German-Canadian Conference 2025 – Preliminary Agenda
SUNDAY, MAY 4
📍 Location: Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill , 111 Wellington St, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A4, Canada
🕘 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Historical Walking Tour exploring the history of Canada-US Relations and Ottawa
Ian will lead the group on an engaging tour exploring the long history of Canada-US relations. Ottawa was chosen as Canada’s capital by Queen Victoria in 1857 due to its strategic location, nestled between Toronto and Montreal, and its distance from the US border, providing a secure and defensible position. Together, we’ll explore landmarks like Parliament Hill, looking at the differences between Canada’s parliamentary democracy and the US’s presidential system. The tour will visit the National War Memorial to understand military histories and alliances, explore stories of cross-border trade and cooperation and more generally offer a glimpse into the intertwined histories of these neighbouring nations.
- Ian Weverley, Executive Director, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies
📍 Location: Play Food & Wine, 1 York St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5S7, Canada
🕘 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Opening Reception hosted by Professor Nik Nanos, Founder & Chief Data Scientist, Nanos Research; Chairman, Atlantik-Brücke Canada, and the Executive Committee of Atlantik-Brücke Canada
MONDAY, MAY 5
📍Location: National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1 – O’Born Room
🕘 8:30 am – Registration & Breakfast
🕘 9:00 – 9:15 am
Welcome Remarks
Opening of the 38th German-Canadian Conference by
- Professor Dr. Michael Hüther, Director & Member of the Presidium, German Economic Institute; Vice-Chairman, Atlantik-Brücke
- Professor Nik Nanos, Founder & Chief Data Scientist, Nanos Research; Chairman, Atlantik-Brücke Canada
🕘 9:15 – 10:15 am
Session 1: AI and the Future of the Media Landscape
Canadian and German media giants are already collaborating with new tech to support the future of the media landscape. This session will explore these collaborations and how the landscape is changing and adapting.
- Liam Lynch, Chairman & CEO, Darwin CX
- Alexander Münch, CEO, fly.media; Chief Operating Officer, dsb ccb Solutions GmbH
- Professor Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg, Managing Director, SRH Institute for Innovation and Sustainability; President, Club of Budapest Germany
- Moderator: Tom Jenkins, Chairman, OpenText
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☕ Coffee Break (15 mins) ☕
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🕘 10:30 – 11:30 am
Session 2: Tariffs and Trade: Tactics for Navigating a New Zero-Sum Global Trade War
This session will explore the implications of the new Trump administration’s tariff policies on both bilateral and global trading relationships.
- Professor Meredith Lilly, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University
- Dr. Dorothee Schneider, Minister Counselor, Head of Economic and Trade Section, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, DC
- John Weekes, Senior Business Adviser, Bennett Jones LLP; Former Ambassador to the WTO
- Moderator: Julia Friedlander, CEO, Atlantik-Brücke
🕘 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Session 3: Strategic Alliances in Flux: Navigating Geopolitical Shifts and Challenges in the Defense Partnership
This session will explore the impact of recent political shifts and perspectives on both sides of the Atlantic, including challenges related to NATO’s financial commitments and defense spending. The session will focus on how these changes affect the German-Canadian defense relationship within the broader NATO framework.
- Dr. Kim Eduard Lioe, CEO, JUNGHANS Defence
- Vice Admiral Ron Lloyd (ret.), 35th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy
- Professor Dr. Elinor Sloan, Department of Political Science, Carleton University
- Moderator: Senator Peter Boehm, Former Ambassador of Canada to Germany
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☕ Lunch Break (60 mins) ☕
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🕘 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Session 4: Climate Neutrality and Regional Development: Canada and Germany Common Challenges
Germany and Canada provide a good example where regional dynamics add another layer of complexity towards achieving the net zero transition. In this session, the authors will discuss there policy briefing on the regional impact of a net zero transformation and the policies aiming at social and economic development and differentiation.
- Professor Dr. Pierre-Gerlier Forest, Président-directeur général, Institut national de santé publique du Québec
- Professor Dr. Michael Hüther, Director & Member of the Presidium, German Economic Institute
- Moderator: Kate White, Deputy Minister, Treasury Board and Finance, Government of Alberta
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☕ Coffee Break (15 mins) ☕
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🕘 2:45 – 3:45 pm
Session 5: Navigating Change: National Priorities from the 2025 Canadian and German Elections
German electors already went to the national polls this year, Canadian electors will cast their ballots on April 28th. This will likely lead to significant changes in the national political leadership in both countries. This session will look at the outcomes of the 2025 elections in Germany and look at Canadas‘ current political landscape, highlighting key trends, pivotal topics, and the prevailing political climate in each country.
- Professor Ian Brodie, Department of Political Science, University of Calgary; Former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper
- Gerald Butts, Vice Chairman, Eurasia Group; Former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
- Moderator: Dr. Frank-Dieter Freiling, Senior Vice President, International, ZDF – German Television
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☕ Coffee Break (15 mins) ☕
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🕘 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Session 6: Immigration and Migration in Canada and Germany
This discussion will delve into the dynamics of migration and immigration policies in Canada and Germany, comparing how both countries have adapted their strategies in response to global migration trends and domestic needs, focusing on challenges like demographic changes and labor shortages.
- Daniel Bernhard, CEO, Institute for Canadian Citizenship
- Mikolaj Ciechanowicz, CEO, Deutschlandstiftung Integration gGmbH
- Zohra Jaffer, Partner, Canadian Immigration, KPMG Law LLP
- Senator Ratna Omidvar, Former Senator of Canada for Ontario
- Moderator:
📍 Location: Official Residence of the German Ambassador
🕘 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Evening Reception at the Official Residence of the German Ambassador to Canada
- Ambassador Matthias Lüttenberg, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Canada
TUESDAY, MAY 6
📍Location: National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1
🕘 9:00 – 10:00 am
Fireside Chat:
- The Honourable Greg Fergus, Speaker of the House of Commons
- Ambassador Matthias Lüttenberg, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Canada
- Moderator:
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☕ Coffee Break (15 mins) ☕
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🕘 10:15 – 11:15 am
Session 7: The Competitiveness Agenda and the Evolving Landscape of Global Trade
This session will delve into the evolving landscape of global trade amidst the rising trend of industrial strategies and competitiveness agendas, such as the Draghi Report. As nations increasingly adopt protective measures and focus on enhancing domestic capabilities, we will explore the implications for international trade relationships, particularly between Canada and Germany.
- Caspar von Blomberg, Head of Public & Social Sector Practice, Egon Zender International GmbH
- Serge Dupont, Former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources; Former Executive Director, International Monetary Fund
- Professor Dr. Philip Meissner, European Center for Digital Competitiveness, ESCP Business School Berlin
- Lisa Raitt, Vice-Chair of Global Banking, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce; Co-Chair, Coalition for a Better Future
- Moderator: Kelly Jackson, Vice President, Destination Toronto
🕘 11:15 am – 12:15 pm
Session 8: Reinforcing Multilateralism Amidst Geopolitical Shifts and Threats
Canada’s and Germany’s commitment to multilateralism have been foundational principals of their foreign and security policy. As this world order and its institutions are challenged by the recently elected Trump Administration in the US this session will discuss how both will advocate for multilateralism, international law, and sustainable development.
- David Morrison, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Global Affairs Canada
- Moderator: Jennifer Beckermann, Executive Director, Atlantik-Brücke Canada
🕘 12:15 – 12:30 pm – Closing Remarks
- Julia Friedlander, CEO, Atlantik-Brücke
- Professor Nik Nanos, Founder & Chief Data Scientist, Nanos Research; Chairman, Atlantik-Brücke Canada
📍 Location: Gowlings WLG, 160 Elgin St Suite 2600, Ottawa, ON K1P 1C3, Canada
🕘 12:30 – Lunch Reception
Contact: Jonas Ader, j.ader(at)atlantik-bruecke.org.