Joseph Wong

Joseph Wong is the Vice-President, International at the University of Toronto, the Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and a Professor of Political Science. He previously directed the Munk School's Asia Institute (2005–2014) and held the Canada Research Chair in Health, Democracy and Development for two terms (2006–2016).

His research spans poverty, innovation, health policy, and the political economy of welfare states in East Asia. He has published extensively in journals such as The Lancet, Annual Review of Political Science, and Comparative Political Studies, focusing on intersections between democracy, development, and governance.

• Co-author of From Development to Democracy (Princeton UP), Healthy Democracies (Cornell UP), and Betting on Biotech (Cornell UP)
• Co-editor of Political Transitions in Dominant Party Systems (Routledge) and Innovating for the Global South (University of Toronto Press)

Scientific Awards:

• Canada Research Chair in Health, Democracy and Development (2006–2016)

Professor Wong has collaborated with the World Bank, United Nations, and advised governments across Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. He founded the University of Toronto's Reach Alliance, a global research initiative aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He teaches in the Political Science Department, Munk One program, and Munk School. Educated at McGill University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he is also a prominent host of the UofT-produced video series Joe’s Basketball Diaries, merging global affairs with sports commentary.