Reserve Force Academic Symposium 2025
Same Track, Different Path: Reserve Force Readiness
Conference details
Date: Friday and Saturday, October 24-25, 2025
Time: 0830-1630 EST Friday, 0830-1630 EST Saturday
Location:
Virtual via MS Teams; or in-person at:
Canadian Forces College
215 Yonge Blvd
North York, ON M5M 3H9
Dress: Business casual or No. 3B for military personnel.
Contact
Lieutenant Commander Jenn Compeau, CD
Telephone: 705-817-2874
Email: Jennifer.Compeau@forces.gc.ca
Registration
This symposium welcomes participation from Canada’s allies and international partners, as well as civilian researchers and professionals with an interest in Reserve Force development. This is a collaborative forum that brings together military professionals, academics, and defence stakeholders to explore the evolving role of the Reserve Force in Canada’s defence strategy.
We invite Canadian and international military personnel, defence stakeholders, academics, and interested members of the public to register for the 2025 Reserve Force Academic Symposium.
Who should attend?
- Members of the Canadian Armed Forces (Regular and Reserve)
- Members of allied and partner military forces
- Defence researchers and academics
- Civilian professionals and students interested in military and defence studies
- Government and non-government stakeholders in defence policy
Register now for the symposium by visiting the Symposium Registration page.
About
The annual Canadian Armed Forces Reserve Force Academic Symposium is sponsored by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and hosted by the Chief of Reserves. The symposium aims to identify, communicate and consolidate research in areas concerning the development, employment and sustainment of Canada’s reserve forces and reserve capabilities, emphasizing the unique skills and experience that reservists bring due to their employment duality. Although this symposium is primarily aimed at Canadians, Canada's allied countries and partners are welcome.
Theme
The Reserve Force Academic Symposium 2025 will unite researchers across Canada and abroad devoting their efforts and interest related to Reserve Force Readiness through a hybrid conference. The focus will be on mobilisation and total defence, Reserve Force transformation, and future-oriented approaches to Reserve Force development.
Presentation topics
The 2025 Reserve Force Academic Symposium will bring together experts, researchers, and military leaders to share ideas about the future of Canada’s Reserve Forces. Over two days, speakers will explore important topics like how the Reserves train and grow, how they work with Regular Forces, and how they can help Canada respond to emergencies and protect national security. Presentations will also include lessons from other countries, new research findings, and proposals for improving the Reserve Force in the years ahead.
Conference leads
- Colonel Martin Barrette, Director Reserve Force Knowledge Management, Chief of Reserves, Vice Chief of Defence Staff
- Lieutenant-Colonel David Sweeney, Academic Engagement, Director Reserve Force Knowledge Management, Chief of Reserves
Agenda
Day 1 – Friday, 24 October 2025
| 8:30 AM | In-person registration |
| 8:45 AM | Land acknowledgement |
| 9:00 AM | Opening Remarks – Chief of the Defence Staff Gen Jennie Carignan, CMM, MSC, MSM; Chief of the Defence Staff |
SESSION 1: Force Generation and Total Force
| 9:15 AM | Panel Discussion: Force Generation and Total Force: Quo Vadis Panel Chair: Irina Goldberg, PhD; Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis, DND
|
| 10:15 AM | Questions and Answers |
| 10:30 AM | BREAK |
SESSION 2: International Perspective
| 11:00 AM | Preparing Society for War: Citizens, Soldiers, and the re-invention of ‘Total Defence’ in Sweden and the Nordics Author: Joakim Berndtsson, PhD; School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg |
| 11:30 AM | The Polish Territorial Defence Forces (POL TDF) Author: COL Zbigniew Targoński, Chief of Staff, POL TDF Command |
| 12:00 PM | LUNCH |
| 1:00 PM | Scalability Insights for Reserve Forces Author: Col Renee Kidson Headquarters 5th Brigade, Australian Army |
SESSION 3: Reserve Force Surveys
| 1:30 PM | Preliminary Findings from the Primary Reserve Force Capability and Readiness Study Author: Sean Pearce, PhD; DGMPRA, Director Research Operational and Organizational Dynamics 4, DND |
| 2:00 PM | A Closer Look at Reserve Force and Regular Force Integration Author: Cynthia Wan, PhD; CMP, DND |
| 2:30 PM | BREAK |
| 3:00 PM | Reserve Forces: Challenges Across the Deployment Cycle Author: Kathy Michaud, PhD; DGMPRA, Director Research Operational and Organizational Dynamics |
SESSION 4: Keynote Speaker
| 3:30 PM | Tracks on the Tundra: The Role of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves in Arctic and Northern Defence, Security, and Resilience Author: Whitney Lackenbauer, PhD; Professor, Canadian Studies, Trent University |
| 4:30 PM | End of Day 1 |
Day 2 – Saturday, 25 October 2025
| 8:30 AM | In-person Registration |
| 9:00 AM | Recap of Day 1 |
SESSION 5: Transformation
| 9:15 AM | Panel Discussion: Transformation of the Reserve Force Panel Chair: Rebecca Jensen, PhD; Canadian Forces College
|
| 10:15 AM | Questions and Answers |
| 10:30 AM | BREAK |
SESSION 6: Mobilization
| 11:00 AM | Leaving the Fireproof House Behind: Preparing Canada for Mobilization in the Twenty-First Century Author: Maj Dan Hoyt, SSO1, DMMD Operations, Director General Mobilization, SJS |
| 11:30 AM | Operationalizing the Army Reserve as a Foundation for Large-scale Mobilization Author: Col Chris Hunt, Canadian Army at United States Army War College |
| 12:00 PM | LUNCH |
| 1:00 PM | Mobilization: The Once and Future Role of Canada's Army Reserve? Author: Chris Champion, PhD; Editor, The Dorchester Review |
SESSION 7: Strategic Reserve
| 1:30 PM | Strategic Reserve Proposal Author: CWO Peter Nordstrom Regimental Sergeant-Major 38 Signal Regiment |
| 2:00 PM | Toward a Renewed Reserve Military Service: Mobilization, Civic Engagement, and National Security in Canada Author: LCol Richard Garon, PhD; Commanding Officer, Fusiliers de Saint-Laurent |
| 2:30 PM | BREAK |
| 3:00 PM | Reality of Rhetoric? Examining the Supplemental Reserve and Its Role in CAF Readiness Author: Christopher Ankersen, PhD; Academic Director of the Global Security, Conflict, and Cybercrime, Center for Global Affairs, New York University |
SESSION 8: Regular-Reserve Integration
| 3:30 PM | Professional Training: Developing Core Programs That Enable Regular-Reserve Force Integration Author: Paul Taillon, PhD; Senior Academic Advisor, Samuel Associates |
| 4:00 PM | Closing Remarks – Chief of Reserves RAdm Michael Hopper, OMM; Chief of Reserves |
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