Dr Mario Silva

In Galway last week, Dr Mario Silva successfully defended his doctoral thesis entitled Failed and Failing States: Causes and Conditions.

Annyssa Bellal, Mario Silva, Payam Akhavan (by videolink) and myself.

The external examiner was Professor Payam Akhavan of McGill University and the internal examiner was Dr Annyssa Bellal.

Mario Silva has had a distinguished career in public life in Canada that includes three terms in the House of Commons. He is currently the Canadian representative on the Task Force for International Co-operation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, and will assume its chairmanship in 2013.

The oral examination took place on his birthday. Congratulations, Mario, on both counts.