Aurel Braun (born October 18, 1947) is a professor of international relations and political science at the University of Toronto. He is also a senior member of the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies and of the Centre for International Studies, and a fellow and senator of Trinity College at the University of Toronto. Braun has been twice appointed as a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Braun received his Ph.D. in international relations from the London School of Economics. He is a Canadian citizen.

Writing

Braun has published extensively on communist affairs and strategic studies with a special focus on the problems of the transformation of the socialist systems in the former Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe. He is also a specialist in international law. He is the author and/or editor of several books. His project on "The Russian Diaspora and the Prospect for Large-Scale Violence" was published by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Selected works

Lecturing

Braun has lectured widely in Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Austria and Norway. He is the winner of the PECSU Award for Teaching Excellence at the University of Toronto. He has appeared frequently on national television and radio. He has also participated in the Congressional Program in the United States under the auspices of the Aspen Institute.

Government service

In January 2009, Braun was named chairman of the board of directors of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development for a three-year term. The organization was dissolved in 2012 after conflict between the Board and the Staff of the agency.