CASIS-ACERS

2025 Annual Report

Celebrating 40 years of informed debate on security and intelligence issues in Canada.

Download PDF PDF · 28 pages
2025
Message from the President

As we marked CASIS' 40th anniversary in 2025, I am struck by how much CASIS has achieved. This was a year of increased engagement and expanding our network of expertise, strengthening our commitment to fostering a vibrant national security and intelligence community in Canada.

In 2025, we relaunched the CASIS website to provide a more streamlined and modernized platform, and continued to expand the Secure Line podcast. The heart of CASIS remains our commitment to the next generation of analysts, and I want to congratulate the winners of the CASIS-CSIS Essay Prize.

Our growth would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. Thank you for your continued engagement and support.

Dr. Jessica Davis President, CASIS
By the Numbers
40
Years of CASIS
25
Podcast Episodes
17K+
Podcast Views
6.6K
Substack Views
Highlights of 2025

Board Changes

Welcomed Elena Martynova and Darren Johnston to the Board, with Akshay Singh stepping into the Vice-President role and Nancy Clark as Director of Finance.

New Website Launch

Relaunched the CASIS website with a more modern, streamlined platform, building on the 2024 transition to Substack for newsletter communications.

Essay Contest Winners

Jacob Colatosti (undergraduate) and Hannah Javanpour, Alexandre Klaponski, Bilal Syed, Cassandra Klein, and Francis Obeso (graduate) won the CASIS-CSIS Essay Prize.

40th Anniversary Project

Grace Van Vliet, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, presented preliminary research tracing CASIS' evolution since its inception in 1985.

Partnered Events

Co-hosted two events with the International Issues Discussion forum at Toronto Metropolitan University on espionage psychology and cybersecurity geopolitics.

Five New Sponsors

Partnered with Anvil, Amazon Web Services, Gowling WLG, Strider, and TRM Labs for the 2025 Symposium.

2025 Symposium

Disorder at the Gates: Canada's Role in a Fragmenting World

The 2025 Symposium explored how Canada can strengthen its position in an increasingly unstable global landscape, with keynote speaker Michael Kovrig and four expert panels.

Keynote: Michael Kovrig

Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig reflected on his three-year detention in China and the transformation of China's national security apparatus. He characterized current Canada-U.S.-China relations as a "tripocalypse" and advocated for the development of Canada's foreign intelligence capabilities, enhanced OSINT collection, and legislation to counter espionage.

Panel 1: Economic Security
Goldy Hyder, Wendy Wagner, Tricia Geddes · Moderated by Akshay Singh

Panelists stressed that economic and national security are deeply intertwined. Bill C-70 was highlighted as an important step forward, with continued need for greater public-private information sharing. Canada's foreign policy could pivot toward a more interest-based approach framed around the "4Cs" while preserving openness and strategic partnerships.

Panel 2: Crime and National Security
Caroline Rose, Dr. Karen Nershi, Jeremy Whitman · Moderated by Dr. Jessica Davis

This panel examined the growing intersection of organized crime and state conflict, ransomware trends targeting G7 countries, and the evolution of cybercrime into a service-based model. Strategies discussed included international financial regulation, cryptocurrency oversight, and KYC protocols in crypto markets.

Panel 3: Lone Actors vs. Collective Actors
Dr. Hy Bloom, Dr. Michael Nesbitt, Elena Martynova, Reem Zaia · Moderated by Micah Clark

Examined the psychological, legal, and financial dimensions of lone-actor violence versus organized operations. Panelists noted the rise of youth involvement and online radicalization, and emphasized the need for a holistic approach combining psychological insight, financial monitoring, legal reform, and community engagement.

Panel 4: Intelligence Relationships
Kent Roach, Dr. Stephanie Carvin, Senior Government Official · Moderated by Bob Gordon

Focused on maintaining strong Five Eyes ties while diversifying alliances through intelligence diplomacy. Panelists emphasized that Canada must diversify partnerships to strengthen autonomy, while ensuring human rights and rule-of-law principles remain central to all operations.

2025 Sponsors
Strider CSIS Gowling WLG Amazon Web Services Anvil ManchesterCF University of Ottawa TRM Labs
Year Ahead: 2026 Priorities
Develop a sponsorship strategy to expand strategic relationships and ensure the continued financial health of the organization.
Continue producing the Secure Line podcast.
Present the 6th annual CASIS-CSIS Essay Prize.
Continue utilizing Substack for news and updates.
Hold the 2026 Annual Symposium in November.