Robert Austin is a Professor, Teaching Stream at the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies (CEES), Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. He is the Associate Director of CEES and the Coordinator of both its undergraduate and graduate program, as well as the Director of Hungarian Studies and Director of Hellenic Studies. Professor Austin completed his BA in Political Science at Carleton University in 1987 and earned an MA (1991) and PhD (1998) in History at the University of Toronto, before joining the faculty in 1999.

Professor Austin is known for placing great emphasis on the quality of student experience at U of T. He is a leader in the area of international partnerships and experiential learning abroad. He not only raises funds for international experiential learning: he delivers it. In addition to establishing new international partnerships, internships, and new courses for Summer Abroad programs in Central and Eastern Europe, Professor Austin has pioneered the Faculty of Arts & Science’s International Course Modules – designed to enhance courses by adding an immersive, international experience for instructors and students. He has led over thirty trips for undergraduate and graduate students to Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Czech Republic, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Tunisia. International experiential learning is an essential component of CEES’ undergraduate and graduate programs, and Professor Austin’s outreach efforts and educational innovation have made these opportunities possible.

Professor Austin’s teaching excellence reflects his student-centred pedagogy, and ability to foster supportive teaching and learning communities in his classrooms and beyond. Professor Austin understands his courses as global classrooms, whether teaching in Canada or abroad. Drawing on his experience as a journalist and historian in the Balkans and throughout Eastern Europe, he frequently engages international guests to speak with his students, including diplomats, politicians and even the President of Kosovo.

Professor Austin is the recipient of numerous awards, including the President’s Medal of Gratitude from the Republic of Albania (2015) and the Golden Laurel Leaves for Distinguished Service to Bulgarian Foreign Policy (2005). At the University of Toronto, he was a Senior Fellow, Massey College and in 2022 received the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Outstanding Teaching Award. Professor Robert Austin is a dedicated and impactful educator, and a leader in international experiential learning for undergraduate and graduate students. The extensive and welcoming community he has helped to foster in Toronto and in Eastern and Central Europe speaks to the spirit of generosity and collaboration at the heart of much of Professor Austin’s teaching, research, and outreach.