Paul Davenport, O.C.

Paul Davenport recently completed his third and final term as President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Western Ontario, a position he assumed in 1994 after a five-year term as President of the University of Alberta. From 1973 to 1989 he was a Professor of Economics at McGill University, where he also served terms as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Vice-Principal for Planning and Computer Services.

Dr. Davenport is a graduate of Stanford University (BA, With Great Distinction, Honors in Economics, Phi Beta Kappa), and the University of Toronto (MA, PhD). His research in economics has focused on productivity growth, fiscal federalism, and the knowledge-based economy. He has published widely in these fields in academic journals and books, and his research has been supported by grants from federal and provincial granting councils. He has supervised over 20 Masters and PhD theses and has taught honours and graduate courses in macroeconomics and on the Canadian and Quebec economies. Since 1973, he has presented more than 100 lectures and papers at academic meetings, conferences, and colloquia. In 1999, Dr. Davenport spent a three-month research leave at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris studying the role of universities in the knowledge economy.

Dr. Davenport has served as Chair of the Association of Canadian Universities and Colleges of Canada and the Council of Ontario Universities. He is the recipient of Honorary Degrees from the University of Toronto, the International University of Moscow, and the University of Alberta. In 2001, Dr. Davenport was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor by the Government of France. An Officer of the Order of Canada since 2002, Dr. Davenport has been active as a public advocate of the values of higher education, with a particular commitment to maintaining excellence in university teaching and research.

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