As part of our commitment to public outreach, the Max Bell School has established several annual or recurring events, conferences, and lectures, in addition to guest speakers, workshops, and more opportunities for public policy discourse throughout the year.
Annual Events, Conferences, and Lectures
- The McGill Max Bell Lectures
- Ecofiscal Commission Annual Conference
- Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge (EC³)
- Slater Family Canada-US Policy Series
- The Jack Layton Prize for a Better Canada
Economic ideas for a stronger Canada
Canada needs better policies to address today’s economic challenges, and that starts with bold discourse. The McGill Max Bell Lectures focus on the analysis, balance, and practicality needed to plan for a more prosperous future. The lectures are held in three Canadian cities annually, and the associated book is published each year ahead of the lecture series by Sutherland House.
Environmental policy reform
When Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission wound up its operations in 2019, the donors signed over the remaining funds to the Max Bell School of Public Policy to finance a series of ten annual conferences on policy issues at the intersection of the economy and the environment.
See the 2023 conference, "The Energy Transition We Need."
Building evaluation capacity
The Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge (EC3) is an annual initiative dedicated to strengthening the evaluation capacity of institutions to foster and sustain high-quality evaluation practice. A real-world organization will present an evaluation capacity building (ECB) challenge each spring to teams comprising the best and brightest minds from across the U.S. and Canada.
Max Bell School-Wilson Center
Examining specific security issues through a Canada-US lens to identify practical ways to respond and strengthen international security, the Max Bell School and the Wilson Center in Washington have established a strategic partnership to enrich the study of the Canada-US relationship.
Learn more about the inaugural conference in June 2023.
Learn more about the December 2022 panel, "Canada and the United States: Managing the China Challenge."
Douglas-Coldwell-Layton Foundation
In honour of Jack Layton, a proud McGill graduate who went on to be a scholar and academic, and then an activist, and eventually a political leader at the municipal and federal levels, and in partnership with the Douglas-Coldwell-Layton Foundation, the Max Bell School offers a graduate student essay contest and accompanying policy discussion each winter.
See the 2023 panel, "Should Canadians Worry About Inflation? Is the Cure Worse than the Disease?"
Full List of Events
Past Events
Catch up with videos and articles from past events.
