Carin Holroyd is a Professor of Political Studies at the University of Saskatchewan. Carin received her Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies) from the University of British Columbia.  After working in Japan and British Columbia for a few years, she completed a Masters of Science (Japanese Business) from Chaminade University (Hawaii) and Sophia University (Japan).  She subsequently enrolled in the PhD program in Political Science at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, working under the direction of Dr. Alan Simpson, a highly respected New Zealand political scientist.  Her dissertation was entitled “ An Analysis of Canadian, Australia and New Zealand Commercial Relations with Japan, 1985-1997”.

Honours, Awards & Distinctions

Carin has held three Social Science and Humanities Research Council research awards, two SSHRC conference grants, three Japan Foundation Awards for research, and a Government of Japan fellowship. Her work has also been supported by Taiwan Economic and Cultural Affairs, the Canada-Japan Trade Council, and the Centre for International Governance Innovation.  She was invited to join the Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan in 1999 and has been invited to speak to such organizations as the Canada-Japan Business Council of Quebec, Fisheries Council of Canada, Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, the Kansai International Professionals Association, JETRO Seminar Series, Canada-Japan Forum on Economic Relations, Japan-China Relations Conference, Stanford Project on Japanese Entrepreneurship, and the Canada Science Policy Conference.  

She was awarded the Government of Vietnam Honour Medal twice and the Government of Canada's Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal for her work in Vietnam. 

She received the Japanese Consulate General Commendation in 2018.

Employment Summary

Before turning to an academic career, Carin work in Asian business development and international education.  She was the first International Education Officer at the new University of Northern British Columbia.  She then shifted into academic administration, rising to the post of Associate Registrar at UNBC before heading to New Zealand to work on her PhD.  Upon returning to Canada, Carin worked as a sessional lecturer in Business at Bishop’s University and an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Business at the University of New Brunswick at Saint John.  Carin accepted a post as Assistant Lecturer in the School of International Education at Kansai-Gaidai University, close to Kyoto and Osaka, Japan.  She returned to Canada, holding a post-doctorate fellowship in the College of Commerce at the University of Saskatchewan before accepting a position as Director of Student Support Services in the Student and Enrollment Services Division, University of Saskatchewan.  Carin worked at the Asia Pacific Foundation in Vancouver and the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo before joining the Department of Political Studies at the University of Waterloo in 2008.  Carin joined the Department of Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan, as an Associate Professor in July 2012.

Professional Activities

Carin is a Past-President of the Japan Studies Association of Canada and is currently a member of the JSAC Executive.  She has organized the annual conference of the Japan Studies Association of Canada four times. She is also Founder and  President of the Vietnam Education Society, a charity that builds schools and supports education in rural Vietnam.   She serves regularly as a reviewer for academic journals and presses.

Major Publications

Journal Articles

• Holroyd, Carin (2025) “Creating a More Prosperous Northern Economy: Development Insights from Northern Finland” Northern Review, June 2025
• Holroyd, Carin (2024) “A Circumpolar Perspective on Northern Development: Is Canada Falling Behind?, Northern Review, January 2024.
• Holroyd, Carin and Coates, Ken. (2021) “Rural Vietnam in Transition: Widening Gaps in an Age of Rural Decline”, Journal of Rural and Community Development, Volume 16 Issue 2. (65%)
• Holroyd, Carin and Coates, Ken. (2021) “Northern Sweden and Economic Development”, Journal of Northern Studies, No. 1.
• Holroyd, Carin. (2020) “Technological Innovation and Building a “super smart” society:  Japan’s vision of Society 5.0”, Journal of Asian Public Policy
• Holroyd C. (2019) Creating Business Out of Bright Light: Scientists, Government Policy and the Commercialization of Synchrotron-Enabled Research, Canadian Public Administration/Administration Publique du Canada (March 10, 2019).
• Holroyd C, (2019). Digital Content Promotion in Japan and South Korea: Government Strategies for an Emerging Sector, Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies.
• Holroyd C, (2019). Digital Content Promotion in South East Asia: Government Strategies for a New Economic Sector, Journal of Asian Public Policy, Volume 12:1, p. 15 -33.
• Holroyd C, (2018). The Digital Galapagos: Japan's Digital Media and Digital Content Economy, Japan Studies Association Journal, Volume 15:1, p. 41-65.
• Holroyd, C. and Ken Coates, (2015). Turning Eyes to the North: A Commentary on Japan’s Engagement with the North American Arctic, The Northern Review, 40, 86-97. (50%)
• Holroyd, C., Ken Coates and Joelena Leader, (2014). Managing the Forgotten North: Governance Structures and Administrative Operations of Canada’s Provincial Norths, The Northern Review, 6 - 54. (40%)
• Holroyd, C, (2014). Japan’s Green Growth Policies: Domestic Engagement, Global Possibilities, Journal of Japanese Political Economy, 40(3-4): 3 - 36.
• Ken Coates., Holroyd, C, (2014). The Jobs Debate We Need. Policy Options (pp. 1 - 4) (40%)
• Holroyd, C, (2013). Canada-Japan: Don’t Forget About Japan. Policy Options.
• Holroyd, C, (2012). Local Economies and the Future of Environmental Sustainability in Japan and Asia: Osaka and Kitakyushu, Japan Focus: the Asia Pacific Journal, 10(42):
• Holroyd, Carin and Bessma Momani, (2012). Japan’s Rescue of the IMF, Social Science Japan Journal, Vol 15 Issue 2 10(42): (50%)
• "Japan's Economic Impact on Northern British Columbia," The Northern Review_#15/16 (Winter 1995/Summer 1996), 113-138
• "The Japanese Economy in Transition: Canadian Response and Opportunities," in Hugh Millward and James Morrison, eds., Japan at Century's End: Changes, Challenges and Choices (Halifax: Fernwood and Saint Mary's, 1997), pp. 85-96.
• "Breaking into the Japanese Market: Canadian Companies and the Challenge of Doing Business in Japan" in P. Bowles and L.T. Woods (eds.),  Japan after the Economic Miracle: In Search of New Directions (Great Britain: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000).
• “When the Trade Mission is Over: The Commercial Realities of Canadian Business in Japan," Larry Woods, ed., Understanding Japan: Essays Inspired by Frank Langdon (Vancouver: Centre of International Relations, 2005). Pp. 165-188.
• "The Culture(s) of Commerce:  Japan, International Business and the Cultural Influences of Globalization," Ken Henshall, et al, eds., Cultural Interaction and Nationalism
• "Investing Under the Radar: The Reintroduction of Japanese Commerce to Canada after World War II" in Greg Donaghy and Pat Roy, eds., Contradictory Impulses: Canada and Japan in the Twentieth Century (UBC Press, 2008) , pp. 176-189.
• "Competing with Innovation: The Evolution of Japan's Science and Technology Policy," in David Edgington, ed., Special Issue, Prometheus, vol. 26, no. I   (2008), 21-38.
• "Deconstructing Canada in an age of global competition" Policy Options (May 2009), Vol. 30, No.5, 57-62.
• ''National Mobilization and Global Engagement: Understanding Japan's  Response to Global Climate Change Initiatives," Asian Perspective vol. 33, No. 2 (Summer 2009), pp. 73-96
• Co-author, "Competition through Innovation: The Politics of Japan's National Innovation Strategy," in Japan in the Age of Globalization (London: Routledge, 2011)
• Green Japan: The Politics of Climate Change and Ecological Commerce" in Japan in the Age of Globalization (London: Routledge, 2011)
• Co-author, "Japan’s Rescue of the IMF," Social Science Japan Journal, Vol. 15, Issue 2 (Summer, 2012).
• Carin Holroyd, "Local Economies and the Future of Environmental Sustainability in Japan and Asia: Osaka and Kitakyushu," The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol 10, Issue 42, No. 1, October 15, 2012.

Books and Chapters in Books

• Authored Books
  • Holroyd, Carin (2021). Introducing East Asia: History, Politics, Economy and Society. Abingdon: Routledge 2021. (To be translated into Korean in 2023).
  • Holroyd, Carin, (2018). Green Japan: Environmental Technologies, Innovation Policy and the Pursuit of Green Growth. Toronto: University of Toronto Press
  • Holroyd, Carin and Ken Coates (2015). The Global Digital Economy. Cambria Press.  (50%)
  • Holroyd, Carin and Ken Coates (2012). Digital Media in East Asia: National Innovation and the Transformation of a Region: Cambria Press. (60%)
  • Holroyd, Carin and Ken Coates (2007). Innovation Nation: Japanese Science and Technology in the 21st Century. Palgrave-Macmillan.   (60%)
  • Holroyd, Carin and Ken Coates (2003). Japan and the Internet Revolution  Palgrave-Macmillan. (60%)
  • Holroyd, Carin (2002). Government, International Trade and Laissez Faire Capitalism: Canada, Australia and New Zealand’s Relations with Japan. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. (100%)
  • Holroyd, Carin, (1999). Canadian Business Opportunities in Japan: Current Realities and Future Prospects. Ottawa: Canada-Japan Trade Council. (100%)
  • Holroyd, Carin and Ken Coates, (1996). Pacific Partners: The Japanese Presence in Canadian Business, Culture and Society. Toronto: Lorimer. (50%)
• Edited Books 
  • Submitted: 
    • Holroyd C, and Coates, K. editors The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, 2nd Edition Palgrave 2025 (95%)
  • Published: 
    • Holroyd C, and Coates, K. editors The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, Palgrave 2019 (60%)
    • Holroyd C with Hara, K. Soderberg, M. and Coates K., Editors Japan’s Future and a New Meiji Transformation: International Reflections, Routledge 2019 (35%)
    • Holroyd C. and Coates, K. “Introduction: The Circumpolar Dimensions of the Governance of the Far North” Holroyd C, and Coates, K. editors The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, 2nd Edition Palgrave 2025.
    • Holroyd C. and Coates, K. “Post-secondary education in the Circumpolar North” Holroyd C, and Coates, K. editors The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, 2nd Edition Palgrave 2025
    • Holroyd C. and Coates, K. “Europe’s North: the Arctic Policies of Sweden, Norway and Finland” Holroyd C, and Coates, K. editors The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, 2nd Edition Palgrave 2025
    • Holroyd C. “East Asia and the Arctic” Holroyd C, and Coates, K. editors The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, 2nd Edition Palgrave 2025
    • Holroyd C. and Coates, K. “The Future of the Arctic” Holroyd C, and Coates, K. editors The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, 2nd Edition Palgrave 2025
    • Holroyd, Carin and Coates, Ken (2022). "Participation of Indigenous peoples in global economic activity” in Edward Elgar Research Handbook on the International Law of Indigenous Rights, edited by Dwight Newman (Cheltenham, UK * Northampton, MA, USA: Edgar Elger Publishing, 2022).
    • Holroyd, Carin and Coates, Ken. (2022).  “The emergence and evolution of the global Indigenous rights movement” in Edward Elgar Research Handbook on the International Law of Indigenous Rights, edited by Dwight Newman (Cheltenham, UK * Northampton, MA, USA: Edgar Elger Publishing, 2022).
    • Holroyd, Carin and Coates, Ken. (2022). “Arctic innovation and the potential for the creation of a circumpolar innovation eco-system” in Andrey Mineev, Anatoli Bourmstrov and Fode Mellemvik, eds. Global Development in the Arctic: International Cooperation for the Future, (Routledge, 2022)
    • Holroyd, Carin and Coates, Ken. (2022). “The Cool Economy: Technological Innovation and the Prospects for a Sustainable Arctic Economy”. In David C. Natcher and Timo Koivurova (Ed.), Renewable Economies in the Arctic: Routledge 2022.
    • Holroyd, Carin “Building a 21st Century Economy in East Asia” in Politics of the Asia Pacific, edited by Mark Williams, University of Toronto Press. 2021
    • Holroyd, C.  "East Asia and the Arctic" in The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, Palgrave 2019.
    • Holroyd, C and Coates, K. "The Future of the Arctic" in The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, Palgrave 2019.  (50%)
    • Holroyd C and Coates, K. “Introduction: The Circumpolar Dimensions of the Governance of the Far North”. The Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics (40%)
    • Holroyd C and Coates, K., "Europe's North: The Arctic Policies of Sweden, Norway and Finland", in The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics, Palgrave 2019.  (40%)
    • Ken Coates and Carin Holroyd, “Natural Resources and Aboriginal Autonomy: Economic Development and the Boundaries of Indigenous Control and Engagement”, in William Nikolakis, Stephen Cornell, and Harry W. Nelson, eds., Reclaiming Indigenous Self-Governance: Reflections from the CANZUS Countries (Tempe: University of Arizona Press, forthcoming 2019), c. 40 pp. (30%)
    • Holroyd C, (2019). “Planning for Japan’s 21st Century Economy and Society”, Japan’s Future and New Meiji Transformation: International Reflections", Routledge.
    • Holroyd C., Hara K., Soderberg M., and Coates, K. (2019) "Introduction - Japan's Future and New Meiji Transformation: International Reflections", in Japan’s Future and New Meiji Transformation: International Reflections", Routledge. (25%)
    • Holroyd, C and Coates K, (2017). “Rebordering the North: Governance, Northern Allies and the Evolution of the Circumpolar World”. The Networked North. Waterloo: Centre on Foreign Policy and Federalism; Borders in Globalization. (50%)
    • Holroyd, C . and Ken Coates, (2017). East Asia and the Arctic: Economic and Strategic Considerations. In Sebastien Knecht (Ed.), Governing Arctic Change; Global Perspectives: Palgrave MacMillan (50%)
    • Holroyd, C, (2014). The Business of Arctic Development: East Asian Economic Interests in the Far North. In Ken Coates and Kimie Hara (Ed.), East Asia -Arctic Relations: Boundary, Security and International Politics. Waterloo: Centre for International Governance Innovation
    • Holroyd, C, (2013). S&T Capitalism: National Innovation and Asian Economies. In Bill Sewell (Ed.), Resilient Japan: Essays on Contemporary Japan: Japan Studies Association of Canada
    • Moore, M-L., F.R. Westley, O. Tjornbo, and C. Holroyd, (2012). The Loop, the Lens, and the Lesson: Using resilience theory to examine public policy and social innovation. In Nicholls, A., and Murdock, A (Ed.), Social Innovation: Palgrave MacMillan (25%)
    • Holroyd, C, (2011). Competition through Innovation: The Politics of Japan’s National Innovation Strategy. Japan in the Age of Globalization. London: Routledge
    • Holroyd, C, (2011). Green Japan: The Politics of Climate Change and Ecological Commerce. Japan in the Age of Globalization. London: Routledge
    • Holroyd, C, (2008). Investing Under the Radar: The Reintroduction of Japanese Commerce to Canada after World War II. In Greg Donaghy and Pat Roy (Ed.), Contradictory Impulses: Canada and Japan in the Twentieth Century (pp. 176 - 189): UBC Press
    • Holroyd, C, (2008). Science and Technology Innovation in Japan. In Dipankar Dey (Ed.), Japan: Regaining its Glory. Hyderabad: ICFAI University Press
    • Holroyd, C, (2006). The Culture(s) of Commerce: Japan, International Business and the Cultural Influences of Globalization. In K. Henshall and H. Xiao (Ed.), Ethnic Identities and Linguistic Expression: Languages, Literature and Cultural Interaction in the Age of Globalization. Beijing: Beijing Peoples Literary Press
    • Holroyd, C, (2005). When the Trade Mission is Over: The Commercial Realities of Canadian Business in Japan. In Larry Woods (Ed.), Understanding Japan: Essays Inspired by Frank Langdon (pp. 165 - 188). Vancouver: Centre of International Relations
    • Holroyd, C, (2005). The State of Japan Studies in Canada. In Joe Kess and Helen Lansdowne (Ed.), Why Japan Mailers!, (pp. 61 - 71). Victoria: Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives
    • Holroyd, C, (2004). Communicating About Health and Health Care in the Information Age. In Midori Ashida (Ed.), Comparative Perspectives on Health Care in Japan (Japanese)
    • Holroyd, C, (2003). The State of Japan Studies in Canada. In Joseph Kess (Ed.), Changing Japanese Identities in Multicultural Canada (pp. 537 - 546). Victoria: Centre for Asia Pacific Initiatives
    • Holroyd, C, (2000). Breaking into the Japanese Market: Canadian Companies and the Challenge of Doing Business in Japan. In P. Bowles and L.T. Woods (Ed.), Japan after the Economic Miracle: In Search of New Directions. Great Britain: Kluwer Academic Publishers
    • Holroyd, C, (1998). Japan’s International Trade. In Patrick Heenan (Ed.), The Japan Handbook. London: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers,
    • Holroyd, C. (1997). The Japanese Economy in Transition: Canadian Response and Opportunities. In Hugh Millward and James Morrison (Ed.), Japan at Century’s End: Changes, Challenges and Choices (pp. 85 - 96). Halifax: Fernwood and Saint Mary’s University

Carin has taught in a variety of areas of business and government. She has taught such business courses as Business-Government Relations,  Asian Business, Japanese Business and Marketing.   At the University of Saskatchewan, she has taught POLS 112 (Political Ideas and Global Change), POLS 326 (Comparative Public Policy), POLS 341 (Asian Governance and Politics) and IS 200 (Introduction to International Studies).

Canadian trade and investment East Asia Green growth Innovation systems Japan National innovation Vietnam digital digital content digital media environmental policies environmental sustainability environmental technologies governance and resource development government-business relations international development new economy policy northern economic development political economy technological change