Munk School Faculty and Fellows Symposium
Canada: Strategies for a Turbulent Era
January 23, 2026 | In person and online
Facing internal challenges and an increasingly uncertain global political and economic environment, Canada finds itself at a critical juncture. The 2026 Munk Faculty and Fellows Symposium examines how Canada can best use its resources to grow its economy and enhance its national security. Through strategic thinking and innovation, Canada has the opportunity to redefine its role and secure its prosperity in an era of global transformation.
Campbell Conference Facility | 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto
By invitation | Contact sarah.namer@utoronto.ca
Symposium Agenda: Friday, January 23, 2026
Campbell Conference Facility, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON
Welcome (9:30am - 9:35am)
Tom Kemeny, Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Panel 1: Industrial strategy, innovation, and growth (9:35am - 10:55am)
Panelists
- Robert Asselin, CEO of U15 Canada; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
- Taki Sarantakis, President, Canada School of Public Service; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
- David Wolfe, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science; Co-Chair, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Chair: Amanda Lang, Journalist, and Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Break (10:55 am - 11:15 am)
Coffee break
Keynote: Reflections on Canada's Economic Policy Challenges and Opportunities in a Shifting Global Landscape (11:15 am - 12:15 pm)
Speaker: Mark Duggan, Wayne and Jodi Cooperman Professor of Economics, Stanford University; Incoming Director, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Chair: Nasreen Basheer, Master of Public Policy Candidate, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Lunch (12:15pm - 1:15pm)
Lunch break.
Panel 2: Defense and Security (1:15pm - 2:35pm)
Panelists
- Wayne Eyre, Chief of Defence Staff (retired); Senior Fellow, University of Ottawa Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
- Shuman Ghosemajumder, Co-Founder & CEO at Reken; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
- Janice Stein, Founding Director, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Chair: Brian Rathbun, Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy; Munk Chair in Global Affairs
Break (2:35pm - 2:55pm)
Coffee Break
Panel 3: Immigration Policy (2:55pm - 4:15pm)
Panelists
- Darrell Bricker, CEO, Ipsos Public Affairs; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
- Ayelet Shachar, R.F. Harney Professor and Director of the Ethnic, Immigration and Pluralism Studies Program; Professor of Law, Political Science and Global Affairs
- Phil Triadafilopoulos, Professor, Department of Political Science; Affiliated Faculty, Centre for European and Eurasian Studies, Munk School
Chair: Randall Hansen, Canada Research Chair in Global Migration; Director, Global Migration Lab; Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and Department of Political Science
Closing Remarks (4:15pm)
Janice Stein, Founding Director, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Reception
All adjourn to Campbell Conference Facility lounge for post-symposium reception
Symposium Panelists and Chairs
CEO of U15 Canada; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Master of Public Policy Candidate, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
CEO Ipsos Global - Public Affairs, and Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Wayne and Jodi Cooperman Professor of Economics, Stanford University; Incoming Director, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Chief of Defence Staff (retired), Canadian Armed Forces
Co-Founder & CEO at Reken, Senior Fellow, Munk School
Professor, Department of Political Science and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy; Canada Research Chair in Global Migration
Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and Political Science
Journalist and Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Professor and Munk Chair in Global Affairs, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
R. F. Harney Professor and Director of the Ethnic, Immigration and Pluralism Studies Program; Professor of Law, Political Science and Global Affairs
President, Canada School of Public Service; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Founding Director, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy; Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management, Department of Political Science
Professor, Department of Political Science
Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science; Co-Director, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy