Greek-Canadian Constantine Passaris has received the highest civilian honour from the Government of New Brunswick, Canada. He is the first Greek-Canadian in the history of this honour to be named to the Order of New Brunswick. Every year, ten individuals are inducted in the Order for their demonstrated excellence and achievement, and for having made outstanding contributions to the social, cultural, and economic well-being of New Brunswick and its residents.
Passaris is a Canadian citizen of Greek Kastellorizian descent who came to Canada as an international student and was subsequently appointed a Professor of Economics at the University of New Brunswick (Canada).
The citation read during the November 2021 investiture ceremony for the Order of New Brunswick mentioned that “During his almost 50-year academic career, he has taught thousands of students and received the highest teaching award from the University of New Brunswick and was also selected twice by Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities as a popular professor. As a trusted economic advisor, his respected opinions, became a backbone of the New Brunswick government’s economic development strategy under Premier Frank McKenna and laid the groundwork for the provincial immigration strategy.
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Passaris has received numerous honours and awards, including the Government of Canada Citation for Citizenship Award, the national award from the Canadian Council for Multicultural and Intercultural Education, the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his exceptional contributions to New Brunswick and Canada. The New Brunswick Multicultural Council presented him its inaugural Legacy Award to recognize his visionary accomplishment in informing and guiding the provincial and national public policy process.
Passaris is receiving the Order of New Brunswick for his visionary work as a fervent champion and strong advocate for multiculturalism, immigration, inclusion, and human rights.”
Passaris has maintained close ties with his homeland. He has advised several Greek governments and the Canadian Embassy in Greece. In addition, he has chaired many external evaluation committees and external accreditation panels at the request the Greek Ministry of Education. In 2020, he was included in the inaugural edition of “Who’s Who in Greece” for his long and distinguished service to Greece. The Professor of Economics is also one of only a handful of international recipients to receive the prestigious Greece-based Onassis Foundation Fellowship – twice. The recipients of this award are selected from an international competition from leading academics and scholars who have achieved an international reputation through their publications. In addition, he has served for several years as a visiting professor at the International Writer’s Center in Rhodes, Greece. As a noted expert in many fields, Passaris has delivered keynote addresses and academic papers at international conferences organized by Greek universities and Greek government institutions and has authored numerous opinion and editorial articles for Greek newspapers and the electronic media.
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Passaris has written opinion articles for Neos Kosmos. His most recent contribution was on the commemoration of the bicentenary of Greek independence by the Greek diaspora.