CDSN Podcast Network

Welcome to a new academic term and a new episode of Battle Rhythm, Steve Saideman and Dr. Linna Tam-Seto (Assistant Professor Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy within the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto) discuss updates on civil military relations from the American Political Sciences Association (APSA) Conference in Boston; why Canada is turning its back on our peacekeeping traditions; along with a lesson in leadership from Gen. Jennie Carignan while Hegseth leaves his troops stranded aboard the USS Lincoln along with commemorating 9/11. For today’s feature interview, Linna speaks with Surgeon General MGen Scott Malcolm about health security cooperation. Both Dr. Tam-Seto and MGen Malcolm will be speaking at CIMVHR’s Annual Forum from October 19-21, 2026 – in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Welcome to a new episode of Battle Rhythm, with co-host Anessa L. Kimball, Ph.D., Professor at Université Laval; Steve Saideman and Anessa discuss the Canada - US trade war and its implications for defence, a review of the 2026 Summer Institute including the briefing from NDHQ, along with a NATO Summit post mortem. For today’s feature interview, Anessa Interviews 4 Student Delegates about their Model NATO experience, Emma Breton-Chénier, Xavier Antonuk, Adrien Risch, Amal Belhaj share the highlights and opportunities of participating in this international learning experience. The Laval University Delegation for NATO Simulation, founded in 2007, is mandated to represent Laval University at the International Model NATO, which takes place annually in Washington DC. These events bring together around a hundred students from various universities, mainly North American, who represent the different member countries of the organization. The delegates embody the diplomats of the Member State they represent through various committees and address various topics submitted to the agenda by the organizers. This simulation presents an incredible opportunity to study the structure and functioning of NATO, as well as to better understand the various challenges and problems the organization faces. It also allows us to learn more about the states they represent.

Welcome to the first episode of “Unequal Dialogues,” a podcast on civil-military relations by the Civil-Military Relations Network. Hosted by Dr. Manaswini Ramkumar, this episode features Dr. Stephen Saideman discussing the evolution from the Canadian Defence and Security Network to the Civil-Military Relations Network. We explore the complexities of civil-military relations, the importance of maintaining democratic norms, and the challenges posed by political and military dynamics worldwide. This engaging dialogue aims to inform and spark conversation on the vital role of civil oversight in military affairs. Join us in understanding the intricate relationship between civil authorities and military forces. This episode is brought to you by the 9 of Spades, to view all the cards and learn more, visit our partner’s website: the Centre for Military Ethics at Kings College London. www.militaryethics.uk/en/playing-cards/military/spades/9 For further reading into this topic, we recommend the book: Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen, and Leadership in Wartime by Eliot A. Cohen

Welcome to a new episode of Battle Rhythm with co-host Artur Wilczynski, retired DG of Foreign Intelligence Operations Canada and Senior Fellow GPSIA, University of Ottawa; Artur and Steve Saideman discuss Canadian spies and security clearances, recruitment gains for the Canadian Armed Forces and what may be motivating more Canadians to join. For today’s feature Interview, Steve speaks with Al Vigier, CEO of Caseway. Caseway was founded by Alistair Vigier, a former Canadian Army soldier turned legal-tech entrepreneur. Raised in a military family, Alistair spent seven years in the Canadian Armed Forces, including passing pre-selection for JTF2. That experience instilled a discipline-first mindset and a bias toward action—qualities that continue to define Caseway’s culture. After an injury ended his military career, Alistair transitioned into the legal world, working as a law firm business development manager. There, he helped grow a firm’s revenue to over $3.5M and earned BC Business 30 Under 30 recognition. But he also saw how resistant the legal industry was to change. That frustration led him to entrepreneurship. In 2021, Alistair founded Clearway, which became the largest lawyer-review platform in Canada and the UK, serving hundreds of thousands of users per month. That experience revealed an even bigger opportunity: legal research itself was the bottleneck. In September 2024, he founded Caseway with a clear vision—to use technology to make legal information radically more accessible.

Welcome to a new episode of Battle Rhythm with co-host Thomas Hughes, Assistant Professor at Mount Allison University. Steve and Thomas discuss UK politics and the upcoming NATO Summit along with submarine procurement and the progress on a Defence, Security and Resilience Bank in Canada (or elsewhere). Today’s feature interview is with CDSN Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dr. Sanjida Amin. Sanjida Amin is the CDSN Postdoctoral Fellow (2025–2026) at the Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP) at Queen’s University. She is currently completing her PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto, where her research focuses on foreign sponsorship of insurgent groups, insurgent-state relations, and the international dimensions of civil war. Her book project examines how external support from foreign states shapes internal conflict dynamics, particularly by driving insurgent fragmentation during peace negotiations. Her broader research interests include international peacebuilding, alliance politics, and Canadian foreign and defense policy. Her current postdoctoral project investigates how U.S.-Canada security relations influence Canada’s evolving engagement with UN peacekeeping, situating this within the broader context of multilateralism and shifting global security priorities. Sanjida’s research has been supported by Fulbright Canada, the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (SSHRC), and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship. She aims to contribute to more effective peacebuilding and mediation strategies in protracted conflicts, as well as to informed debates on Canadian international security policy.

Welcome to summer and a new episode of Battle Rhythm with co-host Artur Wilczynski, retired DG of Foreign Intelligence Operations Canada and Senior Fellow GPSIA, University of Ottawa; Artur and Steve Saideman discuss World Cup excitement as President Trump’s kaleidoscope of grift continues, along with deal or no deal between the US and Iran and what that means for Lebanon and Israel along with freedom of navigation and new frontiers for conflict. Finally the hosts discuss why and how to move forward on establishing a Canadian foreign human intelligence agency. For today’s feature interview, we preview our new Civil Military Relations podcast “Unequal Dialogues” with host Dr. Manaswini Ramkumar, starting this summer. Learn more about the new Civil Relations Network here: www.civmil.org

Welcome to a new episode of Battle Rhythm with Dr. Steve Saideman and Dr. Linna Tam-Seto (Assistant Professor Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy within the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto). Steve and Linna discuss CAF setting its sights on recruiting gamers and the implication on culture change efforts; Pride Winnipeg has banned military personnel from marching in uniform in this year’s parade despite post-Purge gains for CAF members; and how the US war on Iran is exacerbating a long-term global hunger crisis. In today’s feature interview, Steve speaks with Dr. Kai Ostwald on the challenges Canada faces in pursuing its Indo Pacific Strategy including capacity, timing and perceptions. Kai Ostwald is the HSBC Chair in Asian Research and an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, jointly appointed in the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and the Department of Political Science. He also serves as Director of UBC’s Institute of Asian Research and Associate Editor for Pacific Affairs. His work focuses on political economy, governance, and development in Southeast Asia, with a particular emphasis on democratization, geopolitics, and Canada’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific. Kai connects academic research with real-world policy challenges, working closely with practitioners across governments, international organizations, and think tanks. He regularly participates in Track 1.5 and Track 2 diplomatic dialogues, contributing to discussions on geopolitics and regional cooperation. He has testified before Canadian parliamentary special committees and has delivered training sessions and briefings to Global Affairs Canada, the US State Department, and the Canadian Forces College on regional geopolitics and governance. Kai is a Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, an Associate Senior Fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, and a Distinguished Fellow at the Penang Institute in Malaysia. He has also conducted consulting work with organizations including the International Development Research Centre, the World Bank, and the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, among others. His research and policy commentary have been featured in leading academic journals such as the American Political Science Review, Democratization, Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, Political Science Research and Methods, Journal of East Asian Studies, and Asian Survey. His insights have also appeared in major media outlets, including The Atlantic, Bloomberg, CBC, Nikkei Asian Review, Globe and Mail, The Guardian, and the South China Morning Post. Kai Ostwald: Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy requires rethinking ‘like-mindedness’: https://eastasiaforum.org/2026/03/29/canadas-indo-pacific-strategy-requires-rethinking-like-mindedness/ Nathan Chizen · CBC Arts: What tactics are the Canadian Armed Forces using to recruit gamers? Rosanna Hempel · CBC News: Pride Winnipeg’s decision to ban military uniforms in parade draws criticism, support Edna Mohamed -Al Jazeera: US-Iran war pushing millions into food crisis, warns UN

Welcome to a new episode of Battle Rhythm, with co-host Anessa L. Kimball, Ph.D., Professor at Université Laval; Steve Saideman and Anessa discuss new NATO financial commitments for Ukraine being discussed in Europe while Canada rejects the proposal, Quebec’s new Civil Security Emergency Response Reserve (RIUSC) and NATO resiliency along with drone defence capabilities ramping up on CAF bases. For today’s feature interview, Prof Anessa Kimball speaks with Federico Chaves Correa. They discuss Canada’s evolving relationship with Latin American countries in an era of constantly hemispheric security and defence issues. Federico Chaves Correa is a doctoral candidate in political science at Laval University under the supervision of Aurélie Campana and Pamela Colombo. He also holds a master’s degree in political science from Laval University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario. He was a doctoral researcher on the FrameNet project, co-organized by several universities in Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, funded by the Open Research Area (DFG, SSHRC, ESRC). He is currently a member of the Roméo Dallaire Chair in Leadership in Teaching Civil Conflict and Sustainable Peace. Webpage: https://www.conflits-et-paix.cle.ulaval.ca/en/team/federico-chaves-correa Article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcms.70079

Welcome to a new episode of Battle Rhythm, with co-hosts Dr. Wendy H. Wong (Professor of Political Science and Principal’s Research Chair at the University of British Columbia) and Steve Saideman. Steve and Wendy discuss the role of academic voices in public information spaces; along with the Permanent Joint Board on Defence suspension and what it means for US-Canada defence relations. In today’s Feature Interview, Steve speaks with Carleton University colleague and fellow SSHRC Partnership Director, Dr. James Milner of LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network. Dr. Milner highlights the present crisis in global systems meant to protect refugees in the midst of more civilian targets and conflict induced brutality around the world in anticipation of a new co-authored book: Canada’s Role in Global Refugee Responses by Nathan Benson, James Milner, and Delphine Nakache from McGill-Queen’s University Press. Bringing together leading experts from multiple disciplines, Canada in the Global Refugee Regime explores how Canada has influenced global refugee responses and where its impact has been more muted. Chapters examine the country’s actions in international forums; its resettlement and sponsorship initiatives; its engagement in key regional contexts such as Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East; and the links between refugee policy and foreign policy. Contributors reflect on the relationship between Canada’s international leadership and its domestic practices, offering a nuanced account that moves beyond simplistic narratives of benevolence.https://www.mqup.ca/Recent-News/2026/05/Canada-s-Role-in-Global-Refugee-Responses-by-Nathan-Benson-James-Milner-and-Delphine-Nakache James Milner is a Professor of Political Science at Carleton University. He is currently Project Director of LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network, a 7-year, SSHRC-funded partnership between researchers and civil society actors primarily in Canada, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon and Tanzania. He is also Director of the Migration and Diaspora Studies program at Carleton University, Co-Chair of the Global Academic Interdisciplinary Network, and Canada’s first De Mello Chair. He has been a researcher, practitioner and policy advisor on issues relating to the global refugee regime, global refugee policy, meaningful refugee participation and the politics of asylum in the global South. He has undertaken field research in Burundi, Guinea, Kenya, India, Tanzania and Thailand, and has presented research findings to stakeholders in New York, Geneva, London, Ottawa, Bangkok, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and elsewhere. He has worked as a Consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in India, Cameroon, Guinea and its Geneva Headquarters. He is author of Refugees, the State and the Politics of Asylum in Africa (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), co-author (with Alexander Betts and Gil Loescher) of UNHCR: The Politics and Practice of Refugee Protection (Routledge, 2012), and co-editor of Refugees’ Roles in Resolving Displacement and Building Peace: Beyond Beneficiaries(Georgetown University Press, 2019) and Protracted Refugee Situations: Political, Human Rights and Security Implications (UN University Press, 2008).

What if localization isn’t just a principle of good practice—but a strategic necessity? In this episode of Bylines & Frontlines, Frieda Garcia Castellanos sits down with Katrina Leclerc, a leading expert on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), to unpack what localization really means—and why it matters now more than ever. Drawing on experience across the United Nations, national governments, and grassroots peacebuilding, Katrina challenges conventional approaches to WPS implementation. This conversation moves beyond checklists and compliance to examine localization as a process of shifting power, resourcing local actors, and building legitimacy from the ground up. From a defense and security perspective, this episode explores localization not as a constraint—but as a force multiplier. Together, Frieda and Katrina discuss how locally grounded approaches can strengthen trust, improve early warning, and enhance operational effectiveness in complex environments. They also confront difficult questions: * Why does localization so often become tokenistic in practice? * What are we getting wrong in how we measure success? * And who must be willing to give up power for localization to truly work? This is a conversation for practitioners, policymakers, scholars, and anyone working at the intersection of security, governance, and community resilience.

Welcome to a new episode of Battle Rhythm with co-host Artur Wilczynski, retired DG of Foreign Intelligence Operations Canada and Senior Fellow GPSIA, University of Ottawa; Artur and Steve Saideman discuss what Canada’s military is doing in the Philippines to reinforce our Asia Pacific Strategy, while back at home the CAF is under media scrutiny after senior military leaders get caught trying out propaganda and surveillance techniques on Canadians. Today’s feature interview is with CDSN Co-Director, Jean-Chritophe Boucher. Steve and JC discuss capturing Canadian attitudes on defence through survey work in advance of their co-authored paper Mistrusted to Serve? Discrimination in the Military and Its Impact on Public Support in Armed Forces & Society Jean-Christophe Boucher is an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary. He is currently a director of research in civil-military relations at the Canadian Defence and Security Network funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council. A fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute; a research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Security and Development at Dalhousie University; Senior Fellow at the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur les relations internationales du Canada et du Québec. He holds a BA in History from the University of Ottawa, a MA in Philosophy from the Université de Montréal and a PhD in Political Science from Université Laval. He specializes in international relations, with an emphasis on Canadian foreign and defence policies, international security, and methodology. References: Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy: https://www.international.gc.ca/transparency-transparence/indo-pacific-indo-pacifique/index.aspx?lang=eng Message from David Hartman, Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines: https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/philippines/manila-manille-rep.aspx?lang=eng Burke, Ashley. How Canadian military members violated intelligence-gathering rules during COVID-19. 7 April 2026, CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/military-intelligence-gathering-violations-pandemic-9.7152467 Feaver, Peter D., Thanks for Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military (New York, 2023; online edn, Oxford Academic, 20 July 2023), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197681121.001.0001,