March 10, 2020 – William Robson, CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute, announces the re-appointment of Nobina Robinson as a Senior Fellow.
“With career accomplishments that have spanned a wide range of policy issues (higher education, skills, innovation, as well as foreign policy) Nobina has been an invaluable source of advice to our research team,” said Robson. “We are delighted to continue our association with her.”
“The Institute’s wide-ranging policy contributions are vital for helping to design impactful post-pandemic action plans for all level of governments in Canada,” said Robinson. “ I look forward to contributing to, and engaging with, the Institute’s Policy Councils.”
Nobina Robinson served from 2009-2018 as the Chief Executive Officer of Polytechnics Canada, the national association representing degree-granting and research-intensive colleges and polytechnics. She is currently an Executive Fellow at the School of Public Policy, University of Calgary.
After first joining the federal public service in 1990, Robinson worked as a political officer for the Canadian Foreign Service Officer, representing Canada at the Canadian Embassy in Havana, Cuba from 1994 to 1997. From 1998 to 2002, Mrs. Robinson led FOCAL, a policy institute on Canada’s relations with the Americas.
As Polytechnics Canada’s CEO, Robinson successfully advocated for increasing federal research investments in the applied research and innovation capabilities of Canada’s colleges and polytechnics, extending beyond traditional academic research. She was instrumental in urging the federal government to establish the Canada Apprentice Loan program in 2014. Robinson was also a key proponent for modernizing federal innovation programs, particularly relating to small business innovation. During her time at Polytechnics Canada, Robinson also served as a member of the 2011 federal Expert Panel appointed by the Government of Canada to review business R&D and innovation programs.
Robinson holds a B.A. from Amherst College, an M.A. from Oxford University (Commonwealth Scholar 1985-1988) and has pursued post-graduate studies at Yale University.
She has written numerous media commentaries about Canada’s innovation and talent challenges and opportunities for modernizing Canada’s skills and research ecosystems, and frequently contributes her thoughts through guest lectures to undergraduate students.
For more information please contact: C.D. Howe Institute at 416-865-1904, email: media@cdhowe.org.
The C.D. Howe Institute is an independent not-for-profit research institute whose mission is to raise living standards by fostering economically sound public policies. Widely considered to be Canada's most influential think tank, the Institute is a trusted source of essential policy intelligence, distinguished by research that is nonpartisan, evidence-based and subject to definitive expert review.