Former B.C. premier and current Canadian Ambassador to Germany, John Horgan, is taking on a volunteer mentorship role at Royal Roads University.
Horgan was named the school’s first Senior Fellow of Leadership Studies on Thursday.
Senior fellows are volunteers who are appointed by Royal Roads to help with “extending, amplifying, and communicating their work” to both students and staff.
Horgan will also help Royal Roads faculty with research and educational goals related to leadership.
The university points to Horgan’s time as B.C.’s premier, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events, as clear examples of his leadership experience.
“We’re delighted to have such an accomplished leader join us to share his knowledge and help with the important work of future-proofing our students so that they can tackle the challenges facing our world,” said Philip Steenkamp, president and vice-chancellor of Royal Roads University.
Lengthy resume
Horgan was first elected as the MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca in 2005. He would go on to be re-elected four consecutive times, twice as the premier.
In June 2022, he announced he was stepping down as the premier after recovering from his second bout of cancer.
Horgan officially stepped down as MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca in March, but he didn’t stay out of politics for long.
On Nov. 1, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Horgan had been appointed as Canada’s next ambassador to Germany.
It was a rare move, considering it’s unusual for federal party leaders to appoint ambassadors from opposing political backgrounds.
The Canadian Embassy in Germany is located in Berlin, with two other consulates in Munich and Duesseldorf.
Royal Roads says much of Horgan’s participation as a senior fellow will be online from Germany, as he serves as the ambassador.
“I am honoured to join Royal Roads University. The opportunity to connect with current and future leaders, provide mentorship and inspire them to pursue public service careers of their own is very exciting,” said Horgan in a release Thursday.
“I also look forward to collaborating with faculty on researching solutions to global challenges from economics to the climate emergency.”
With files from The Canadian Press and CHEK’s Tchadas Leo
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