Dr. Ann Fitz-Gerald

Can Western Democracies Contain Rising Authoritarianism from the East?

In this lecture, Dr. Fitz-Gerald discusses how democratic countries (typically hesitant to use “hard power”) can cope with authoritarianism rising from the East, where “hard power” is a dominant strategy. Dr. Fitz-Gerald will explore this theme by looking at a number of contemporary issues, such as: Canada-China relations, US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the current troubles in Ukraine. Are Western countries (other than the U.S.) willing to respond to increasingly belligerent military regimes from the East?

Ann Fitz-Gerald is the Director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs and a Professor in Wilfrid Laurier University’s Political Science Department. She has worked at both at King’s College, London University’s International Policy Institute, and at Cranfield University, where she was the Director, Defence and Security Leadership. Ann is widely published on issues concerning international peace and security and conflict studies, with a particular focus on Africa. She is a Visiting Professor at a number of African universities and is part of the United Nations’ Global Female Talent Pipeline cadre. Ann has advised, and has been seconded to work with, a number of countries on issues relating to national security policy/strategy issues including Ukraine, Lebanon, Canada, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Botswana, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Albania, Montenegro and Nigeria. She is currently facilitating the development of the Gambian defence policy. Ann also supported H.E Thabo Mbeki’s African Union High Implementation Panel during the post-referendum peace talks between North and South Sudan. In 2011, Ann returned to Canada to be the McNaughton-Vanier Visiting Professor at the Royal Military College of Canada. In 2013, she became a Senior Security and Justice Adviser for the UK Government. In 2018, Ann was appointed as a Senior Research Associate at the Royal United Services Institute in London. She is currently an advisory board member for the Sierra Leone Peacebuilding Commission and for the Canadian Ditchley Foundation.

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