Is the economic rupture with the United States a crisis, or an opportunity for Canadian growth?

In the 2026 McGill Max Bell Lectures, economists Ricardo Hausmann and Eric Protzer explore practical strategies for Canadian prosperity in a radically changed world.

The 2026 lectures are drawn from Canada After America: A Strategy for Prosperity in a Changed World.

The lectures draw from Canada After America: A Strategy for Prosperity in a Changed World and research from Harvard's Growth Lab, arguing that Canada's answer is not to retreat from globalization, but to become far better at unlocking its potential for innovation and competing in the rest of the world. Leveraging data covering supply chains, venture capital, housing markets, and more, Hausmann and Protzer identify concrete opportunities for Canada’s economic growth and how it can activate them.

For generations, Canada built its prosperity on economic integration with the United States, only to find itself hostage to its nearest neighbour.

The rupture with America is a crisis—but also a historic opportunity to build a more innovative, resilient, and globally competitive Canada.

The McGill Max Bell Lectures are held across Canada, and the associated book will be published each year ahead of the lecture series by Sutherland House. The McGill Max Bell Lectures are free and open to the public, made possible by a foundational gift from respected business leader and McGill alumnus Thomas E. Kierans, O.C., LLD, FICD.

The first 100 attendees to the Montreal and Calgary lectures will receive a free copy of the book!

The 2026 lecturers are Ricardo Hausmann and Eric Protzer.

Ricardo Hausmann is an economist by trade, the founder and Director of Harvard’s Growth Lab, and the Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. Since launching the Growth Lab in 2006, Hausmann has served as principal investigator for more than 50 research initiatives in nearly 30 countries, including the US, informing development policy, growth strategies, and diversification agendas at the national, regional, and city levels. He previously served as the Chief Economist of the Inter-American Development Bank and as the Minister of Planning of Venezuela.

Eric Protzer is a Senior Research Fellow at Harvard's Growth Lab. He has advised governments around the world on economic policy, both in developed and developing settings. His research has been cited by the OECD, IMF, UN and EU. It has been featured by Brookings and the New York Times. Eric previously co-authored the book "Reclaiming Populism: How Economic Fairness Can Win Back Disenchanted Voters." He holds degrees from the University of British Columbia and MIT, and is from Vancouver Island, Canada.