The Max Bell School of Public Policy announces the appointment of Ken Boessenkool as the 2020-21 J.W. McConnell Professor of Practice in Public Policy
The Max Bell School of Public Policy is thrilled to announce that Ken Boessenkool will be joining the School as the J.W. McConnell Professor of Practice in Public Policy at McGill University.
During his time with the Max Bell School, Boessenkool will leverage his public policy experience to enhance the exposure of the School’s students to the workings of the policy process.
“Ken Boessenkool brings almost 25 years of professional experience, and a privileged perspective of the Canadian public policy process and its interaction with partisan politics,” said Christopher Ragan, Director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy.
Over the next year, Boessenkool will also focus on policy research and writing, examining issues such as carbon pricing, childcare, Alberta’s place in confederation, and federal transfers.
“For at least the past two decades I have balanced my love of writing public policy with my partisan activities and with my career in public affairs. Now is the time for me to focus on the public policy side by working with the next generation of policy leaders, and tackling some tough issues in the form of accessible policy papers.”
Supported by funding from the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, this position is for practitioners with a history of accomplishment and the capacity to engage in the activities of the School, particularly the School’s MPP program.
“We are lucky to have Boessenkool join us. His time at the School will not only benefit our students, but also contribute to the advancement of the School’s policy publications and research,” concluded Ragan.
Boessenkool’s appointment is for an 8-month term, ending May 30, 2021.
About Ken Boessenkool
Ken Boessenkool (M.A. Economics, University of Toronto) is a recognized figure in Canadian public policy having held senior positions in various public affairs firms; publishing dozens of peer reviewed research papers; and occupying several roles in Canadian think tanks, and in national and provincial election and leadership campaigns. Ken is currently the President of Sidicus Consulting Ltd, an economic and public policy firm, and a Research Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute.
About the J.W. McConnell Foundation
The McConnell Foundation is a private Canadian foundation that develops and applies innovative approaches to social, cultural, economic and environmental challenges. The foundation supports Canadians in building a more inclusive, innovative, sustainable and resilient society. They do so through granting and investing, capacity building, convening, and co-creation with grantees, partners and the public.
About the Max Bell School of Public Policy
McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy is committed to the research, teaching, public outreach, and practical advocacy of sound public policy, with each of these four dimensions grounded in a solid understanding of the overall policy process, not merely as it is described in theory but as it exists in the real world, with all its imperfections and limitations. The principle-based design of policy solutions to important problems, the interaction of policy development with partisan politics, and knowledge of the workings of the machinery of government all play central roles in the activities of the Max Bell School.
