Annex B: Virtual Expert Briefing Series

Guy Saint-Jacques

August 2020

China’s Expansion Strategy in the South and East China Seas

Mr. Guy Saint-Jacques, shared his in-depth knowledge and experience working with China throughout his career with Global Affairs Canada, which included serving as Canada’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the People’s Republic of China from 2012 to 2016.


Robert D. Kaplan

September 2020

Tectonic Shifts: Global Order, Great Powers, and Implications for Canada

Mr. Kaplan (acclaimed expert in geopolitics and twice named one of the “Top 100 Global Thinkers”) provided senior officials from across the Government of Canada with his views on the present and future state of the tectonic shifts reshaping the global order, great power competition, and the implications for Canada.


Alice Pannier

September 2020

France’s Strategic Role in the World

Ms. Pannier (Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies) provided a briefing and led a round table discussion on France’s strategic interests and ambitions, its military and political strategy, President Macron’s priorities and doctrine, and Canada-France relations.


Christopher Sands and James Carafano

October 2020

The U.S. Return to Great Power Competition: Forging Canada’s Path Forward

Mr. Sands (Director, Wilson Center’s Canada Institute) and Mr. Carafano (Vice President, Heritage Foundation’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy) delivered an expert briefing and panel discussion on the US’ approach to great power competition and the implications for its Allies and partners.


John Mearsheimer

November 2020

The Future of Great Power Politics and Canada’s Role in the World

Mr. Mearsheimer (distinguished professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago) provided a brief on great power competition and the increasing multipolarity in the international system.


Valens Global

December 2020

“Like a Drop of Cyanide” – A Strategic Framework for Addressing Hateful Conduct and Radicalization in the CAF

The Valens Global team provided an overview of their recently published Framework for addressing hateful conduct in the CAF. They discussed the outcomes of this MINDS-funded project and provided recommendations on how to address, counter, and prevent hateful conduct in the CAF.


John Hemmings

November and December 2020

Evolving the Five Eyes: Challenges and Opportunities in the New Global Environment

Mr. Hemmings (Associate professor, Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies) discussed a paper he prepared with officials from Canada and from key partner countries on Below Threshold Conflict activities in the technology, information and military, and economic domains.


Roland Paris

January 2021

What to Expect from a Biden Presidency – Implications for Canada

Roland Paris (founder of the Centre for International Policy Studies, and research associate at Chatham House) provided a brief on the Biden Administration’s expected foreign policy approach and its potential implications for Canada.


Center for Climate and Security

February 2021

A Climate Security Plan for Canada

John Conger (Director of the Center for Climate and Security) and Shiloh Fetzek (Senior Fellow for International Affairs at the Center) provided an overview of the study MINDS-funded on the impact of climate change on Canada’s geostrategic interests, peace support operations, and international disaster response. They also provided recommendations for the development of a Climate Security Action Plan for Canada.


Ewan Lawson, Thomas Mahnken and James Rolfe

March 2021

Below Threshold and Hybrid Warfare Conflicts

Ewan Lawson (Senior Research Fellow at the U.K.’s Royal United Services Institute) delivered a paper and presentation on the UK’s responses to Below Threshold activities and hybrid conflict. Thomas Mahnken (President and Chief Executive Officer of Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, in Washington DC) delivered a paper and presentation on China’s integrated strategy. James Rolfe (Senior Fellow, Victoria University of Wellington’s Center for Strategic Studies in New Zealand) delivered a paper and presentation on New Zealand’s armed forces experience with Below Threshold activities.


Aisha Ahmad

March 2021

Understanding Jihad in Africa

Aisha Ahmad (Director of the Islam and Global Affairs Initiative, Senior Researcher of the Global Justice Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, and Chair of the Board of Directors of Women in International Security-Canada) provided a briefing on the threat of jihad in Africa.


Dmitri Trenin

March 2021

From Pipelines to Pipe Dreams? The Future of Russo-German Relations

Dmitri Trenin (founding member of the Carnegie Moscow Center) delivered an expert briefing on the present, past, and future of Russo-German and Russo-European relations.

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