LibGuides: The Torch: Upcoming Events

THE TORCH

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Upcoming Events

This section offers a variety of discussions / presentations on contemporary issues.

Note: While the majority of events listed below are free, some might involve a cost. It such is the case, it will be at the individual's expense unless their supervisor agrees to fund. CDA HQ does not accept any responsibility to fund any listed activity.

27-28 September 2023 - The Rules-Based Order in Antarctica and Global Challenges
Webcast. 0900-1630 ET. Registration at link.
On September 27 and 28, the Wilson Center, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US Coast Guard, and Battelle, is hosting the first-ever conference on Antarctic policy in Washington, DC, with the aim of elevating dialogue on Antarctica’s connection to key U.S. national interests.
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Speakers and panels will explore the future of Antarctica and its treaty system in the face of global competition and attempts to undermine the rules-based order. The crucial role of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in global climate will be emphasized, as well as key policy issues relating to fisheries, tourism, conservation, and scientific research. The conference will raise awareness of core U.S. national interests in Antarctica, and highlight urgent priorities for the U.S. to retain its leadership and build key relationships to meet urgent challenges.
29 September 2023 - The Royal Canadian Air Force's Future Role in NORAD and NATO
Webinar - 1600-1700 BST. Registration at link.
This event brings together experts from RUSI and the North American Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN) for an online discussion on the tasks facing the Royal Canadian Air Force, and more specifically the CF-18 Force as it looks towards a transition to F-35 combat aircraft within a radically changed security environment in the Arctic, the Pacific and the North Atlantic theatres.
3 October 2023 - "Cardboard Meets Bits, Designing a WWII Tactical Leadership RPG."
Online. 1900-2100 hrs ADT. Registration at link.
By Georgetown University Wargaming Society.
Project lead Dr Luke Hughes talks about design challenges in creating “Burden of Command” which Forbes characterizes as "...aiming to be an Interactive Band of Brothers." Burden strives to give players a tactically credible, emotionally authentic, and historically respectful experience as they Captain a US infantry company from Morocco to Hitler’s Eagle Nest. Burden draws heavily on the deep tactical boardgame tradition that started with Squad Leader but also integrates modern narrative and digital gameplay techniques. Join Luke for a discussion of how that marriage is working out!
5 octobre 2023 - "Qui a compétence sur l’intelligence artificielle ?"
Webinaire - 1300-1415 HE. Inscription sur lien.
(The discussion will take place in French, but questions in English are welcome. Please note that that the discussion will not be simultaneously translated.)
ChatGPT a pris le monde entier par surprise l’an dernier, presque autant que si nous avions découvert une autre forme de vie. Depuis, l’intelligence artificielle évolue sans aucun encadrement, au point où certains parlent même de « Far West technologique ».
Les opportunités présentées par l’intelligence artificielle donnent le vertige autant que ses dangers....
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Mais comment encadrer l’intelligence artificielle ? Qui doit le faire ? Comment faire en sorte que les entreprises et les individus qui développent et utilisent l’IA respectent des principes éthiques ? Doit-on légiférer maintenant une technologie que l’on comprend encore si peu ? Peut-on seulement le faire ? Le projet de loi C-27, déposé par le gouvernement fédéral, répond-il à ces enjeux cruciaux ? Et quel rôle le Québec et les autres provinces devraient-ils assumer ?
Ces enjeux, abordés dans une série de textes qui sera publiée en septembre par Options politiques, seront également discutés dans le cadre d’un webinaire auxquels participeront des experts sur les enjeux éthiques, législatifs et juridiques entourant l’intelligence artificielle.
11 October 2023 - Russia’s War Against Ukraine: The Whole Story
Hybrid - 1800-1930 (GMT+11). Registration at link.
In February 2022 Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a fellow East Slav state with much shared history. In Russia's War Against Ukraine – the Whole Story (Melbourne University Press, August 2023), Professor Mark Edele, a world authority on the history of the Soviet Union, explains why and how this conflict came about. His primary focus is on the different paths taken by these two former members of the Soviet Union. This event is for any concerned global citizens seeking a comprehensive understanding of the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict and its historical context.
12 October 2023 - Emerging Trends in Social Media 2023
In-person and Online. Slight cost. Registration at link.
During the years, the conference "Emerging Trends in Social Media" has served as a platform for discussion on how the threat aspect of social media has developed over time and reshaped the information environment, as we know it. As we enter a new era of technological advancements, this year's conference aims to delve deeper into the intricate relationship between social media, artificial intelligence (AI), trend analysis and the importance of strategic presence on social media.
18 October 2023 - Implementing NORAD Modernization: Partnering for Success
Hosted by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI), this conference will take place in Ottawa, Registration at link.
20 October 2023 - (Conference) The Security Challenges of Emerging Technologies
In person at University of Ottawa. 0900-1730 ET. Registration at link.
In an era defined by technological leaps and groundbreaking innovations, the nexus between emerging technologies and national security is a pressing concern. While holding immense promise, emerging technologies present formidable security challenges that demand collective attention and innovative solutions. Join the Canadian Pugwash Group (CPG) and the Centre for International Policy Studies (CIPS) at the University of Ottawa for a policy conference on The Security Challenges of Emerging Technologies. ...
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Expert panels will dissect the multifaceted landscape of emerging tech security. The conference will consider the ever-evolving dynamics of cyber security, where the offense-defense dynamic continually reshapes the digital battleground. It will confront the ethical considerations surrounding the integration of artificial intelligence into autonomous weapon systems, raising crucial questions about responsible innovation. Furthermore, it will examine the potential consequences of an arms race in outer space and the risks of strategic instability in a nuclear age. And finally, it will ask the question, what path forward should Canada choose to forge in this evolving technological frontier?
23 October 2023 - Ending the Perpetual Menace of Nuclear Weapons
In person at University of Ottawa. 1600-1830 hrs ET. Registration at link. The event will be in English.
Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention and Centre for International Policy Studies invite you to a lecture by Tariq Rauf, a leading global expert on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. His lecture will focus on the heightened risks inherent in the large and continually “modernizing” nuclear arsenals of the major powers and point to the policies and actions needed to make meaningful progress toward a world free of nuclear weapons....
14 November 2023 - Read Threat Rising -- US Marine Corps Educational Wargames
Online. 1800-2000 EST. Registration at link.
Sponsored by the Georgetown University Wargaming Society, the Red Threat Rising family of wargames are a series of Unclassified tabletop wargames that are designed to allow Marines to employ the principles of maneuver warfare, apply adaptive decision making, and test decision-making against a live thinking adversary. There are currently three games in the family one at each the Company, Battalion, and Regiment level. ... The games allow players to create an abstract model of how to utilize loitering munitions in support of maneuver while simultaneously introducing them to Threat “C” capabilities....
14-17 November 2023 - 2023 CASIS West Coast Security Conference - "Influence and Hybridity: The Evolution of Violence"
Registration at link. Cost involved.
The Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies Vancouver proudly presents the sixth annual CASIS West Coast Security Conference in November 2023. Its objective is to establish CASIS Vancouver as a leader for security dialogue on the West Coast. The conference features practitioners and academics from around the world discussing a range of topics within the field of security.
22 November 2023 - Spirits, Psychics, and Prophecies: How the Great War Haunted the British Empire
In person and online (Zoom). 1900-2100 ET. Registration at link.
In the aftermath of the Great War, people from across the British Isles and Dominion nations read prophecies about the coming new millennium, experimented with seances, and claimed to see the ghosts of their loved ones in dreams and in photographs. On the battlefields, soldiers had premonitions and attributed their survival to angelic, psychic, or spiritual forces. These experiences contrast sharply with the legacy of the Great War and modernity in general as a disenchanting experience. What were ghosts and psychics doing amidst a war involving tanks, airplanes, submarines, chemical weapons, and machine guns? This talk narrates previously undocumented abnormal experiences to challenge popular myths about the Great War.
23-24 November 2023 - RMC History Symposium 2023
The History Department is pleased to announce that the next RMC History Symposium will take place on 23-24 November 2023, at the RMC campus, Kingston, Canada. The 2023 symposium theme is “Canada and the Liberation of the Netherlands 1944-1946.” Registration at link.
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Between 1944-1946, the Canadian military played a central role in the liberation and immediate post-war recovery of the Netherlands. From September 1944 to 8 May 1945, more than 7600 Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen died fighting to free the Dutch people from the yoke of Nazi oppression and to this day, a special relationship has existed between the Canadian and Dutch governments and people. While this feeling of mutual respect is undoubtably real, it does not tell the whole story. The liberation of the Netherlands was not exclusively a military affair nor did all those who experienced it have positive memories. Tensions existed between the Canadian Army and Dutch government both during and after the war. Air and land operations, as so frequently happens, resulted in civilian casualties. And Dutch men resented seeing their women marry Canadians and rush off to a new life on the other side of the Atlantic.

This symposium will bring together experts in military, social, and political history from around the world to establish a dialogue on the varying aspects, experiences, and perspectives of the liberation of the Netherlands. We have invited a diverse and exciting group of top-tier keynote scholars from Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, and the United States: Major John Rickard (Canadian Army Command and Staff College), Dr. Russell Hart (Hawai’i Pacific University), Dr. Caroline D’Amours (Royal Military College of Canada), Dr. Geoffrey Hayes (University of Waterloo), Dr. Mike Bechthold (Wilfrid Laurier University), Dr. Ben Schoenmaker (Netherlands Institute for Military History), Dr. Stephen A. Hart (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst), Dr. Erwin van Loo (Netherlands Institute for Military History), Melinda Jarratt (Curator New Brunswick Military History Museum), and Dr. Tim Cook (Canadian War Museum).

In addition, the conference organizing committee solicits proposals on all aspects of military, social, and political history related to the liberation of the Netherlands. The deadline for submitting individual papers is 14 July 2023. Individual paper submissions must include names(s) of author(s), institutional affiliation, email address(es), specify if in-person or online, one page CV, title of abstract, and an abstract of 250 words maximum. Proposals for individual papers must be submitted in MS Word format and in Times New Roman font size 12. Papers may be presented in English and French, however, simultaneous on-site translation will not be available.

Please direct your submissions to rmc.symposium.cmr@gmail.com with the subject header “Proposal RMC History Symposium, 2023.”