Roland Paris

Roland Paris is Professor of International Affairs in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. He is also Associate Fellow of Chatham House, and former Senior Advisor on Global Affairs and Defence to the Prime Minister of Canada.

 

His work spans the study and practice of international affairs, combining scholarship with experience in government. His research on international security, peacebuilding, and the evolution of international order has appeared in leading scholarly journals, such as International Organization and International Security, and has received numerous distinctions, including the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order.

 

​He has taken several academic leaves to serve as an advisor in the Canadian government, including in the Prime Minister's Office, foreign ministry, and cabinet office. He has also advised other governments and international organizations, including as a member of an expert group convened by the Secretary General of NATO. In recognition of his public service, he has received four awards, most recently the King Charles III Coronation Medal, presented by Canada's Minister of National Defence in 2025.​

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Outside government, he was Director of Research at the Conference Board of Canada, the country's largest think tank, and served as founding director of the Centre for International Policy Studies and director of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. He has also held several visiting appointments, including at Sciences Po in Paris and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.

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Beyond his professional pursuits, he is an avid wilderness canoeist and search-and-rescue volunteer.