Ignatieff 23rd Symons Medal recipient

Former politician, esteemed academic to be honoured Nov. 8 in Charlottetown

A former leader of the federal Liberal party and one of Canada's most esteemed academics will be awarded the 2023 Symons Medal by the Confederation Centre of the Arts in November.

Michael Ignatieff is set to be the 23rd recipient of the annual award that acknowledges exceptional contributions to Canadian life.

Ignatieff, a Toronto native, is a writer, historian and former politician. His academic journey began at Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto, culminating with a PhD in history from Harvard in 1975.

He taught history at the University of British Columbia and then was elected to a senior research fellowship at King’s College Cambridge. Between 1984 and 2000, he worked as a freelance journalist for the BBC, The Observer and other outlets in London. He was director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard between 2000 and 2005.

Ignatieff served as deputy leader and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2009 to 2011, before returning to academia.

He currently teaches history at Central European University in Vienna.

“The selection committee enthusiastically chose to award Michael Ignatieff with the Symons Medal this year,” said Robert Sear, chair of the Confederation Centre of the Arts. “He is a vocal advocate of democracy, and his rich career has made an impact both in Canada and around the world.”

The Symons Medal presentation and lecture is named after Thomas H.B. Symons, the founding president of Trent University. Since 2004, the centre has honoured 22 distinguished medallists.

This year, the presentation and lecture will kick off the newly established Charlottetown Forum. The forum, spanning two days will cover topics including immigration, economic reconciliation and shared national narratives.

The Symons Medal presentation and lecture takes place Nov. 8, at Confederation Centre of the Arts. The Charlottetown Forum runs Nov. 9-10.

More information on forum panellists and ticketing will be released later.