Event Date: June 18, 2026 - 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Location: FSS 4007, 120 University Private, University of Ottawa

Presented by CIPS and AmbCanada

This conference will bring together former Canadian Heads of Mission, academic experts, and think tank analysts to discuss critical issues facing Canada and the world. The event will be open to the public, with options to attend in person (space is limited) or via livestream. The conference recording will be posted subsequently on the AmbCanada and CIPS websites.

Please note that there is a cost of $50 per person to attend in-person (advance registration required). The registration deadline for in-person attendance is June 8. If capacity is reached earlier, a waiting list will be established. Directions for parking and a map of the building will be provided after registration.

Register to attend in-person here.

Register for the livestream here.

PROGRAMME

• 12:00pm – Informal lunch (sandwiches included with registration)
• 1:00pm – Welcome and Scene Setting
  • Alexandra Gheciu, Director, Centre for International Policy Studies, uOttawa
  • Michael Small, President, Canadian Ambassadors Alumni Association
• 1:15pm – Realities and Illusions of Canadian Security
  • Moderator: Gordon Venner, former Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence
  • Panellists:
    • Stefanie Beck, former Deputy Minister of National Defence
    • Thomas Juneau, Professor, Public and International Affairs, uOttawa
    • Jonathan Berkshire Miller, Senior Fellow, MacDonald Laurier Institute
• 2:30pm – Realities and Illusions of Canadian Prosperity
  • Moderator: George Haynal, former Canadian Consul General, New York
  • Panellists:
    • Drew Fagan, Professor, Munk School, University of Toronto
    • Patrick Leblond, Associate Professor, Public and International Affairs, uOttawa
    • Nathalie Dubé, former Director General, Global Affairs Canada
• 3:45pm – Canadian Foreign Policy in an Era of Revolutionary Technologies
  • Moderator: Jennifer Irish, Principal, Pendulum Geopolitical Advisory
  • Panellists:
    • Ann Fitz-Gerald, Director, Balsillie School of International Affairs
    • Rafal Rohozinski, CEO, SecDev
    • Vass Bednar, Managing Director, Canadian Shield Institute
• 4:45pm – Concluding Reflections
  • Kerry Buck, former Canadian Ambassador to NATO
• 5:00pm – Reception and Cash Bar

View the biographies of all of the speakers here.