Concordia University Launches the Henry Habib Diplomacy Accelerator

Concordia University has launched the Henry Habib Diplomacy Accelerator, a pioneering program uniquely designed to prepare the next generation of diplomats and diplomacy professionals. It was created in honour of Professor Emeritus Henry Habib, thanks to a $6-million gift from the Wilson Foundation and friends.

The inaugural event of this program, Henry Habib Speaker Series on Applied Diplomacy: “Leadership, Diplomacy and Navigating Global Change”, was held at Concordia’s Political Science Department on 17 September 2026 and featured Line Rivard, former Agent-General of Québec in London. In a fireside chat with Graham Carr (President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University), Rivard offered a firsthand perspective on how Québec advances its interests internationally through diplomacy, culture, trade and strategic partnerships. 

Photo (left to right): Elizabeth Bloodgood (Associate Dean, Academic Programs, Concordia University), Line Rivard (Special Guest Speaker), and Graham Carr (President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University).

The event was attended by Kim Fontaine-Skronski (IPSA Executive Director), Henry Habib (founder of Concordia’s Political Science Department), Paul Chesser (Vice-President, University Advancement, Concordia University), Pascale Sicotte (Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science, Concordia University), Daniel Salée (Chair, Political Science Department, Concordia University), Elizabeth Bloodgood (Associate Dean, Academic Programs, Concordia University), and many other distinguished guests.

Photo: Kim Fontaine-Skronski (IPSA Executive Director) speaking with the Wilson Foundation representative and former Henry Habib student, David Masse.

About the Henry Habib Diplomacy Accelerator

The accelerator is built on seven pillars that combine to create a distinctive applied diplomacy program. These include undergraduate support, a Public-Servant-in-Residence, a Diplomat-in-Residence, graduate fellowships at the Master of Arts in Public Policy and Public Administration (MPPPA) and PhD levels, mentorship and internships, the Henry Habib Speaker Series on Applied Diplomacy and the IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute in Applied Diplomacy.

Photo (left to right): Daniel Salée (Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science, Concordia University); Elizabeth Bloodgood (Associate Dean, Academic Programs, Concordia University); Graham Carr (President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University); Pascale Sicotte (Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science, Concordia University); Henry Habib (founder of Concordia’s Political Science Department); Line Rivard (former Agent-General of Québec in London and Special Guest Speaker); and David Masse (the Wilson Foundation representative and former Henri Habib student). 

The IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute in Applied Diplomacy is the first IPSA summer school held in Canada. Policy-oriented seminars are complemented with a practical hands-on Diplomacy Lab, allowing the participants to work on case studies in teams. Through field trips to Global Affairs Canada (virtual) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (in person), participants explore practitioners’ points of view and have the opportunity to network with Montréal’s vibrant international community.

Henry Habib
Henry Habib was a distinguished scholar who founded the Department of Political Science at Loyola College, one of Concordia’s two founding institutions, in 1961 and later served as department chair from 1982 to 1998. A Governor Emeritus of Concordia’s Board of Governors, the Great Concordian is recognized for his contributions to political science and his lifelong dedication to mentoring students.