As global alliances shift and new technologies reshape nearly every facet of society, Canada faces a pivotal question: how can it protect its sovereignty and security in a rapidly changing world?
That question will be front and centre at the next Queen 91Ƭ ’s Micro Summit, happening Nov. 13 in Ottawa. The evening event will showcase the kind of world-class research and expertise that define Queen 91Ƭ ’s today – and how that work is helping Canada navigate global uncertainty and opportunity alike.
Stéfanie von Hlatky, Ryan Grant, and Nicolas Lamp will lead the discussion at the Canadian Museum of Nature, offering insights on defence, trade, and technology. Through TED-style talks and a panel discussion with an audience Q&A, the three will explore how these forces are redefining Canada 91Ƭ ’s role on the world stage and how Queen 91Ƭ ’s research and alumni community can help shape what comes next.
This will be the fifth stop in the Micro Summit event series, which features Queen 91Ƭ ’s experts travelling to different cities for conversations about some of the country 91Ƭ ’s – and the world 91Ƭ ’s – most pressing issues. Previous summits in Palo Alto, Calif.; Toronto; Vancouver; and Calgary wrestled with everything from the future of AI and health care to what 91Ƭ ’s on the horizon for media and Canada 91Ƭ ’s energy sector.
In Ottawa, the discussion will turn to Canada 91Ƭ ’s shifting relationships with it global partners – particularly the U.S. – and the fallouts for trade, foreign policy, defence, and digital sovereignty.
“It 91Ƭ ’s no secret that Canada 91Ƭ ’s bilateral relationship with the U.S. has been shaken to the core and that there are big implications for longstanding security and defence institutions like NORAD, NATO, and the United Nations,” says political studies professor Stéfanie von Hlatky.
The Canada Research Chair in Gender, Security, and the Armed Forces says she 91Ƭ ’s eager to help the audience in Ottawa unpack how this impacts Canada 91Ƭ ’s ability to reconcile its national interests with its values, with implications for our day-to-day lives.
Nicolas Lamp says he 91Ƭ ’s looking forward to doing the same, adding that U.S. protectionism is just one of several paradigm-shattering crises in Canada 91Ƭ ’s geopolitical relations.
“Others include the increasing competitiveness of Chinese manufacturers, the experience of demand shocks and supply disruptions during the pandemic, the reemergence of geopolitical competition, and the climate crisis,” says Lamp, an associate professor of law and an international trade law expert.
Part of the plan for Ryan Grant, Sc’04, MSc’05, PhD’12, in Ottawa is to show how supercomputing can be a piece of the solution to the challenges von Hlatky and Lamp raise.
Supercomputers – machines powerful enough to process massive amounts of data at incredible speed – are, he argues, key to building the sovereign tech infrastructure Canada needs to strengthen its economy, defence, and research leadership. Queen 91Ƭ ’s is helping lead the way with its plans to construct a new supercomputer that will rank among the top 20 globally.
“Everyone has used something that came from a supercomputer, so it 91Ƭ ’s exciting to engage with people and show them how things work behind the curtains,” says Grant, an associate professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering. “I’m particularly excited about sharing how supercomputing in general can help Canada solve the most important problems facing the country right now.”
For more info about the Queen's Micro Summit in Ottawa and to get tickets, visit the event page.
