The Annual Conference of the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society and The Canadian Army Combat Training Centre

February 5-6, 2020

Wu Conference Centre, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Our February 2020 conference will focus on the evolution of armed forces leadership in the modern world among officers and non-commissioned officers, particularly in ground force sub-units. Effective leadership has long been identified as a decisive ingredient to military success. Today, leadership development, training and education constitute a significant investment for the Canadian Armed Forces. Our 2020 conference will open by considering historical, social, and technological changes that created the modern Canadian Army leadership system to set the scene for discussions about the current state of practice. Panelists and participants will also weigh new ideas about leadership to meet the challenge of a rapidly shifting and uncertain future. This annual conference brings together instructor staff from the Canadian Army’s Combat Training Centre combat arms and combat service support schools, Base Gagetown lodger units, reservists, police, civilian practitioners, academics and students to discuss issues that matter to Canadian Army readiness and national security. The CTC delivers training for commissioned and non-commissioned members at the junior and midlevels, making this conference an excellent opportunity to disseminate ideas, and promote discussion and intellectual readiness across the entire Canadian Army community. Selected papers may be published. The Gregg Centre and the Combat Training Centre invite scholars and practitioners to submit paper or panel proposals for our annual conference.

Please submit inquiries or proposals and a short curriculum vitae to the Gregg Centre-CTC Conference Committee c/o Prof. Lee Windsor at: lwindsor@unb.ca

Topics this year include but are not limited to:

• The evolution of roles for officers and non-commissioned officers.

• Leadership at the sub-unit level

• Decentralization of leadership

• Industrial, technological, social and economic change

• Preparing leaders among citizen armies in two world wars

• Post-Cold War transition to large peacetime regular armies

• The 1990s era of high tempo and institutional change.

• The Afghanistan era 2001-2014

• Perspectives from Allied armies

• Educating and training leaders

• SOF vs Green Army leadership

• Leadership in mechanized and hightech operations

• Leadership on full-spectrum operations

• The “Strategic Corporal/Sergeant” revisited

• Balancing discipline, mentorship, coaching, trust, and cohesion

• Increasing responsibilities and information flow in the digital age.

• Ethical leadership