Diplomacy and Diversity: How Alexandre Côté Is Inspiring Development in Developing Countries
Alexandre Côté has dreamt of travelling the world since he graduated from high school. But like many high school students, his parents urged him to get a degree first. Alexandre chose Glendon’s International Studies program for its’ global focus and internationally-oriented courses, which still allowed him to mentally “travel” during study sessions in the Frost Library. His travelling dreams became a reality after convocation when he lived in Haiti for two years as a volunteer English teacher. Since then, Alexandre has visited and worked in over 35 countries, mostly in Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Today, Alexandre is the Senior Regional Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. He connects Canadian businesses with nine major West African markets and advises ambassadors on economic and commercial relations. He points to Glendon as the essential learning environment which helped to prepare him for his world adventures.
“Glendon is a beautiful, secure and human-sized microcosm, superbly located in the vibrant and cosmopolitan Canadian economic capital,” Alexandre says. “The faculty, my peers and all of my experiences on-campus and in Toronto have all helped to equip me for my international career.”
Alexandre credits the student leadership he experienced at Glendon for preparing him for his role at the Embassy. He participated in the United Nations club and the Afro-Caribbean club where he sharpened his ability to analyze political events through an international lens.
“Glendon’s ‘gang of Quebecers’ often wondered what I was doing sitting at the ‘Afro-Caribbean’ table in the cafeteria,” Alexandre laughs. “It must be said that there were also Afro-Caribbean students who were wondering the same thing!”
More than twenty years later, his interest in African diplomacy has only grown. While living in Mauritius and South Africa, Alexandre gained extensive experience working within the United Nations’ Global Environment Facility. The environment is at the heart of his work as he continues to contribute to inclusive and sustainable growth in West Africa. He attributes his time at Glendon to instilling a strong sense of social and environmental responsibility.
“It is through action and reflection that I awakened an environmental consciousness. A Glendon friend convinced me to take action and contribute to composting on campus.”
Out of all his globally recognized accomplishments, what makes Alexandre the proudest is the mentoring and coaching he continues to offer to young leaders around the world. He considers himself lucky to be able to collaborate with young people from various backgrounds and cultures.
“I am always very surprised by the curiosity, the finesse and the determination of these young people,” says Alexandre. “After spending almost a quarter of my life on this continent [Africa,] I can say that what really motivates me and gives me hope is the African youth. The future of humanity is in Africa.”