Henry Habib Diplomacy Accelerator provides students with structured pathways to apply their academic knowledge in real-world contexts,” says Pascale Sicotte, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science. “We are grateful to the Wilson Foundation for making this initiative possible, and to our alumni donors for their generous support, which ensures the program’s reach and impact.

“Having regularly rotating public servants and diplomats participate to the program means that students, from undergraduate to graduate studies, will be exposed to a diversity of approaches and points of view in public administration and diplomacy.”

The $6-million endowment will provide annual support in perpetuity for the Henry Habib Diplomacy Accelerator and its key components including the Henry Habib Undergraduate Scholarship in Political Science, MPPPA and PhD Diplomacy Fellowships, the Public-Servant-in-Residence and Diplomat-in-Residence positions, the Speaker Series and the Summer Institute.

Fellowships are awarded based on academic excellence and a research focus on applied diplomacy, while undergraduate scholarships recognize high-achieving students entering the Political Science program.

“The accelerator builds on Henry Habib’s legacy and on our department’s long-standing expertise in experiential learning in public policy,” says Elizabeth Bloodgood, director of the Henry Habib Diplomacy Accelerator and professor of Political Science. “It offers students opportunities to engage directly with practitioners, enriching their academic experience and helping them prepare for meaningful careers in diplomacy.”

Register now for the next Henry Habib Speaker Series event on April 9, featuring Kenneth Deer, LLD 15, and his talk, “A Haudenosaunee Perspective on Conflict and Peace.”