Mehrdad Hariri

Mehrdad Hariri

Professional:

The founder and CEO of the Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC). His vision and leadership have made the CSPC, a leading non-profit and non-advocate organization in science and innovation policy in Canada and globally.

The centre has established many first-in-Canada activities, including the annual Science Policy Conference, Science Policy Magazine, Science Meets Parliament and many more programs.

Extracurricular:

An active member of the Iranian Canadian Community for over 20 years, has been the founding member and board member and advisory member of numerous various community organizations and has been a long-time advocate for democracy in Iran and the fight against the Islamic Republic. He has been helping with numerous campaigns against the Islamic regime, and among the most recent ones, he led the campaign of letter to Prime Minister Trudeau demanding strong stand with the people of Iran in Oct 2022, and also a member of the organizing committee of March 26 gathering of opposition in Toronto. 

Acknowledgements for his achievements: 

  • The Globe and Mail acknowledged Mehrdad for his decade of exceptional contribution to science policy. (https://shorturl.at/cHI27)
  • In 2022 he was selected as an emerging leader and a member of the Governor-General Leadership Conference. 
  • He received Platinum Jubilee lapel pin for his long-time contribution to science and innovation policy in Canada.

Fellowship, Board and Advisory Membership:

  • Mehrdad is a Senior Fellow of the Institute for Science Society and Policy at Ottawa University

Currently on the board of the following organizations

  • Board member of the Journal of Science Policy and Governance, and
  • Board member of the Science & Technology Awareness Network.

Also served on advisory committees;

  • The Innovation Leadership Council (ILC) of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA)
  • MITACS Science Policy Fellowship program.

Mehrdad studied Veterinary Medicine, Cell Biology and Functional Genomics at Tehran, Montréal, and Toronto universities.

Mehrdad has numerous publications and opinion pieces in various media outlets and regularly appears as a commentator on science policy issues.