David Webster received his BA from York University while working as a journalist and human rights researcher. He earned his MA and Ph D in History from the University of British Columbia, then went on to teach International Relations at the University of Toronto, Most recently, he was a Kiriyama research fellow at the University of San Francisco's Center for the Pacific Rim.

Dr. Webster is the author of Fire and the Full Moon: Canada and Indonesia in a Decolonizing World (UBC Press, 2009) and collection editor of East Timor Testimony (Between the Lines, 2004). He has published articles in journals including Diplomatic History, Pacific Affairs, and Asia Pacific Viewpoint.

In International Studies, his concentrations are in international relations and Asian studies. Research and teaching interests include trans-Pacific interactions between North America and Asia, international human rights, Canadian foreign relations, the diplomacy of non-state movements, and Southeast Asian history. He is currently at work on two projects: a study of diplomatic campaigns by Pacific Rim independence movements, and an examination of early Canadian technical advisors in Southeast Asia.