John Kirton

For the Scottish footballer, see Jock Kirton.

John James Kirton

John James Kirton (born 1948) ^[1] is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Toronto. He is the founder and director of the G7 Research Group and the G20 Research Group, and the co-founder of the Global Health Diplomacy Program with James Orbinski. Kirton is also the co-founder of the BRICS Research Group with Marina Larionova of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. ^[2]

Education

Kirton received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto in 1971, an M.A. in International Affairs from Carleton University in 1973, and a Ph.D. in International Studies from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in 1977. ^[3]

Career

At the University of Toronto, John Kirton directs the G7 Research Group, Canadian Foreign Policy Research Group, G20 Research Group, BRICS Research Group, and Global Health Diplomacy Program. ^[3] His research interests include global summit governance and Canadian foreign policy, global health governance, global finance, and global environmental governance.^{[ citation needed ]}

As a scholar of Canadian foreign policy, Kirton pioneered the neorealist theory of Canada's emergence as a principal power in the world through his books, Canada as a Principal Power (co-written with David DeWitt) and Canadian Foreign Policy in a Changing World.^{[ citation needed ]}

In the field of trade and environment, Kirton led a team that developed an analytical framework for assessing the environmental effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and identified the contributions of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation to ecological quality throughout the region. He has also served as a member of Canada's National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.^{[ citation needed ]}

The author or editor of more than 35 books, Kirton is the editor of the Global Governance book series, as well as co-editor (with Miranda Schreurs) of the Global Environmental Governance book series published by Routledge Publishing; he was also the co-editor (with Michele Fratianni and Paolo Savona) of the Global Finance series published by Ashgate Publishing. He is co-editor of several publications on the G7 and G20, and also a series on "Health: A Political Choice" published by GT Media. ^{[4] [ citation needed ]}

He is active in various volunteer activities and serves on the board of the NATO Council of Canada (formerly The Atlantic Council of Canada) and the Empire Club of Canada. He was a member of the board of the Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs until 2013. ^[5] He continues in an advisory role for Couchiching events, which are now hosted by the Canadian International Council.^{[ citation needed ]}

Selected bibliography

• Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change (co-authored with Ella Kokotsis and Brittaney Warren (Routledge, 2022) ^[6]
• Accountability for Effectiveness in Global Governance (co-edited with Marina Larionova (Routledge, 2017)
• China's G20 Leadership (Routledge, 2016) ^[7]
• The Global Governance of Climate Change: G7, G20 and UN Leadership (with Ella Kokotsis; Ashgate, 2015) ^[8]
• The G8-G20 Relationship in Global Governance (co-edited with Marina Larionova; Ashgate, 2015)
• Moving Health Sovereignty in Africa: Disease, Governance, Climate Change (co-edited with Andrew F. Cooper, Franklyn Lisk and Hany Besada; Ashgate, 2014).
• Africa's Health Challenges Sovereignty, Mobility of People and Healthcare Governance (co-edited with Andrew F. Cooper, Franklyn Lisk and Hany Besada; Farnham: Ashgate, 2013).
• Making Global Economic Governance Effective: Hard and Soft Law Institutions in a Crowded World (co-edited with Marina Larionova and Paolo Savona; Ashgate, 2010).
• Innovation in Global Health Governance: Critical Cases (co-edited with Andrew F. Cooper; Ashgate, 2009).
• Canadian Foreign Policy in a Changing World (Nelson Thomson, 2007). ^[9]
• Financing Development: The G8 and UN Contribution (co-edited with Michele Fratianni and Paolo Savona; Ashgate, 2007).
• Governing Global Health: Challenge, Response, Innovation (co-edited with Andrew F. Cooper and Ted Schrecker; Ashgate, 2007).
• An Environment-First Foreign Policy for Canada (Remarks prepared for an Experts Roundtable on "Foreign Policy Dialogue: Environment and Canadian Foreign Policy," Ottawa, May 12, 2003). ^[10]
• Governing Globalization: The G8's Contribution for the Twenty-First Century (Revised version of a paper prepared for a conference on "Russia within the "Group of Eight," sponsored by the Institute for Applied International Research, April 11–12, 2003). ^[11]
• Building Democratic Partnerships: The G8-Civil Society Link (Paper prepared for the Third Annual EnviReform Conference: Sustainability, Civil Society and International Governance: Local, North American and Global Perspectives, November 8, 2002). ^[12]
• Governing Global Finance: New Challenges, G7 and IMF Contributions (co-edited with Michele Fratianni and Paolo Savona; Ashgate, 2002).
• Linking Trade, Environment, and Social Cohesion: NAFTA Experiences, Global Challenges (co-edited with Virginia Maclaren; Ashgate, 2002).
• Environmental Regulations and Corporate Strategy (with Alan Rugman and Julie Soloway; Oxford University Press, 1999). ^[13]
• The G8’s Role in the New Millennium (co-edited with Michael Hodges and Joseph Daniels; Ashgate, 1999).
• Canadian Foreign Policy: Selected Cases (co-edited with Don Munton; Prentice-Hall, 1993).
• Canada as a Principal Power (with David Dewitt; John Wiley, 1983). ^[14]
• The International Joint Commission Seventy Years On (with Robert Spencer and Kim Richard Nossal; Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto, 1981).

References

1. Lumley, Elizabeth, ed. (2003). Canadian Who's Who 2003. Vol. XXXVIII. University of Toronto Press. p. 725.
2. "John J. Kirton | Department of Political Science". www.politics.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
3. "University of Toronto Faculty". discover.research.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
4. University of Toronto (October 12, 2025). "Health: A Political Choice – The Future of Health in a Fractured World". Global Governance Program at the University of Toronto. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
5. Couchiching Conference. "Couchiching Conference". Website of the Canadian International Conference. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
6. "Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change | Department of Political Science". www.politics.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2025-12-19.
7. "China's G20 Leadership | Department of Political Science". www.politics.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2025-12-19.
8. "The Global Governance of Climate Change: G7, G20 and UN Leadership | Department of Political Science". www.politics.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2025-12-19.
9. John J. Kirton (2007). Canadian foreign policy in a changing world. Internet Archive. Thomson/Nelson. ISBN   978-0-17-625207-6.
10. Kirton, John (2003-05-12). "An environment-first foreign policy for Canada". G7/G8 Scholarly Publications and Papers.
11. Kirton, John (2003-04-11). "Governing globalization: the G8's contribution for the twenty-first century". G7/G8 Scholarly Publications and Papers.
12. Kirton, John (2002-11-08). "Building democratic partnerships: The G8-civil society link". G7/G8 Scholarly Publications and Papers.
13. "Environmental Regulations and Corporate Strategy". global.oup.com. Retrieved 2025-12-19.
14. "Canada as a Principal Power: A Study in Foreign Policy and International Relations · Canadian Book Review Annual Online". cbra.library.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2025-12-19.

• Kirton, John. "A Primer on the G8," ^{[ dead link ]}Forbes, July 7, 2008.
• Woods, Allan. "G8/G20 summit junkies gear up," "Toronto Star," June 3, 2010.