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 and received many honours, including: promoted Companion of the Order of Canada (2022), he received the Order of Moncton (2021), he was the 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) and was 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 and 2022- ). 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.
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