David Robinson has been selected as the next executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers to succeed James Turk who is stepping down, effective June 30, 2014, following 16 years at the helm of the association.

Robinson is currently CAUT’s associate executive director responsible for research, communications, advocacy work and international relations. He has been with CAUT since 1999, when he was first hired as director of communications.

“The executive committee wishes James Turk all the best as he takes up a position as distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University in Toronto,” said CAUT president Wayne Peters. ”We recognize his profound contribution to the building of CAUT, to the defense of academic freedom and to public post-secondary education in Canada. In turn, we warmly welcome David, whose experience, knowledge and impressive capabilities will help CAUT achieve new heights in the coming years.”

Prior to joining CAUT, Robinson was the senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Canada’s leading pro­gressive think-tank. He has also been a lecturer at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, and Carleton University in Ottawa. He is the author of numerous articles, reviews, and reports on higher education and research policy, vocational education and training, and international trade and investment agreements.

For the past several years, Robinson has served as the senior advisor on higher education, copyright and international trade issues to Education International, the global federation representing more than 30 million teachers and education workers in 171 countries and territories. He is also a member of the board of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and is president of OpenMedia.ca.