Leadersphere 2026 Conference
When the World Order Falters
Royal Military College Saint-Jean is pleased to host the tenth edition of the Leadersphere Conference, under the theme: “When the World Order Falters.”
The conference will take place on February 19, 2026, at Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, in the Grand-Fort Hall of the Dextraze Building.
Please reserve your spot free of charge, whether you wish to attend in person or online, using the button below.
The geopolitical and economic balance, as well as the principles of international law that have enabled states to prosper during an era of unprecedented peace over the past eighty years, are now being compromised by a wide variety of actors and actions.
During this edition of Leadersphere, experts from various fields of international relations will discuss the upheavals the world order has undergone in recent years.
These presentations will provide the backdrop to the day's discussions, which will aim to determine the impact and consequences for the security of Canada, its allies, and the world at large.
Program
8:50 a.m. Welcome Address
- Colonel Guillaume Tremblay, CD, Commandant, Royal Military College Saint-Jean
- Dr. Danic Parenteau, Acting Academic Director, Royal Military College Saint-Jean
9 a.m. Keynote Speaker
Dr. Charles-Philippe David
President of the United States Observatory, Raoul-Dandurand Chair on Strategie and Diplomatic Studies - Université du Québec à Montréal
10:15 a.m. Panel 1: The Geopolitical and Strategic Upheaval
“We stand at the cusp of a reordering moment in international relations as significant as 1989, 1945 or 1919 - a generational event.”
(Gilman, 2025)
Almost daily, the media paints a pessimistic picture of international news and its consequences. End of the liberal international order, authoritarian cooperation (Cheeseman, Bianchi & Cyr, 2026), illiberal hegemony (Posen, 2018), a world-minus-one (Acharya, 2025), predatory hegemony (Walt, 2026) – international relations specialists have no shortage of labels to conceptualize the upheavals that the international system has undergone in recent years. It is therefore important to launch the discussions at this conference, through this first panel, with descriptions of these transformations and attempts at explanatory paths in order to understand the ins and outs of the twists and turns we are witnessing.
Moderator: Dr. Béatrice Richard, Associate Professor in History, Royal Military College Saint-Jean
Panelists:
- Dr. Martin Poéti, Associate Professor, Royal Military College Saint-Jean
- Dr. Aurelie Campana, Professor - Université Laval
- Major-General (ret) Scott Clancy, OMM, MSM, CD (former Director of Operations - NORAD)
1 p.m. Panel 2: The World Order Upheaval: International Law and the Economy
Among the most visible upheavals in the news are those affecting the spheres of trade and international law. Tariff wars and violations of the international legal regime make headlines on every national and international news bulletin. The central institutions and regimes of the liberal international order established at the end of the Second World War, and widely acclaimed as the main architects of the era of stability and prosperity that the Western world has experienced over the past sixty years, are being directly challenged or simply ignored by the actions of numerous actors. Is this the end of the era of international liberalism based on economic interdependence and the rule of law? This is the question this panel will attempt to answer, among other things, by focusing on the consequences of these actions on the foundations of the global economic and legal order.
Moderator: Dr. Mulry Mondélice (Dean of Studies and Associate Professor in International Studies, Royal Military College Saint-Jean)
Panelists:
- Dr. Olivier Delas (Professor - Université Laval)
- Dr. Christian DeBlock (Professor Emeritus - Université du Québec à Montréal)
- Dr. Kristine Plouffe-Malette (Assistant Professor - Université de Sherbrooke)
2:45 p.m. Panel 3: The World Order Upheaval and Canada
“Canadians know that our old comfortable assumptions that our geography and alliance memberships automatically conferred prosperity and security – that assumption is no longer valid.”
(Carney, 2026)
As Prime Minister Mark Carney noted a few weeks ago in Davos, in a speech that was widely heard, our old reassuring certainties are no longer valid. What does this mean for Canadians and for members of the Canadian Armed Forces? How can Canada navigate this period of transformation and uncertainty while ensuring its security and prosperity? These are the questions this final panel will seek to address.
Moderator: Dr. Charles Sharpe (Assistant Professor in International Studies, Royal Military College Saint-Jean)
Panelists:
- Dr. Stéphane Paquin (Professor - École nationale d’administration publique)
- Dr. Sarah-Myriam Martin-Brûlé (Professor - Université Bishop)
- Mr. Ben Rowswell (Consultant, Catalyze4)
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