WALKING IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS

DR. MICHAEL K. MACKENZIE IS VIU'S inaugural Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership. The Jarislowsky Foundation has set up a first-of-its-kind network at five universities across Canada, inviting Acadia University, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (in collaboration with l'École Nationale d'Administration Publique), Trent University, the University of Lethbridge and VIU to participate. The Jarislowsky Foundation invested $2 million as part of a $4 million endowment supported by the community, including a $375,000 gift from Scotiabank and matching funds from the VIU Foundation, to help establish the new Research Chair at VIU.

When asked about what drives his passion for politics and policy, MacKenzie says, “the worlds we live in are shaped by politics. Where we live, the types of houses and neighbourhoods we live in, how we get around, where we go to school, where we work, how we work, the opportunities we have in life, how we interact with others, the foods we eat or have access to, the medical care we receive or do not receive, the sports and recreations we take part in, all these parts of our lives— and many others—are shaped and determined by decisions made by governments and other policymakers. The worlds we live in are our own creations. We made them. If we want to remake them or change them in any way we have to think and act politically.

For example, I'm passionate about urban design. I want to make our cities and towns more walkable and bikable. This would make them more environmentally sustainable but it would also, in my view, make them safer, more enjoyable, quieter, more beautiful—and probably more equitable as well. There are so many political—or collective—decisions that have enormous impacts on our lives. It is important to study politics and policy so that we are aware of how past decisions have shaped our lives, and how current decisions might make our futures different or better.”

MacKenzie has spent the past 20 years studying and writing about democracy. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia, a Master's in political science and social statistics from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts in politics from the University of Winnipeg. He was an Assistant Professor (2015-2022) and an Associate Professor (2022-2023) at the University of Pittsburgh.

“As a teenager, I knew that I wanted a creative and intellectual life,” he remembers. “I did not at that time know what form it would take. I fell in love with university life during my time as an undergraduate at the University of Winnipeg. I took courses in many different fields including sociology, history, economics, and astronomy. I majored in political science because of the influence of one professor in particular: he showed me that all the human endeavors that I care most about— the search for equality, freedom, truth, and beauty, the pursuit of science and the study of the human condition itself—are all shaped and conditioned by politics. When we study politics, and in particular democracy, we study how our societies work (or do not work), but we also think a lot about how they might work differently or better.”

MacKenzie has also worked as a policy analyst and facilitator with the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. He was a Democracy Fellow and post-doctoral researcher at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School between 2013 and 2015.

The long-term goal of the network created by the Jarislowsky Foundation is to develop educational programming and training for students, politicians, public servants, and other aspiring leaders. The programming will focus on trust and ethical practice in governance and political leadership.

“I love teaching,” says Dr. MacKenzie. “I find the enthusiasm and insights that my students bring to the classroom both inspiring and invigorating. In my courses we discuss and debate political issues and problems, and we share our political passions, preferences, and expectations. There is always something new happening in the political world, and those who study politics at university—whether they are majoring in the field or not—care passionately about what is happening in our neighbourhoods, towns, cities, provinces, countries, and around the world. As a professor I aim to help my students nurture the intellectual skills they need to think critically and constructively about the political world, as well the tools they will need to participate in politics if they choose to do so—as informed citizens, writers, analysts, policy advisors, journalists, politicians, community leaders or activists.”

As the Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership, MacKenzie plans to work with the other chairs in Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta to develop an intellectually rigorous but also practical program for aspiring political leaders in Canada. He hopes to bring some new attention to the innovative teaching and research that is being done at VIU. “In my view, VIU is one of the best kept secrets in Canadian academia,” he says. The small university offers a huge diversity of courses, has small classes taught by wonderful faculty who care about their research and their students, and is located in a stunningly beautiful part of the country. “In this new role, I will be working with academics, leaders, and students across Canada, and I hope to bring attention to all these wonderful attributes of VIU.”

With regard to regional impacts, the leadership program that Dr. MacKenzie will be developing with the other Jarislowsky chairs will provide aspiring leaders from Vancouver Island with educational and networking opportunities right here on the island. Participants in the program will have opportunities to meet, study, and work with other aspiring leaders across Canada, as well as those who have played important leadership roles in our country already. Students will have all the benefits of both staying home on Vancouver Island to study and going elsewhere, for some time, to meet others and build their professional networks. The program he envisions will include those who are interested in electoral politics, but also those who are interested in becoming leaders in the public service, education, business, unions or community organizations.

Dr. Elizabeth Brimacombe, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, said MacKenzie's extensive background in researching the democratic process, including his exploration of the challenges and possibilities of making long-term decisions in democratic systems, is an exciting addition to VIU.

“The Political Studies program at VIU is a strong contributor to interdisciplinary scholarship and education, notably with the Global Studies program, so the Jarislowsky Chair initiative will broadly enhance learning opportunities and innovation across the university,” she says. “The position will examine ethics and governance at a time when globally democracy is facing some of its biggest challenges in decades. We are excited to engage with other universities across the national network in building education for the political leaders of our future.”

Stephen Jarislowsky, President of the Jarislowsky Foundation, was born in Germany in 1925 and lived in the Netherlands and France between the two world wars. He witnessed situations like those in Ukraine today. He said the creation of these new chairs responds to a need in our democratic societies.

“People need to understand historical experiences in order to prevent repeating them. And one of the ways to do that is to ensure our governments are led by inspiring, highly trusted, reliable men and women who exercise fiduciary responsibility,” said Jarislowsky. “Once democracy disappears in a country, it takes years to re-establish if it is even possible. Optimistically, it's a question of how we are going to strengthen and build trust in our public institutions, our organizations and ourselves.”

To learn more about the new Jarislowsky Chair visit news.viu.ca