Faculty and Fellows Symposium: Technology, Global Affairs and Our Future

Munk School Faculty and Fellows Symposium

Looking Forward: Technology, Global Affairs and Our Future

January 17, 2025

We inhabit an era of unprecedented technological transformation. New digital technologies are upending established conventions across political, cultural and economic spheres, bringing profound uncertainty about the shape of the future. Our upcoming symposium invites you to explore how technological innovation will transform society, including global security, urban landscapes, and our collective potential for growth and equality.

Innovation and digital technology are cross-cutting areas of research and teaching focus at Munk, with faculty working on questions related to drivers of change and their consequences for the structure of our societies, cities, our politics and economies. The Symposium will launch conversations on the Munk School can do more on this theme through collaborative research and multidisciplinary teaching.

January 17, 2025: In person and online
Campbell Conference Facility | 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto
By invitation. Contact sarah.namer@utoronto.ca

Symposium Agenda: Friday, January 17, 2025

Campbell Conference Facility, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON

Sign-in and light breakfast (9:00am - 9:30am)

Welcome (9:30am - 9:35am)

Keynote: Canada Meets the New Technology Frontier (9:35am - 10:35am)

Break (10:35am - 10:55am)

Panel 1: The Future of Global Security: Technology and the Emerging Battlefield (10:55am - 12:15pm)

Panelists

Robert Fonberg, Distinguished Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Dani K. Nedal, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Chair: Sverrir Steinsson, Assistant Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Student Discussant: Sofiya Yuspovych, Master of Global Affairs Candidate

Challenge Questions:

How does the emerging arms race in autonomous and AI-powered weapons compare to the nuclear arms race, and what are the implications for global security, international relations, and ethical warfare?
What is the role of consumer-first private companies in the development of emerging military technology? How should governments structure their relationships with powerful private actors that are also public figures?
How can nations improve communication and trust to prevent miscalculation and escalation, especially amid hybrid warfare and gray zone activities?

Lunch (12:15pm - 1:15pm)

Panel 2: The Future of Cities: Post-Pandemic Urbanization (1:15pm - 2:35pm)

Panelists

Karen Chapple, Director, School of Cities, and Professor, Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto
Mary Rowe, President and CEO, Canadian Urban Institute

Chair: Tom Kemeny, Associate Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Student Discussant: Tasha Romeyn, Master of Public Policy Candidate

Challenge questions:

Has the work-from-home revolution reached a durable equilibrium in Canadian cities? What does it mean for cities and urban governance?
Has technology shifted the balance in cities away from work towards consumption?
Is the AI industrial revolution coming for city jobs? What are the wider implications for planning our cities?

Break (2:35pm - 2:55pm)

Panel 3: The Future of Prosperity: Innovation and Equality (2:55pm - 4:15pm)

Panelists

Ed Greenspon, President and CEO, Public Policy Forum and Distinguished Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Carolyn Tuohy, Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Fellow, Department of Political Science and Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Chair: Darius Ornston, Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Student Discussant: Ananya Kaumudi Mallubhotla, Master of Global Affairs Candidate

Challenge questions:

What happens when an unstoppable force (technological innovation) meets an immovable object (the welfare state)? To what extent are new digital technologies disrupting the welfare state?
Is this a good thing? Do digital technologies undermine established systems of social protection, or do they represent an opportunity to strengthen and expand coverage?
What can communities do to maximize these opportunities and minimize risks? Where are actors navigating these challenges more effectively and where are they struggling?