Welcome to Academic Year 2025/2026

The war in Ukraine, begun by Russia, is in its fourth year. The war in the Middle East initiated by Hamas and Iran is in its third year. In Canada, we are at war below the threshold of routine violence (so far), facing a trade war and threats to sovereignty from the US, encroachment in the Arctic, foreign interference, espionage, sabotage, assassination, cyber attacks, and disinformation.  The world is on track for an inevitable 1.5-degree temperature rise, accompanied by more fires, extreme weather, mass migration, and food insecurity. Heavily armed Americans who don’t trust their government may find the southern US increasingly uncomfortable. Grey Zone threats, pandemic diseases, mass population movements, extreme weather, and public disorder are on the horizon.  Well-educated officers with imagination and determination have never been more critical. 

There are things to look forward to. The International Society of Military Sciences will hold its annual conference, hosted by the Netherlands Defence Academy at the Marine Barracks in Amsterdam, in October 2025 with the theme, “Conflict in a Fragmenting World Order”.  There is a diplomatic mentorship program for cadets, a field study in peace and conflict (Cyprus in February), and exciting exchange opportunities. Make your education count. Look into the Debating and International Affairs Society.

My teaching this year includes comparative politics, a new course in political geography, research methods, and introductions to political science and Canadian politics.  I’ll also be looking after the chiefs in the NEPDP, and hope to see some ILOY students in my introductory classes.  See me early in the year if you are looking for a supervisor. I’ll also be the academic advisor for political science students graduating in 2027 and 2028.

Biographic Note

David Last, PhD, is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada (BA), Carleton University (MA), the London School of Economics (PhD), and the US Army Command and General Staff College (CGS, MMAS). He served in the Canadian Army for 30 years and has taught political science and war studies at the Royal Military College of Canada since 1999, including a three-year term as Registrar. Since 2017, he has also taught in the Institutional Policy Studies and Strategic Studies Streams of the Joint Command and Staff Program at the Canadian Forces College. He served in Germany during the Cold War and his peacekeeping assignments included commanding Blue Beret Camp in Cyprus, Force Commander’s staff in Croatia, and Civil Affairs in Bosnia, with field research on conflict management in the Balkans, West Africa and the Middle East. He has edited or co-edited eight books and published more than 80 chapters and articles on peacekeeping, conflict, and higher education.  His research has focused on conflict management, taking a global comparative perspective on security education. He recently co-edited the book, Modern War and Grey Zones: Design for Small Countries, published by Routledge (2025). He is married to Dr. Desre Kramer of Toronto.