James J. Orbinski

Principal James Orbinski brings a lifelong commitment to civility and leadership toward the Public Good to Massey College. As a medical doctor, humanitarian practitioner and advocate, author, and global health scholar, he believes in actively engaging and shaping our world so that it is more just, fair, and humane.

Providing medical humanitarian relief worldwide in situations of war, famine, epidemic disease and genocide with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Dr. Orbinski also served as International Council president and accepted the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize on their behalf. He was the founding director of York University’s Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, co-founder of Dignitas International, and co-chaired the founding and startup of the globally-successful not-for-profit organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

Renowned for his ground-breaking research on medical humanitarianism, infectious diseases, global health governance, and the health impacts of climate change, Dr. Orbinski’s work is documented in his bestselling book, An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarianism in the 21st Century, as well as the award-winning documentary film (produced by Quadrangle Society Member, Peter Raymont) Triage: the Humanitarian Dilemma of Dr. James Orbinski.

James Orbinski holds an MD degree from McMaster University, and an MA in International Relations from the University of Toronto. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, awarded for a lifetime of leadership in global health and humanitarianism. He received Canada’s Meritorious Service Cross for his leadership in providing direct medical relief in Kigali during the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

James and his wife Rolie share a long history with Massey College. James was the inaugural Saul Rose Fellow, and over the twenty years since he has served the Massey College community as a Senior Fellow, on the Board of Governors, and now as Principal. James Orbinski is the seventh Principal of Massey College, as well as full Professor at the University of Toronto’s Termerty Faculty of Medicine and the Munk School for Public Policy.

Professor Orbinski will teach an interdisciplinary course on global health and climate change in the MGA program.