Cambridge, MA — January 22, 2026 — The Honorable Chrystia Freeland, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada, has been appointed a jointly affiliated fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government (M-RCBG), where she will serve as a Senior Research Fellow, and at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, where she will serve as a Fisher Family Fellow. Freeland will also be a member of the Institute of Politics’ Spring 2026 cohort of IOP Fellows.
During her fellowship, Freeland will engage students, faculty, and practitioners on the intersection of geopolitics, economic statecraft, democratic resilience, and global responses to authoritarian aggression, drawing on her experience at the highest levels of government during a period of significant global disruption.
“We are honored to welcome Chrystia Freeland to M-RCBG as a Senior Research Fellow. Her experience as Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, combined with her long-standing engagement with questions of globalization, economic resilience, and democratic governance, will be an extraordinary resource for our students, fellows and faculty,” said John Haigh, Co-Director, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. “Her knowledge of the global economy, trade and the interaction of governments with businesses is extraordinary. We look forward to the insight and rigor she will bring to the Kennedy School community and our work at the intersection of public policy and markets.”
“We’re delighted that Chrystia Freeland will be joining the Belfer Center as a Fisher Family Fellow, a fellowship that brings senior diplomatic leaders to campus to engage directly with students and faculty,” said Meghan L. O’Sullivan, Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. "Few leaders have navigated such a wide range of economic and geopolitical challenges in real time. Chrystia brings a practitioner’s perspective shaped by crisis management, alliance-building, and global economic coordination, and she will add a distinctive voice to our conversations about how policy is made under pressure.”
Freeland brings to Harvard a distinguished record of public service and global leadership. She currently serves as Economic Advisor to the President of Ukraine and is the incoming Chief Executive Officer of the Rhodes Trust.
She was elected in five consecutive national elections and served as a Member of Parliament until 2026. From 2020 to 2024, Freeland served as Canada’s Minister of Finance, becoming the first woman to hold the position, and oversaw the country’s economic response during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, she also played a role in international efforts responding to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including initiatives related to Russian sovereign assets. Earlier in her career, Freeland served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (2019–2020), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017–2019), and Minister of International Trade (2015–2017).
Freeland’s joint appointment reflects a shared commitment across Harvard Kennedy School to interdisciplinary scholarship and practitioner engagement on global challenges. Her presence on campus will create opportunities for students and fellows to engage with perspectives shaped by experience across international economics, diplomacy, and democratic governance.
