Ready, Engaged and Informed: Canada and the Role of Intelligence in Addressing Emerging Threats and Challenges

Event Time : 8:45am-5:15pm EDT (UTC-4) / 2:45pm-11:15pm CEST (UTC+2)

This conference is funded by the MINDS program of the Canadian Department of National Defence, in partnership with the Centre for Security and Crisis Governance (CRITIC) of the Royal Military College Saint-Jean and the Centre Franco-paix.

This second annual colloquium will focus on the role of intelligence in responding to emerging challenges: climate change, the pandemic and the rise of new technologies, as well as the integration of a gendered approach to intelligence. This conference will thus address two questions.  First, how does Canadian intelligence anticipate and respond to these new challenges, both domestically and in collaboration with our allies?  On the other hand, what opportunities and constraints do these challenges create for improving national and international intelligence practices in order to enhance this capacity to anticipate and react in Canada and internationally?

Speakers will be invited to discuss the evolving role of intelligence in Canada, international organizations and allies, and to assess how Canada can distinguish itself by meeting their expectations and advancing innovative and uniquely Canadian approaches, including a feminist approach to intelligence.

This conference will be bilingual and will combine the reflections and research of professors, practitioners and experts with those of graduate students.  The symposium will share analysis of global trends, best practices, opportunities and implications for Canada in relation to the issues discussed.  It will showcase the latest research on these issues.  This format will also allow the networking of the next generation of defence and security experts. It will also foster the development of new and young researchers.  Deliverables will be written and created by researchers and students to optimize the knowledge and research mobilized.

The recordings of the April 8 conference are now available!

Panel 1 : Climate & Security Nexus: Towards a New Paradigm?

Panel 2 : New Technologies, New Partnerships? Collaborations and Anticipation

Panel 4 : Intelligence and multilateral collaboration

Student Coordinators

Chloé Berland – Master’s Student, Department of Political Science, University of Montréal