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Senior Fellows

Keith Bezanson


Dr Keith Bezanson, has devoted his entire career to international development. He is past-director of the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Sussex (1997-2004).

During the mid-60s, Dr Bezanson served as a CUSO volunteer in Nigeria where he worked as a secondary school teacher. He subsequently lectured and directed a national research programme in Ghana. He then joined the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and was Director of the East African Programme. In 1978, he 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, Dr Bezanson became Canada's Ambassador to Peru and Bolivia; following this, in 1988, 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 (IDRC) in Canada. In March of 1997 he assumed the Directorship of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.

Dr Bezanson was born in Kingston, Ontario. He is a graduate of Carleton University, Ottawa, and of Stanford University, California. He is the author of numerous publications on international development.
Keith Bezanson is no longer affiliated with IISD.