Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies

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Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies

CMSS The Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies is a research centre at the University of Calgary.

Established in 1999, the centre has a strong and growing reputation — both in Canada and beyond — for excellence in research and graduate instruction in the areas of military history, Canadian defence policy and security studies.

05/11/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary for our annual Alumni Showcase on April 29.

We are especially grateful to our outstanding panelists — Saira Bano, Gershon Adela, Ian MacMillan, and Sam Finn — for sharing their career journeys and insights with students, alumni, and the broader CMSS community. The discussion highlighted the many paths CMSS graduates pursue across academia, government, and industry.

Thank you as well to all who attended and helped make the evening such a success.

Interested in staying connected with CMSS and supporting students through mentorship and career advice? Learn more about MentorLink using the link in our bio 🔗

04/13/2026

What do CMSS grads do after they graduate?

Join us for the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies’ Annual Alumni Showcase on April 29 at the University Theatre (Main Campus). This event brings together CMSS alumni to share their career paths and insights into today’s evolving security and strategic environment. It’s an opportunity to learn how CMSS prepares graduates for diverse roles across academia, government, and industry.

Featured Speakers 🗣️
Saira Bano – Assistant Professor, Thompson Rivers University
Gershon Adela – PhD Candidate, University of Calgary
Ian MacMillan – Policy Analyst, Defence and Marine Procurement Branch, Government of Canada
Sam Finn – Manager, Aviation Security Threat and Risk, Air Canada

Connect with students, alumni, Fellows, and professionals over light refreshments while expanding your network and gaining valuable perspective on career pathways in security and strategic studies.

All are welcome! We look forward to seeing you there.

Registration link is in bio 🔗

04/09/2026

Giving Day 2026 is here! Officially launching on Thursday, April 9, and running through April 23. As always, Giving Day is an exciting time for our campus community to come together, celebrate philanthropy, and make a meaningful difference for the programs and initiatives that matter most. With eligible donations matched dollar for dollar, it’s also the best time of year to make a gift, knowing your contribution can go twice as far. Matching funds are limited and go quickly, we encourage you to give early!

Celebrate your connection to CMSS and join fellow alumni this Giving Day by making a gift to either the CMSS Public Conference Fund featured by the Faculty of Arts or the Major David A. Peabody Memorial Fund in CMSS. These funds help CMSS support our students and host Canadian security-focused conferences and events, including the recent Power Series conferences on Landpower, Airpower, and Seapower.

🔗 Link in bio to give!

04/07/2026

Join us in warmly congratulating CMSS fellow Dr. Beau Cleland on being named a W.M. Keck Foundation Fellow at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA, for 2026–2027.

This prestigious three-month fellowship is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the significance of his research on piracy and non-state violence in the 19th-century Pacific.

We look forward to seeing the impact of this exciting work. Congratulations, Dr. Cleland! 👏👏👏

03/31/2026

What an outstanding two days at the Canadian Landpower: Mobilization & Modernization Conference!

Hosted by CMSS, this latest installment of our Power Series brought together a full room of scholars, practitioners, and defence community members to engage with some of the most pressing questions facing the Canadian Army today.

From discussions on modernization and mobilization to the evolving demands of Arctic defence and NATO commitments, the depth and quality of insight shared throughout the conference made for a truly impactful event. The conversations reflected both the urgency and complexity of ensuring Canada’s landpower remains ready for an increasingly challenging global security environment.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such a thoughtful and dynamic exchange.

CMSS looks forward to hosting more events like this in the near future…stay tuned for what’s coming next 👀

03/30/2026

Another successful conference! And more to come…

12/01/2025

CMSS is proud to have sponsored the 2025 AACP & OPV Fall Conference: Strengthening Public Safety Responses to Hate Crimes and Violent Extremism, held November 18–20 in Banff, Alberta. Hosted by the Organization for the Prevention of Violence (OPV) in partnership with the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP), the conference brought together leading experts from across Canada and abroad.

Over three days, participants engaged in thoughtful and challenging, conversations about the shifting landscape of hate crimes and violent extremism, and the many complexities that lie between these issues.

Discussions underscored the reality that hate-motivated incidents are becoming more multifaceted, with intersectional identities increasingly targeted. Speakers emphasized how essential it is not only to understand these trends but to strengthen the relationships and trust that allow communities to feel safe reporting incidents in the first place. Effective prevention and response depend on collaboration, openness, and meaningful engagement with those most affected.

CMSS was honoured to support this important work by sponsoring four graduate students to attend the conference. Their involvement reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering emerging scholarship and supporting the next generation of researchers and practitioners. Thank you to OPV, AACP, and all who contributed to this timely gathering!

10/08/2025

A sincere thank you to everyone who took part in the Canadian Seapower 2025 Conference! 🛥️ ⚓️

A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of bringing together some of Canada’s leading thinkers and practitioners in maritime security for a day of engaging discussion, insight, and collaboration. We were honoured to welcome Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, and Commissioner Mario Pelletier, Head of the Canadian Coast Guard, whose leadership and perspectives were truly inspiring. A special thank you as well to the MINDS program for its vital support in making this event possible.

The conference was a proud partnership between the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government at St. Francis Xavier University and the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary, a collaboration that continues to strengthen Canada’s capacity for informed dialogue on maritime and national security.

⚓️

07/21/2025

🎉 Congratulations to James Dillard 🎉

The CMSS team is thrilled to share some joyful news, our PhD student, James Dillard, has recently welcomed a new baby into their family! We send our warmest congratulations and best wishes to James and his family during this exciting time.

Welcome to the newest (and definitely the cutest!) member of the CMSS community.

06/18/2025

Upcoming Conference: Cyber Threats to Canadian Democracy

📅 August 25–27, 2025
📍 MacEwan Hall, University of Calgary

The global cyber threat landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Protecting Canadian institutions, infrastructure, and democratic systems demands robust cross-sector collaboration, innovative solutions, and strategic capacity-building.

Hosted by the Faculty of Law and the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies, this interdisciplinary conference will bring together experts from government, industry, law enforcement, and academia to explore emerging threats and strengthen national cyber resilience.

Conference Themes Include:
• Municipalities and cybercrime
• Financial warfare
• Critical Infrastructure and Resources
• Cyberwarfare
• Technological risks and solutions
• Artificial Intelligence
• Research security
• Mis/Dis/Mal-Information and elections
• Human vulnerabilities and responses

This event is open to the public. We invite professionals, scholars, students, and community members to join the conversation on safeguarding Canada’s digital future.

Register here: https://emergingtechlaw.ca/2025-conference/

Address

2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, AB
T2N1N4

Telephone

+14032204052

Website

https://arts.ucalgary.ca/centre-military-security-strategic-studies

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