G20 Research Group

The G20 Research Group was founded by John Kirton in February 2008 as a global network of scholars, students and professionals in the academic, research, business, non-governmental and other communities who follow the work of the G20. In 2009, Kirton was joined by co-directors Alan Alexandroff, Research Director of the Program on Conflict Management and Negotiation at the Munk School of Global Affairs at Trinity College in the University of Toronto, and Donald Brean, Professor of Finance and Business Economics at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.[2]

Building on the work done by the G8 Research Group, which has been following the G20 finance ministers and central banker governors since they began meeting in 1999,[3] the G20 Research Group aims to serve as the world's leading independent source of information and analysis on the G20.[2]

The G20 Research Group publishes the G20 Information Centre website, which provides a permanent collection of G20-related documents and information. It also conducts programs of research, teaching, and information and public education.

Whenever possible the G20 Research Group, like the G8 Research Group, sends a field team to the summits and finance meetings of the G20 to assist the world's media on site and to collect documentation uniquely available there.[4][5]

The G20 Research Group publishes an assessment of the G20 agenda, available on the G20 Information Centre website and updated frequently. It also works with Newsdesk Media to produce special publications on the G20, which are also available on the G20 Information Centre website.

The G20 Research Group is supported by the International Relations Program based at the Munk School of Global Affairs, Robarts Library, Trinity College’s John Graham Library and the Department of Political Science.[2]