Couchiching Annual Conference 2025
Securing Canada’s Atlantic Future: A Strategic dialogue
Monday, September 29 and Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Nanji Family Foundation Auditorium
Registration fees include access to both days of programming, all food and beverages, private reception, and access to the galleries.
$120 • Regular
$100 • Museum Friends and CIC Members
FREE • Students
Complimentary admission and free shuttle bus transportation to the conference are available for students with a valid student email address and/or student ID. Please contact Jennifer@thecic.org with your student credentials.
The Couchiching Conference, co-hosted by the Canadian International Council (CIC) and the Aga Khan Museum, aims to foster an inclusive dialogue on the evolving role of diplomacy on the international stage. This event will provide a platform for citizens, journalists, academics, and students to engage in meaningful discussions on international affairs, reflecting our shared mission to give Canadians a voice in global matters.
This year will feature a high-level strategic dialogue, bringing together policymakers, thought leaders, and experts to provide insights into navigating Canada’s role in an era of global upheaval. From shifting alliances and economic security to AI, Arctic sovereignty, and foreign interference, this conference tackles the defining challenges of our time. Held in the Nanji Family Foundation Auditorium, it will be a catalyst for bold ideas and actionable solutions, shaping Canada’s security and future in an unpredictable world.
Curious about what makes the Couchiching Conference unique? “A Civil Place to Disagree” highlights the importance of civil conversation in shaping ideas, policy, and perspectives on Canada’s role in a complex world.
Agenda
This year’s Couchiching Conference on Diplomacy offers a dynamic and thought-provoking agenda designed to address pressing global challenges. With expert panels and keynote speakers, the sessions will explore critical topics like Artificial Intelligence, the future of multilateral institutions, Arctic security and sovereignty, as well as cultural security in an era of social media and foreign interference. Attendees will gain valuable insights and foster connections with leaders and change-makers committed to shaping the future of international relations.
Panel 1
The Changing Global Order: Canada’s Role in a Post-Neoliberal World
The decline of traditional multilateral institutions, shifting alliances, and Canada’s strategic position in a world where trade and security are being redefined.
MODERATOR
Cassie Heward
JD/Master of Global Affairs Candidate
University of Toronto Faculty of Law and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
SPEAKERS
Dr. Bessma Momani
Associate Vice-President, International and Professor of Political Science, University of Waterloo
Hon. David Collenette, P.C.
Former Minister of National Defence
Chair of the NATO Association of Canada.
Hon. Catherine McKenna, P.C.
Chair, UN Net Zero
Panel 2
Arctic Frontiers: Security, Sovereignty, and Climate Challenges
How Canada can lead in Arctic security, infrastructure, and environmental resilience amid growing geopolitical tensions and climate change.
This panel has been organized by the Frost Centre for Canadian and Indigenous Studies Trent University.
MODERATOR
Sam Huyer
NAADSN Research Fellow
Suzanne Lalonde
Professor, Faculty of Law, Université de Montreal
Catherine Welsh
Whitehorse Ranger Patrol
Journalist
Former Deputy Commander of NORAD
Canada Research Chair for the Study of the Canadian North, Trent University
Panel 3
Economic Security in an Uncertain World: Trade, Tariffs, and Technological Shifts
How Canada can navigate economic uncertainty, U.S. trade policies (including potential Trump-era tariffs), and the rise of new industries in a shifting global economy.
MODERATOR
James Appleyard
Chair, CIC Stewards
Chief Investment Officer, Freycinet Ventures
SPEAKERS
Stephen Lackey
National Board Member and Treasurer, World Affairs Council
Martha Harrison
Partner, Co-Head, International Trade and Investment Law, McCarthy Tétrault
Prof. Andrew Williams
Professor, School of International Relations, University of St. Andrews
Panel 4
AI, Quantum Computing, and the Future of National Defence
This panel explores how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing are reshaping Canada’s national security landscape. From combating cyber threats and misinformation to fortifying border security, these innovations offer both powerful tools and complex challenges.
MODERATOR
Jamie Sandhu
Policy Researcher, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society
SPEAKERS
Lisa Lambert
CEO of Quantum Industry Canada (QIC)
Peter Suma
Digital Policy Hub Doctoral Fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation
Halyna Padalko
Digital Policy Hub Doctoral Fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation
Alexander Martin
CIC Junior Fellow
Panel 5
The Battle for Cultural Security
This session addresses how platforms and algorithms have shaped our cultural consumption, foreign interference and mis/disinformation in the digital space, trade in cultural goods, and the implications for culture and democracy in Canada.
MODERATOR
Dr. Sascha Priewe
Director of Collections & Public Programs
Aga Khan Museum
SPEAKERS
Vass Bednar
Managing Director, Canadian SHIELD Institute
Kyle Matthews
Executive Director, Montreal Institute for Global Security
Sarah Bay-Cheng
Professor of Emerging Technologies in Theatre & Performance and Helen and Paul Phelan Chair in Drama, University of Toronto
Narendra Pachkhédé
Commonwealth Fellow, Centre for Inquiry into the Social, Geneva-London
Dr. Sascha Priewe
Moderator
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