National Security & Defence

Simon Dalby is a CIGI senior fellow and professor of geography and environmental studies at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) in Waterloo, where he teaches courses on governance, security and environment in the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

With a distinguished career in Canadian diplomacy — including posts as ambassador to Germany, permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) and adviser to various prime ministers, Paul Heinbecker is one of Canada’s most experienced commentators on foreign policy and international governance. With CIGI since 2004, Paul is also the director of the Centre for Global Relations at Wilfrid Laurier University.

John Higginbotham is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa. John’s research focuses on Arctic economic and governance development and international relations, Canada’s ties with the United States and China in global context and North American Arctic marine transportation as the Arctic Ocean melts.

Bessma Momani is a senior fellow, joining CIGI in 2004. She has a Ph.D. in political science with a focus on international political economy, and is professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and the University of Waterloo. She is a 2015 fellow of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Doha Center and a Fulbright Scholar. 

David Mussington is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), and professor of the practice and director, Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise, University of Maryland, College Park. In 2010, David was senior adviser for cyber policy in the US Department of Defense, later serving on the Obama administration’s National Security Council staff as director for surface transportation security policy. In addition to his work at the University of Maryland, David is an adjunct member of the research staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses, directing studies for the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He holds a B.A. in economics and political science and an M.A. in political science, both from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. in political science from Carleton University, as well as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional designation.

A former Canadian deputy foreign minister, NATO ambassador and G7/G8 Sherpa, Gordon Smith is a leading expert on the evolution of the G20 and global summitry. Since joining CIGI in 2010 as a distinguished fellow, Gordon has been a key contributor to CIGI’s G20 research activities, events and publications. His current work focuses on the convergence of technology and global affairs.

David A. Welch is a CIGI senior fellow and professor of political science at the University of Waterloo. An award-winning author and scholar, David is an expert in foreign policy decision making and international security, with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.