As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade co-sponsored a series of conferences with university partners on the evolution of the Department and Canadian foreign policy over the past century. This collection brings together the revised papers of a conference co-sponsored by Queen's in December 2008.

Architects and Innovators focuses on the personalities and careers of key, but often-overlooked, individuals who shaped the Department over the past century and offers a compelling and accessible introduction to the history of Canadian diplomacy by some of Canada's leading scholars. Included are reflections by Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, former prime minister and secretary of state for external affairs, Hon. Pierre Pettigrew, former minister of international trade and former minister of foreign affairs, and James Taylor, former under-secretary of state for external affairs and ambassador to Japan.

Innovative and unique, Architects and Innovators emphasizes the vital role of individuals - politicians and civil servants - in the policy-making process.