John Baird was presented with an honorary Doctor of Law LLD at Queen's University's spring convocation on June 1, 2018. John is a graduate of Queen's, earning his BA (Hons) in Political Science. All recipients of this year's honorary degrees were selected by Queen's community members for their contributions to the local community, Canadian society, or the world.

John is a native of Ottawa and a former senior Cabinet Minister in the Government of Canada. He spent three terms as a Member of Parliament and four years as Foreign Minister. In 2010, he was selected by MPs from all parties as Parliamentarian of the Year.

An instrumental figure in bilateral trade and investment relationships, John has played a leading role in the Canada-China dialogue and worked to build ties with Southeast Asian nations. John volunteers his time with Community Living Ontario, the Prince's Charities, and is a board member of the Friends of Israel Initiative.