Event Summary:
Summary by
Shakir Rahim
Tuesday, 18 May 2010 at 7:00 pm
Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto Debates Room
Moderator:
Dr LJ Edmonds, Assistant VP, International Relations, University of Toronto
Speakers:
Andrea Mandel-Campbell, author of Why Mexicans Don’t Drink Molson
Haroon Siddiqui, Columnist, Toronto Star
Rudyard Griffiths, Columnist, author of Who We Are: A Citizen's Manifesto
“Will Canada be internationally relevant in the 21st century?” provided a breadth of insight on Canada’s economic and political potential in the context of broader international change. The event featured two panelists, Rudyard Griffiths and Andrea Mandell-Campbell, and was moderated by Dr. L.J. Edmonds.
Mr. Griffiths focused on the need for Canada to articulate a strategic culture and focus on a select number of international priorities. He emphasized that the 20th century role of Canada as a middle power has ended, and with the rise of the BRIC countries and similar cohorts, that Canada could not solely rely on its traditional international alliances. There are a number of different priorities Canada could choose to focus on, and Mr. Griffiths provided water scarcity and Afghanistan as two examples. As part of the drive towards creating a strategic culture, he noted the need for an active and engaged citizenry in foreign policy.
Ms. Mandell-Campbell began her remarks with the humorous reference to the fact that Canada is one of the few major beer consuming countries in the world without a large domestically owned brewery. This spoke to a greater concern about Canada’s international economic competitiveness going forward. She noted that Canadian companies are often not included in top rankings of international corporations, and how a number of key domestic companies have been acquired by foreign rivals. At the same time, however, she referenced the relative success and soundness of Canadian banks in the latest financial crisis as an example of Canadian economic resilience. Her broader point was that for Canadian to remain internationally relevant, it must increase both its international business presence and cultivate an attractive business climate.
Dr. L.J. Edmonds fielded a variety of questions from the audience, and provided some anecdotes from her experience interacting with foreign educational officials abroad. In a particularly poignant example, she described how U of T has became a highly sought after institution through an exchange program with a leading Indian educational institute. This spoke to her broader point that Canada can remain relevant in international education by continuing to develop domestic scholarly talent.
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Event Photos:
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