The Queen’s community is remembering Karen Dubinsky, Professor Emerita of History and Global Development Studies, who passed away on Sept. 4, 2026.

Dr. Dubinsky earned her PhD in History from Queen’s in 1991 and joined the university’s faculty in 1993. She was cross appointed to the Department of Global Development Studies in 2010 and retired in July 2025.

Her most recent research focused on Canadian-Global South relations, particularly Cuba and musical culture, global childhood issues, and transnational history. She authored five books, co-edited five others, and published widely on history, culture, gender, and international relations. Over 32 years at Queen’s, she taught thousands of students and supervised 47 master’s and 28 doctoral students. Her dedication to mentorship earned her the Queen's University Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision.

Among her most notable contributions was Cuban Culture and Society, a course she co-taught through a 15-year collaboration between Queen’s and the University of Havana. The course brought hundreds of Queen’s students to Cuba and welcomed Cuban scholars, musicians, filmmakers, artists, and curators to Queen’s and Kingston. It received the Principal’s Teaching and Learning Award for International Educational Innovation, now called the Globally Engaged Education Innovation Award.

After retiring, Dr. Dubinsky continued her research, including work on her book Strangely, Friends: A History of Cuban-Canadian Encounters, for which she received the 2026 Wilson Book Prize.

The flag on campus will be lowered to half-mast in honour of Dr. Dubinsky on Sept. 24, 2026. Visit the Global Development Studies website to read more about her and her work. A family obituary is also available online. Donations may be made to Small World Music or the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Kingston.