Dr. Keith Bezanson , BA / 64

Dr. Keith Bezanson has devoted his career to international development. Now a senior fellow of Natural Resources Management with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, he was most recently director of the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Sussex.

After studying at Carleton (where he received an honour award for his academic excellence and contributions to the life of the university) and earning a PhD from Stanford University, Bezanson served as a CUSO volunteer in Nigeria where he worked as a secondary school teacher in the 1960s. He subsequently lectured and directed a national research program in Ghana before joining the Canadian International Development Agency where he was director of the East African Program. In 1978, Bezanson was named director general in charge of all areas relating to Canada’s participation in the multilateral development banks. From 1981 to 1985, he held the post of vice-president of the Americas Branch.

In 1985, Bezanson became Canada’s Ambassador to Peru and Bolivia; following this, he was manager of the Administrative Department at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington. From 1991-1997, he was president of the International Development Research Centre in Canada.