The International Issues Discussion (IID) series at Toronto Metropolitan University is pleased to present its fifth and final talk of the Winter 2026 series in partnership with the Canadian International Council (CIC), “Canada in a Fragmenting World: Navigating Geopolitics, Alliances, and Emerging Security Challenges.” 

Our guests will be:

Dr. Patrice Dutil, an author, commentator and former podcaster who specializes in political and administrative history. By day he teaches in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at TMU. His most recent books are The Enduring Riddle of Mackenzie King and Statecraft and Canadian Prime Ministers and Their Cabinets (with Stephen Azzi).

Dr. Sanjay Ruperalia, Professor of Politics and Public Administration at TMU, where he holds the Jarislowsky Democracy Chair, and a Senior Fellow of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. He co-hosts On the Frontlines of Democracy, a monthly podcast and lecture series, and regularly contributes to media in North America and Asia. His books include Divided We Govern: coalition politics in modern India; The Indian Ideology, and Understanding India’s New Political Economy.

and

Grace van Vliet, Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of Toronto. She holds a Master’s in European, Russian, and Eurasian Affairs from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and a BA in History from TMU. Her research explores networks of international terrorism and their state sponsors, as well as the history of counterterrorism. She has written about the links between the Cold War Communist Bloc and Third World liberation movements, post-Cold War state building, and the origins of Canadian counterterrorism and security culture.

Their talk will be held in-person on Wednesday, April 8th between 6:30 and 8:30 pm in ENG 103 (the Vari Engineering Building, 245 Church Street, Toronto). Attendance is free and everyone is welcome. 

Founded in 2005, the IID is a non-partisan, student-led forum designed to engage all members of the TMU community on major events and issues in contemporary global affairs through reasoned, objective, and scholarly discourse. For further details about the IID and our series, please see http://iid.kislenko.com  or contact student leaders at iidseries@gmail.com  

The CIC’s mission is to provide a platform for all Canadians to engage in global affairs. Since 1928, as a non-partisan, charitable organization, the CIC has provided a platform for citizens to help shape Canada’s place in the world. Home – Canadian International Council