MIGS is pleased to announce it has been awarded a grant from the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada to launch the Canada-Japan Subsea Cable Security Partnership (CJ-CABLE).
As hybrid threats, cyber-physical risks, and regional tensions rise across the Indo-Pacific, protecting subsea cables has never been more urgent. CJ-CABLE will strengthen Canada’s collaboration with Japan to advance the resilience of this critical infrastructure and bolster Canada’s role in shaping a secure, resilient, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
As part of the project, MIGS will lead an expert delegation to Japan in January 2026 for field research and Track 1.5 discussions with leading research institutes and policymakers, generating new insights into shared vulnerabilities and opportunities for deeper cooperation.
We are opening a call for a small number of stakeholders in the think tank, government, and private sector community to join the delegation. Link for more information here.
December 10: MIGS, in collaboration with the Austrian Embassy in Ottawa and the Embassy of the Netherlands, is supporting the Delegation of the EU to Canada to host an event in Ottawa for International Human Rights Day.
December 11: MIGS Executive Director Kyle Matthews will be speaking at The High Commission of Canada in the UK on Authoritarianism in the Digital Age.
January 15: MIGS will be hosting Rushan Abbas, Uyghur human rights leader and executive director of the Campaign for Uyghurs
Montreal International Security Summit
CPAC premiered the panels from the Montreal International Security Summit, available in English and French. All panels can be viewed in the links below:
· Transatlantic Relations & Security
· Canada-EU Security and Defence
· Canadian and European Sovereignty
· Countering Foreign Interference
You can also read Eugene Czoji’s (the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Montreal and the former President of the Ukrainian World Congress 2008-2018) closing keynote here (in French).
November 10 : MIGS Senior Fellow Melissa Chan spoke on art, activism, and journalism at the Berlin Freedom Conference.
November 11: MIGS Global Security Officer Jack Rath published an op-ed “Countering the threat of AI manipulation by authoritarian states” in Policy Options magazine.
November 12: MIGS Fellow Elizabeth Anderson delivered remarks at Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Toronto Metropolitan University, on cognitive warfare.
November 19: MIGS Executive Director Kyle Matthews spoke on CTV News on US military buildup in the Caribbean.
November 21:
MIGS Senior Fellow Terence McNamee spoke on eNCA in South Africa discussing the impact of the Trump administration boycotting the G20 meeting.
MIGS Advisory Board member Sheldon Fernandez spoke with CBC about the article “China might be winning the AI race. Does it matter?”
MIGS Fellow Ewelina Ochab was a panelist at the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) online session on the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s Women, Peace and Security Addendum.
November 26:
MIGS Senior Fellow Melissa Chan was a panellist on DW News Desk discussing the US peace plan for Ukraine.
MIGS Senior Fellow Terence McNamee published an op-ed “Reality bites back – reflections on South Africa’s G20 hangover” in the Daily Maverick.
November 27:
MIGS Fellow Sandra Aubé spoke at a webinar organized by MEQ – Quebec Manufacturers & Exporters on investments in Canada’s defence and security industry, and the opportunities and challenges for companies in the manufacturing sector.
MIGS Fellow Ewelina Ochab published article on Forbes titled ‘Every Day, 137 Women And Girls Are Killed By Intimate Partners Or Family Members’
November 28:
MIGS Senior Fellow David Donat Cattin gave a lecture on the increasing impact of the crime of aggression in global affairs at Queen Mary University of London Law School.
MIGS Senior Fellow Chris Alexander published an op-ed “The New Appeasement” on his Substack, The Diehard Optimist.
December 1: MIGS Senior Fellow David Donat Cattin attends Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute in The Hague and addressed Africa Legal Aid Side Event on Aggression amendments
December 2: MIGS Fellow Ewelina Ochab was a panellist on Ljubljana – The Hague Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of the crime of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes and other international crimes.
December 4: MIGS Senior Fellow Terence McNamee published an op-ed “What is to be done? It’s time for SA to ditch its failed approach to Washington” in the Daily Maverick.
December 9: Upon invitation from the Mayor of Montreal and Montreal International, MIGS participated in a meeting of the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank.
November 23: MIGS Senior Fellow Melissa Chan’s book “You Must Take Part in Revolution” made it onto NPR’s annual Books We Love list.
As we mark the first anniversary of the Montreal Institute for Global Security (MIGS), we are proud to share highlights from a year of growth, global engagement, and impact. From high-level dialogues and new partnerships to major reports and policy influence, MIGS continues to position Canada at the forefront of defending democracy and global security.
New Fellows Join MIGS
We’re delighted to welcome Dr. Terence McNamee, Elizabeth Anderson, Christopher Alexander, Chris Beall, Melissa Chan and Sandra Aubé as our newest Fellows. Their expertise will further strengthen MIGS’ research and global network.
New Report — “Wired for War: How Authoritarian States Are Weaponizing AI Against the West”
In partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Canada and written by Kyle Matthews and Marie Lamensch, this report explores how autocratic regimes are leveraging artificial intelligence to challenge open societies. It was launched during a press conference at the Canadian Parliament, covered by The Canadian Press and numerous media outlets, and featured in Les Grands Dossiers de Diplomatie (No. 88).
Read the full report here.
Policy Impact
MIGS submitted recommendations to the House of Commons Finance Committee for creating a Global Impact Fund to better support Canadian think tanks advancing democracy, human rights, and global security.
Leadership Update
MIGS Executive Director Kyle Matthews has been appointed McConnell Professor of Practice at McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy.
June 7: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk spoke at an event co-organized by MIGS and the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression.
June 9: MIGS met with the Asia Pacific Foundation’s Indo-Pacific Young Professionals Network to discuss foreign interference, transnational repression, and Canada’s role in the region.
June 10: Hosted Carl Miller, Chief Strategist at DISARM, for a discussion on AI, civic tech, and foreign influence.
September 12: Presented AI, Drones and the Future of Defense at the Canada–UK Defence Colloquium.
September 29–30: Kyle Matthews spoke at the Couchiching Conference on Cultural Security Under Pressure: Platforms, Policy, and Power.
October 2: Presented MIGS’ AI and Defense report to Germany’s Junge Union (CDU Youth Wing).
October 4: Participated in Canada’s Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security.
October 6: Met with experts through the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Outlook Initiative to discuss maritime security, cybersecurity, and digital governance.
October 8–9: MIGS Global Security Officer Jack Rath attended the Montreal Climate Security Summit, hosted by NATO’s Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence. MIGS’s Global Affairs Director Marie Lamensch gave a guest lecture on cyberwarfare at Carleton University.
October 10: Met with participants from the Heinrich Böll Stiftung’s Grow the Future 2025 initiative to discuss digital authoritarianism and threats to democratic discourse.
Montreal International Security Summit — October 15–16
Our flagship annual summit brought together global leaders, policymakers, innovators, and human rights defenders from Canada, Europe, Asia, and the U.S. This year’s theme — Authoritarian Resurgence: The Fight for Democracy and Global Security — underscored MIGS’ mission to defend democratic values in an era of growing threats.
Watch the recordings: Day 1 | Day 2
Photos are available here.
October 16: In partnership with the EU Institute for Security Studies, MIGS hosted a closed-door side session at McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy on strengthening EU–Canada collaboration to counter foreign interference.
October 22: Welcomed EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath in Montreal for a discussion on defending democracy.
October 28: Attended the opening of the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism Digital Transnational Repression Detection Academy, hosted by Global Affairs Canada.
MIGS released four new episodes featuring Andrew Leslie, Charles “Duff” Sullivan, Karsten Friis, Stephen R. Nagy, Nanae Baldauff, and Alicia Hennig. Listen here.
“The Hidden Threat of Transnational Repression in Canada” – Marie Lamensch, CORIM, June 2.
“Fighting Fragmentation: Canada’s Strategic Role at the G7” — Kyle Matthews, Policy Magazine, June 15
Quoted in: “Carney Seeks to Reshape Canada’s Role in NATO” — Canadian Affairs, June 23
Canada Needs to Ramp Up Its Defence Engagement in Asia” — Richard Shimooka & Jonathan Berkshire Miller, August 28
“Can Canada Build a Smarter Military? Ukraine’s Innovation Shows the Way” — Marie Lamensch, CIGI, September 2
“More Than Money: America’s UN Retreat Is Costing Lives” — Kyle Matthews, Policy Magazine, September 18
CTV News (October 20): Kyle Matthews on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
New AI-Generated Information Weapons Pose Problems” — Marie Lamensch, CORIM, October 27
