Dr. James Orbinski is a globally recognized humanitarian practitioner and advocate, as well as a leading scholar and scientist in global health. He believes in humanitarianism, in citizenship and in actively engaging and shaping the world in which we live, so that it is more humane, fair and just.

After extensive field experience with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Dr. Orbinski was elected its international president from 1998 to 2001. In 1999, he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to MSF for its pioneering approach to medical humanitarianism and for its approach to witnessing.

In 2003 Dr. Orbinski became a research scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital and later an associate professor of both medicine and political science at the University of Toronto. He is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Massey College and at the Munk Centre for International Studies. He is currently working with scholars, policy specialists and civil society actors to develop a Global Health Diplomacy initiative.

Dr. Orbinski is a member of the Order of Ontario and an Officer of the Order of Canada, designations that recognize his achievements and ongoing commitment to excellence in humanitarianism and global health. He was also awarded Canada’s highest civilian award, the Meritorious Service Cross, for his service as MSF’s head of mission in Kigali during the Rwandan genocide of 1994.