Our Advisors

Mr. Charles Burton

Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad and Non-Resident Senior Fellow, European Values Center for Security Policy. PhD 1987 from the University of Toronto after studies at Cambridge University (Oriental Studies) and Fudan University (History of Ancient Chinese Thought Program, Department of Philosophy, class of ’77). Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Post-Doctoral Scholar in Political Science at University of Alberta, 1986-88.

He has published extensively on Chinese and North Korean affairs and Canada-China relations and has been commissioned to write reports on matters relating to Canada’s relations with China for agencies of the Government of Canada. Charles is a frequent commentator on Chinese affairs in newspapers, radio and TV.

Dr. Essam Abdelshafy

Chairman of International Relations Academy in Turkiye , His academic voyage began at Cairo University, where he accomplished a Ph.D. in 2009, exploring the religious aspects of U.S. policy towards Saudi Arabia. Dr. Abdelshafy has held several esteemed positions, including a professor of political sciences at Sakarya University, Turkiye since September 2015, and Director of the Egyptian Institute for Political and Strategic Studies since September 2014. His dedication to research was evident during his terms as a visiting researcher at Al-Jazeera Center for Studies and as Director of Studies in the Diplomatic Center for Strategic Studies in Doha, Qatar.