Presented by the Centre on Governance and the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada

Working with faculty at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway, Dr. Blair has studied the structures and professional orientations of city management in Norway and the US. He also coordinated professional exchange visits by city managers in both countries. As a 2021/2022 Canada Fulbright Fellow, Dr. Blair is laying the groundwork for a comparative study of US and Canadian city management.

This presentation will review his Norway/US work and outline progress to date on a Canadian study. Outside the US, Canada has the largest number of chief administrative officers for communities. Also active in the International City/County Management Association, a world-wide organization with membership exceeding 10,000, in 2014, Dr. Blair received their highest award for “distinguished service in the field of local government.”

Invited Speaker:

Dr. Robert Blair (University of Omaha) is currently a Fulbright fellow at McGill University’s Institute for the Study of Canada and is also associated with the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation. Dr. Blair has also been an affiliated researcher at the Centre on Governance since the fall of 2021. Dr. Blair is Professor Emeritus at the University of Nebraska. He is currently research Canadian city management and partnerships between Chief Administrative Officers and elected officials.

Moderator:

Dr. Eric Champagne, Director of the Centre on Governance and Associate Professor in the School of Political Studies

*Please note the University of Ottawa requires all visitors to the campus to complete a self-assessment form before visiting, to wear a mask while on campus, and to be fully vaccinated.