Dr. Robert McRae

Previously, he was Director General of the International Security Bureau at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa.  He served as Director General of the Policy Planning Bureau (2003-2006) and Director General of the Central, East, and South Europe Bureau (2002-2003); Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to NATO (1998-2002); and Director of Policy Planning Staff (1995-1998), all with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.  He has been posted abroad at embassies in Belgrade (1982-1984), Prague (1988-1991), and London (1993-1995), in addition to Brussels.

He has been twice awarded the Foreign Minister`s Award for Foreign Policy Excellence, in 1997 and in 2000.

His books include “Resistance and Revolution: Vaclav Havel’s Czechoslovakia”; “Human Security and the New Diplomacy”; “The Matter with Truth”; and “Philosophy and the Absolute”.  His most recent article is International Policy Reviews in Perspective, which appeared in “Canada Among Nations 2004”, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.

He studied at Queen’s University (Honours BA), the University of Toronto (MA), and has a PhD in Political Philosophy from Laval University.  He taught at McGill University, Queen’s, and Laval, before joining the diplomatic service in 1981.  In 1989 he led a course in political philosophy with Charter 77 signatories, and in 1990 taught at Charles University, Prague.

He is accompanied by his spouse, Mrs. Dorise Nina.