Notable Alumni

Alan Rugman

PhD Economics, 1975
SFU Outstanding Alumni Award Recipient, 2010

Dr. Alan Rugman was one of the founding scholars and leading authorities in the field of international business. His research has deeply influenced the growth of the field and its policy implications, and his theories have become integral to international business textbooks studied by students worldwide. He published over 250 articles and 14 books dealing with the economic, managerial, and strategic aspects of multinational enterprises and trade and investment policy. He served as a prolific researcher and always had a finger astutely placed on the pulse of the business world. Not only did Dr. Rugman publish widely in business journals, he also disseminated his research and opinions through non-traditional channels including public policy studies, management and law. He spent nearly a decade as an outside advisor on free trade, foreign investment and international competitiveness to two Canadian Prime Ministers, and played a critical role in facilitating the formation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. As a dedicated and enthusiastic educator, Dr. Rugman was well-respected as an inspiring mentor to his students, peers and colleagues. Prior to joining the Henley Business School at the University of Reading, Dr. Rugman held the L. Leslie Waters Chair of International Business at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, and was Thames Water Fellow in Strategic Management at Templeton College, University of Oxford. He also held tenured posts at the University of Toronto, Dalhousie University, and the University of Winnipeg, along with visiting professorships at Columbia Business School, London Business School, Harvard University, UCLA, MIT, Warwick Business School and the University of Paris-La Sorbonne.