IDRC alumnus Don Simpson has been awarded the Order of Canada.
In 1972, Don became one of the first staff members at the IDRC. From 1972 to 1975, he was Project Associate for Education Initiatives inr Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Examples of some of Don’s projects include Rural Education Program (Cameroon), Committee on Asian Manpower Studies, Primary School Efficiency in Thailand, African Association for Correspondence Education, Technology usage in Caribbean University, and Radiophonic Schools in Latin America.
During his time at IDRC, Don began to identify his skills in helping people facing complex tasks by clarifying key challenges, identifying a range of possible options for addressing these challenges, and examining the types of resources needed to support each option and build an Action Plan. His IDRC experience offered Don a global lab to test ideas on collaboration, cross-cultural learning and innovation and provided him with a foundation of context, content, and contacts that has proven to heavily influence his future projects.
As described on the Order of Canada website:
“Don Simpson has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to innovative leadership development and cross-cultural engagement. Throughout a career spanning seven decades, he has been an academic, entrepreneur, researcher, program designer, administrator and mentor, working and residing in various communities around the world. He founded the Innovation Expedition and the Renaissance Expedition, bringing together creative, collaborative, compassionate innovators committed to changing the world for the better.”
For more information about Don, visit his website: donaldsimpson.ca.
Bulletin 74
October 2024