| Roundtables | |||
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The Defence Studies Committee organizes a series of Roundtable or more smaller, more specialist-oriented Research Roundtable discussions. These talks feature expert speakers who present on topics related to the Committee's research agenda, specifically on "Contemporary Canadian Security Studies." After the initial presentation, there is a discussion of the points and issues highlighted in the presentation, which is then followed by an informal and optional luncheon. The sessions are normally conducted under the Chatham House Rule, that is: content presented may be referred to outside the session, but may not be attributed to a source. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, the Institute was involved in sponsoring and/or organizing the following Roundtable discussions:
September 19th, 2007, Defence Studies Roundtable, "The Future of Pakistan" by Kamran Bokhari, Director of Middle East Analysis, Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
October 3rd, 2007, Defence Studies Speaker's Luncheon Roundtable, "Canada's Navy, Now and the Future" by the Commander of the Navy VAdm Drew Robertson, Chief of the Maritime Staff.
November 26th 2007, Defence Studies Speaker's Breakfast, the Honourable David Wilkins, U.S. Ambassador to Canada held a breakfast speaking event in our Main Dining Room.
February 26th, 2008, Defence Studies Speaker's Luncheon Roundtable, "The View from Baku: Azerbaijani Perspectives on Regional Security" by Mr. Farid Shafiyev Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of Azerbaijan to Canada. Rich in oil, the Republic of Azerbaijan lies on the western shore of the Caspian Sea between Russia to the North and Iran to the South. Its western neighbours are the Transcaucasian states of Georgia and Armenia. It occupies a highly strategic economic and geographic position in the affairs of a region noted for its political volatility as evidenced by the August 2008 Russian invasion into Georgia.
March 19th, 2008, Defence Studies Speaker's Dinner, "Afghanistan; Challenges and Opportunities for Canada's Foreign Policy" with the Honourable Bill Graham PC, QC, BA (Hon), LLB, DU., former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of National Defence.
April 10th, 2008, Defence Studies Speaker's Luncheon Roundtable, "Making Afghanistan Policy: Politicians, Bureaucrats and Generals" with Eugene Lang former Chief of Staff to Ministers of National Defence.
May 14th, 2008, Defence Studies Luncheon Roundtable, "Kandahar: How NATO lost the momentum, and how it might recover" with the 2008 winner of the National Newspaper Award for Foreign Affairs journalism, Graeme Smith, the Afghanistan Correspondent for the Globe and Mail.
June 19th 2008, RCMI hosted the inaugural Canadian International Council dinner that marked the inclusion of the Canadian Institute for Strategic Studies and the Canadian Institute of International Affairs into the Canadian International Council. | |||
June 20th, 2008, Defence Studies Roundtable, "A Choice of Enemies - America Confronts the Middle East" with Sir Lawrence Freedman, PhD., Vice Principal and Professor of War Studies at King's College, London.
June 26th, 2008, Defence Studies Speaker's Dinner, "Rebuilding the Canadian Armed Forces" with Brigadier General (ret'd), The Honourable Gordon O'Connor, PC., M.P., Minister of Revenue and former Minister of National Defence.
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October 14th, 2008, Defence Studies Roundtable, LCol (ret'd) Roy Thomas MSC, CD, MA, "Travels in Tribal Terrain: What has Changed? Living in the Tribal Areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan."
November 20th, 2008, Defence Studies Roundtable, Senator Colin Kenny, Chair, Standing Committee on National Security and Defence, "Why Canada Can't Play its Best Offence without a Good Defence."
February 4th, 2009, Defence Studies Roundtable, Col Dominic McAlea CD, LLB, LLM, Deputy Judge Advocate, Regional Services, DND, "Rebuilding the Rule of Law in the Congo."
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February 14th, 2009, Defence Studies Roundtable, Mr. John Thompson, MacKenzie Institute, "2009 - The Shape of Jihad - What is the current state of Islamic Fundamentalism around the World?" April 6th, 2009, Defence Studies Roundtable, LCol John Malevich CD, BA, MA, Deputy Director of the Counterinsurgency Center in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, "Afghanistan: Election Planning in a Counterinsurgency Environment". May 5th, 2009, Defence Studies Roundtable,Dr. Sean Maloney, Associate Professor (detached) of History, Royal Military College, Kingston gave a fascinating and provocative presentation on his experiences as "A Rogue Historian in Afghanistan". | |||
