Media Release

For Immediate Release

July 17, 2009

Alain Boutet named new director of International Activities Office at Saint Mary’s University

Dr. Alain Boutet

Alain Boutet, a leader in the globalization of higher education and research, is the new Director of the International Activities Office at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. The International Activities Office creates opportunities for students, faculty and staff to become involved in a broad range of activities with an international focus.

Dr. Boutet will also serve as an adjunct professor in the International Development Studies Program at Saint Mary’s. With more than 20 years of experience in the design, planning and management of international partnership and cooperation projects, Dr. Boutet has worked with many non-government organizations, governments and universities.

Dr. J. Colin Dodds, President of Saint Mary’s University, welcomed Dr. Boutet to campus by saying, “Alain brings a wealth of international development education and experience to the International Activities Office. His breadth of knowledge will greatly complement our programs and help us further internationalize our university.”

Dr. Boutet comes to Saint Mary’s University from the Université de Montréal where he was Director of the Office of International Relations and a former associate researcher for the Latin American Studies Network of the Centre for International Studies and Research. Prior to that, he was Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Development at the University of Regina.

Dr. Boutet holds a doctorate in communication and development from Université du Québec à Montréal and is a graduate in anthropology (B.A., M.A.) from Université Laval. His teaching and research activities have focused on participatory communication strategies in social transformation, and local governance regarding environmental issues.

Fluent in French, English and Spanish, Dr. Boutet is a member of the Latin American Studies Association, the Superior Council of the College of the Americas (Inter-American Organization for Higher Education). He is also a member of the Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development.  He was also a member of the selection committees for the Rhodes Scholarships Program and the Canada-Latin America and the Caribbean Research Exchange Grants.

Dr. Boutet says, “I have long been aware of the strong international focus at Saint Mary’s University and I look forward to building on significant new developments in internationalization on campus.”

The primary role of the Saint Mary’s University International Activities Office is to support the broader goal of the internationalization of the Saint Mary’s campus. Through an international network of contacts and partners, Dr. Boutet and his team are dedicated to enriching the lives of students, faculty and staff through the development and enhancement of international experiences and perspectives. 

For more information about Dr. Alain Boutet and the International Activities Office at Saint Mary’s, please visit: www.smu.ca/administration/international/.

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For more information contact:

Catherine McCarthy
Public Affairs Officer
Saint Mary's University

(902) 420.5513
E-mail: catherine.mccarthy@smu.ca
www.smu.ca