With a multitude of complex issues being tackled by the Group of Seven nations, it is difficult if not impossible to ensure that the agenda being discussed at the two-day talks will actually bear fruit.

But the G-7 Research Group, a global network of scholars, students, and professionals led by professor John Kirton, 68, at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, has its finger on the pulse, serving as arguably the world's preeminent independent source for understanding the inner workings of the G-7.

The group was founded at the University of Toronto in 1988, when the city served as the host of the G-7 summit, Kirton said.