About – Institut Donald J. Savoie

The Donald J. Savoie Institute focuses on major public policy issues at the regional, national and international level by conducting research, non-partisan and rigorous analysis, and fostering informed public debate.

The Institute is an autonomous entity; however, it has a special relationship with the Université de Moncton. Its presence on the Moncton campus fosters research with faculty members and contributes to training young researchers. Members of the research team of the Institute regularly teach courses at the Université de Moncton, which enriches the courses curriculum.

The Institute also maintains relationships with multiple partners from various institutions in Atlantic Canada and nationwide.

History

The Institute was founded in 1983 by Donald J. Savoie as the Canadian Institute for Research on Regional Development (CIRRD). Under the leadership of Professor Savoie, CIRRD has earned an enviable reputation nationally and internationally. The CIRRD hosted leading researchers and published a large number of theoretical and applied works on a range of issues related to the economic development of regions and elsewhere.

In 2005, the Institute adopted the name Canadian Institute for Research on Public Policy and Public Administration, which emphasized the central role of quality of governance, public policy and public administration in the welfare and economic development of our communities. The Institute stressed the importance of not only providing research but also assisting in the development of public policies based on a rigorous and objective analysis of major public policy issues.

In 2015, the Institute adopted its new name in honour of its founder.

The Clément-Cormier Research Chair

The Clément-Cormier Research Chair in Economic Development is dedicated to the memory of Reverend Father Clément Cormier, founder of the Université de Moncton and a leading player in the economic and social recovery of l'Acadie. It enables the Donald J. Savoie Institute (DJSI) to contribute significantly to developing a critical mass of expertise and the intellectual capital needed for the establishment of a highly respected research institute, recognized both nationally and internationally. It also acts as a point of convergence for all researchers who have an interest in economic development in Atlantic Canada.

Team

Donald J. Savoie

Donald J. Savoie holds the Canada Research Chair in Public Administration and Governance at the Université de Moncton, as well as the Clément-Cormier Research Chair in Economic Development. His research achievements are prodigious and his influence on Canadian public policy, Canadian public administration and Canadian society has been evident for years.

He has won numerous prizes and awards, including: inaugural recipient of the Royal Society of Canada’s Yvan Allaire Medal for outstanding contribution in governance (2018), the 2015-2016 Donner Prize, the 2015 Killam Prize in Social Sciences, the Order of New Brunswick (2011), made an Officer of the Order of Canada (1993) and elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (1992). He has been awarded honorary doctorates by eight Canadian universities and a Doctor of Letters from Oxford University (2000). He was also elected Senior Fulbright Scholar at Harvard and Duke universities (2001-02) and Visiting Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford (2006).

Professor Savoie has published numerous books on public policy, public administration and federalism. His best-known books include Democracy in Canada: The Disintegration of Our Institutions; Breaking the Bargain: Public Servants, Ministers and Parliament; Governing from the Centre: The Concentration of Power in Canadian Politics; The Politics of Public Spending in Canada; and What Is Government Good At? A Canadian Answer. He has also contributed chapters to books published in Canada and abroad. His articles have appeared in all the significant journals in political science, public policy and public administration and his books have been reviewed in leading national and international peer reviewed journals and in leading newspapers in Canada, the U.K., India and the United States.

He has served as an advisor to a number of federal, provincial and territorial government departments and agencies, the private sector, independent associations, OECD, the World Bank and the United Nations. In addition, he served as a member of the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments (2016-17). At the request of the Canadian prime minister, he undertook in 198687 a review of federal government regional development efforts in Atlantic Canada and prepared a report that led to the establishment of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

Professor Savoie holds a D. Phil. (Political Economy), Oxford, 1979, a M.A. (Political Science), University of New Brunswick, 1972 and a B.Sc. Comm. (Economics), Université de Moncton, 1968.

View the curriculum vitae »

Judith Bourque

Judith Bourque is Project Coordinator at the Donald J. Savoie Institute. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Social Science in Sociology at the Université de Moncton. During her studies, Judith contributed to several research projects as a research assistant and coordinated a variety of projects at the municipal level. She is currently interested in the fulfillment of electoral promises made by the governments of the Atlantic provinces.

Céline Basque

Céline Basque is DJSI’s Administrative Assistant. She holds a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from l’Université de Moncton. After her studies, Céline acquired valuable skills in office administration in the health, research and development and legal sectors. She joined the Institute in 2012.

Associate and invited researchers

Gabriel Arsenault

Gabriel Arsenault is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the École des hautes études publiques of the Université de Moncton. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto and is the author of L'économie sociale au Québec. Une perspective politique (PUQ, 2018). The book won the Prix Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie du Québec / Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (2019).

Léopold-Taillon building, room 410 | Université de Moncton | Moncton (New Brunswick) | E1A 3E9 Canada
Phone : 506 858-4467 | Fax : 506 858-4123 | Email : info@idjs.ca

Go to the Canadian Journal of Regional Science

The Clément-Cormier Research Chair