Cooper brings unmatched experience in philosophy, politics and national defence to the Frontier Centre for Public Policy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2025
WINNIPEG — The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is pleased to announce the appointment of Barry Cooper, PhD, as a Senior Fellow.
Cooper, a fourth-generation Albertan, is a professor of political science at the University of Calgary and one of Canada’s most distinguished political philosophers. Educated at the University of British Columbia and Duke University, where he earned his doctorate in 1969, he has taught at Bishop’s University, McGill University, York University and the University of Calgary, where he has been a faculty member since 1981.
For more than 35 years, Cooper has studied Western political philosophy, classical and contemporary. His teaching has focused on Greek political philosophy, while his publications have examined French and German political thought. He has spent considerable time in Europe conducting research and teaching.
Cooper has also made significant contributions to the study of Canadian politics and public policy. He has written extensively on the role of technology and the media in Canada, the constitutional status of Quebec and the challenges of Canadian defence and security. He is the author, editor or translator of 37 books and nearly 200 papers and book chapters.
Over his career, Cooper has held numerous honours and fellowships. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1993, held Killam Research and Resident Fellowships, and received the Konrad Adenauer Award, among many other honours. He has served as a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and a fellow of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute.
“Barry Cooper is one of Canada’s most prolific and respected political thinkers,” said David Leis, president and CEO of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. “His scholarship on political philosophy and Canadian public policy will bring unmatched depth to our work on governance, freedom and security.”
Media availability
Barry Cooper
Senior fellow
Frontier Centre for Public Policy
bcooper@ucalgary.ca
Cooper is available for interviews and commentary on Western political philosophy, Canadian politics and public policy, media and technology, and defence and security.
Media contact
Marco Navarro-Génie, PhD
Vice-president of research and policy
Frontier Centre for Public Policy
mng@fcpp.org
About the Frontier Centre for Public Policy
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is an independent Canadian think-tank that conducts research and analysis on economic, social and public policy issues. Since 1999, it has published studies, commentaries and events promoting ideas for a freer and more prosperous society.
