In 2025, the Max Bell School launched a strategic planning process designed to build on our strengths and chart a course for continued success and greater impact. Our new plan, organized around a set of strategic pillars, seeks to innovate to meet the changing needs of students, policymakers and broader society and to align with McGill University's strategic priorities for global and local engagement.

The central goals of our strategy are to:

• Become the top destination for a select group of emerging policy leaders – both national and international – through our flagship MPP program
• Elevate the policy skills of new communities of learners within and beyond McGill
• Directly influence public policy solutions within and beyond Canada through our applied research and policy engagement
• Become recognized as ‘the’ hub for creative deliberation on the public policy challenges of today and tomorrow

Our Strategic Pillars

Our plan has four core pillars focused on achieving our vision:

	Pillar 1: Leading MPP Programming	Attract and inspire a new generation of Canadian and global policy leaders with an innovative, flexible and hands-on MPP learning experience that prepares them for impact in public policy
	Pillar 2: New public policy learning opportunities	Elevate the skills, knowledge, and influence of key stakeholders—within and beyond McGill—with new public policy learning opportunities
	Pillar 3: Policy-engaged research	Advance solutions to pressing local, national and global challenges through our signature approach to policy-engaged research
	Pillar 4: Convening and public outreach	Extend the School’s influence and impact through targeted public outreach, engagement, and convening

And, two enabling pillars to facilitate and enhance achievement of the core priorities.

	Pillar 5: Community Building	Create an inspiring, inclusive and lasting MBSPP community
	Pillar 6: Enabling operations and practices	Strengthen and focus our operations and practices to deliver on our mission

Through our core priorities, we aim to strengthen the appeal and impact of our MPP degree and enhance the student experience; expand our portfolio of learning programs to reach new audiences; integrate policy-engaged research into the School’s core mission; strengthen and showcase the School’s convening power; and improve our capacity to share knowledge and influence local, national and global policy stakeholders.