Queen’s University is pleased to announce lung transplant surgeon Shaf Keshavjee, journalist Ronald Lee and lawyer Yash Pal Ghai are being conferred honorary degrees at Queen’s University’s convocation ceremonies November 18 and 19. Keith Banting, a professor in the School of Policy Studies, will serve as a guest speaker at two convocation ceremonies.

A highlight of the first ceremony is the installation of Queen’s chancellor Jim Leech. This will take place prior to the first honorary degree ceremony. He is the 14^th chancellor of Queen’s University.

Shaf Keshavjee

Shaf Keshavjee is a thoracic surgeon and director of the Toronto Lung Transplant Program. He is Surgeon-in-Chief, James Wallace McCutcheon Chair in Surgery at University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, and Professor Division of Thoracic Surgery and Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Keshavjee completed his medical training at the University of Toronto in 1985. He subsequently trained in general surgery, cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery at the University of Toronto followed by fellowship training at Harvard University and the University of London for airway surgery and heart-lung transplantation, respectively. He joined the faculty at the University of Toronto in 1994 and was promoted to full professor in 2002. Dr. Keshavjee served as the chair of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Toronto from 2004 to 2010. He was also the inaugural holder of the Pearson-Ginsberg Chair in Thoracic Surgery.

Dr. Keshavjee’s clinical practice is in thoracic oncology, lung cancer and lung transplantation. He has a passion for surgery and innovative research. He is a scientist in the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at UHN and his specific research interest is in lung injury related to transplantation. His current work involves the study of molecular diagnostics and gene therapy strategies to repair organs and to engineer superior organs for transplantation.

Dr. Keshavjee will receive his honorary degree (LL.D) on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 10 am at Grant Hall.

Ronald Lee

Ronald Lee, a Romani Canadian, was born in Montreal where he spent most of his adult life. He moved to Toronto in 1997. He is a journalist and published author and from 2003 to 2008, he taught a spring seminar, the Romani Diaspora in Canada, at New College, University of Toronto as part of the Equity Studies Program, Department of Humanities.

He is a founding member, former executive director and chairman of the board of directors of the Roma Community Centre in Toronto, which assists Romani newcomers to Canada with their social integration. It also serves as a cultural centre that organizes ethnic Romani events for the local Romani community and to acquaint other Canadians with Romani culture, music, history and their situation in the refugee-producing countries in Europe. Its aim is also to assist with the social self-empowerment of Romanies in Canada.

Mr. Lee has also lectured extensively for colleges and universities, both in Canada and in the United States and also, in the Toronto area, for public and private elementary and high schools. As a folk musician, he performs locally with other Romani musicians at Romani cultural events. In September 2012, he was awarded the Saip Jusuf Award for Literature and Language for his work as an author, journalist and linguist.

Mr. Lee will receive his honorary degree (LL.D) on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 2:30 pm at Grant Hall.

Yash Pal Ghai

A citizen of Kenya, Yash Ghai was born in Nairobi in 1938. He was educated at Oxford University and Harvard University, and he was called to the English Bar by the Middle Temple. Most of his professional life he has been a law teacher. He has taught at the University of East Africa, Uppsala University, Warwick University, and the University of Hong Kong (where he was the first Sir Y K Pao Professor of Public Law). He has held various visiting appointments, including at Yale University, University of Toronto, the National University of Singapore, Wisconsin University and Harvard University.

His research interests include constitutionalism and human rights, ethnic conflicts, sociology of law, and federalism and autonomy. He has advised various governments and political parties on constitutional matters and has participated in the making of constitutions in a number of countries, including Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Cambodia, Fiji, Kenya, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nepal and the Maldives. He has been involved in peacemaking processes in Nepal, Kenya, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.  He was the special representative of the United Nation as Secretary General for human rights in Cambodia from 2005 to 2008. In 2011 he established a non-governmental organization in Kenya, the Katiba Institute, to promote the implementation of its new constitution.

Mr. Pal Ghai will receive his honorary degree on Wednesday, November 19 at 10 am in Grant Hall.

Keith Banting

Keith Banting is the Queen’s Research Chair in Public Policy and a professor in the School of Policy Studies and the Department of Political Studies. Throughout his career, his teaching and research has focused on the politics of social policy, and he has recently extended this interest to include ethnic diversity, immigration and multiculturalism. He is the author or editor of 20 books, and numerous articles and book chapters. His publications have been translated into seven languages.

In 2004, he was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada. In 2012, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, was awarded an honorary doctorate by Stockholm University, and received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Dr. Banting has played a variety of leadership roles during his career. At Queen’s, he has been an associate dean of Graduate Studies and Research (1989-92) and director of the School of Policy Studies (1992-2003).  He was appointed to the governing council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (1986-1992), and for the last two years was vice president of the council. He also served as president of the Canadian Political Science Association (2009-2010).

Dr. Banting is speaking on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 6:30 pm and Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2:30 pm at Grant Hall.