Laura Dawson
Former Fellow and Former Director, Canada Institute
Professional Affiliation
Executive Director, Future Borders Coalition
Expert Bio
As Executive Director of Future Borders Coalition, Laura Dawson works with a binational coalition of government and industry leaders in order to build better borders for travel and trade. Prior to her appointment to FBC, Dr. Dawson led the North America office of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Institute, facilitating public sector digital transformation. Other posts include director of the Canada Institute at the ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ Center in Washington, D.C., founder of Dawson Strategic, and senior economic advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Canada. Dawson serves on the teaching faculty at the Master of Public Policy program at McGill University in Montreal and is a board member of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. In addition, Dawson was jury co-chair for the Government of Canada’s 2022 New Frontiers in Research Fund and was named 2021 Person of Distinction by the Public Affairs Association of Canada. Dr. Dawson holds a PhD in Political Science from Carleton University. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Major Publications
Current Publications (2015-Present):
Managing the Canada-US Relationship from the Honeymoon to the Long-term
Slow and Steady Will Not Win the Race: Trade Negotiations, IP Protections and Canada’s Pharmaceutical Industry
Chasing China: Why an Economic Agreement with China is Necessary for Canada’s Continued Prosperity
ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ Perspectives: The Trans-Pacific Partnership
The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Setting the Standard and Raising the Bar
Past Publications (2014-2011):
Toward Free Trade in Canada: Five Things the Federal Government Can Do To Open our Internal Market
North American Competitiveness: The San Diego Agenda
A Safe and Smart Border: The Ongoing Quest in U.S.-Canada Relations
Previous Terms
Former Senior Economic Analyst, U.S. Embassy, Ottawa, Canada; Public Policy Scholar, ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ Center, Sept-Dec, 2011, Project: "Strengthening North American Economic Competitiveness in a Post-NAFTA World"
