John Helliwell

University of British Columbia professor John Helliwell is co-director of CIFAR’s Social Interactions, Identity and Well-Being program. He has earned international renown for his pioneering work in incorporating social concepts into economic theories of development and growth and he is working to include identity, well-being and happiness in economic models.

He also advises international bodies, including the World Bank, on development, policy and other international economics issues. His most recent books include How Much Do National Borders Matter?, Globalization and Well-Being and the contribution “Measuring and Modeling Trust” in Diversity, Social Capital and the Welfare State.

Helliwell’s distinctions include Fulbright Fellow and Co-chair of the Canada Program and Mackenzie King Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies, both at Harvard University. He is also the former President of the Canadian Economics Association and sits on a number of boards, including the Centre for International Governance Innovation.