Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Canada

🌍After a very fruitful and productive visit to Halifax, NS, the Energy Delegation travelled to Quebec where they visited NanoOne Materials Corporation located in an industrial area of Candiac.

🏭The participants were shown around the only North America’s lithium iron phosphorate plant, which uses it to scale and commercialize its “One-Pot” battery cathode process.

🏭From Candiac, the group moved on to visiting Storm Fisher Hydrogen-e-Fuel Production located in Varennes industrial estate.
The company develops and operates green hydrogen and e-fuel facilities producing e-methanol, e-methane and renewable fuel for shipping and heavy industry.

🏭After the presentation and the plant visit the group travelled to Sorrel-Tracey, where it was welcomed by the Rio Tinto management and the Consul General of Germany in Montreal, Christian Wagner, whose support in organizing the visit is greatly appreciated by the participants and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung-Canada-all attending are sending special thanks.
All participants had a fantastic opportunity to learn about critical minerals and lithium projects, low-carbon aluminium and mining operations and visit impressive sites.

Please see the new link below:

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Canada invites you to join the livestream discussion to be held by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Germany's role in international politics. Join us on May 6 at 8am EDT

https://www.youtube.com/live/cQ__AcSWDkk

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Canada invites you to join the livestream discussion to be held by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Germany's role in international politics. Join us on May 6 at 8am EDT
https://lnkd.in/dN6r9HQA

On April 23, 2026, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung organized the conference on Defending Democracy Together: Strengthening economic resilience for Canada and Germany.

🤝The conference was held in Ottawa at The Global Centre for Pluralism and was attended by Dr. Lars Hänsel, Head of the Department North America and Europe.
🤝 The event was started by Dr. Bernd Althusmann, Director of KAS-Canada and
Dr. Lars Hänsel, who took on a role of the main keynote speaker.
🗣️In his speech, he emphasized the importance of strong democracies across the world, reminded all the gathered of the legacy of Konrad Adenauer and asked the question if there was a future for democracy. He brought back the memories of the hope of the 1990s when the new democratises were being built in the eastern part of Europe, spoke of aggression against Ukraine and the massacre of October 7th. He quoted Mark Carney who delivered powerful statement during the World Economic Forum in Davos by saying: 'the rules-based multilateral order has reached its end"

The KAS Foundation was delighted to host the panelists from various academic environments:

Ph.D. candidate Engi Abou-El-Kheir – University of Ottawa (Moderator)
Dr. Daniel Kinderman – University of Delaware (Panelist)
Dr. Svend-Erik Skaaning – Aarhus University (Panelist)
Dr. Jean- François Daoust – Université de Sherbrooke (Panelist)

The panelists discussed economic resilience as a pillar of strength, geopolitical tensions and global security as Canada and Germany have been building a deeper partnership that links technological sovereignty and democratic stability.

🗣️Dr. Daniel Kinderman addressed political situation in the USA and questioned the state of American democracy under the current government; asked by Dr. Hänsel if the present situation was a becoming a pattern or an exception on global political arena, he expressed the hope that the current climate was unusual and should not be repeated.
🗣️Dr. Svend-Erik Skaaning referred to the political situation in Poland a few years ago, when the ruling party at the time posed a threat to democracy.
🗣️Dr. Jean-François Daoust elaborated on political behavior in North America and globally, public opinion and Canadian politics.

🌍 Strengthening Transatlantic Ties Through Dialogue
On Saturday, we had the distinct honour of hosting a dinner with the German Federal Minister of Education, Karin Prien, bringing together esteemed Canadian guests from our KAS friends network including leaders from academia and leading Canadian think tanks, for an evening of thoughtful exchange.

Dr. Bernd Althusmann, Director of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Canada Office, opened the evening by emphasizing the importance of the transatlantic partnership—across economy, diplomacy, science, and education—particularly in times of growing global uncertainty.🌐

Minister Prien highlighted the strength of the Germany–Canada relationship and underscored the importance of collaboration in today’s digital age. She emphasized the shared responsibility to address misinformation and disinformation, and the need to equip younger generations with the skills and values required to uphold democratic societies.

Brian Lee Crowley concluded the opening remarks by reflecting on the Canadian perspective and the vital role democratic partners must play in navigating geopolitical and economic instability.

The evening was marked by open, insightful conversations in a warm and collegial atmosphere—demonstrating once again the value of dialogue among trusted partners.

🤝 Thank you to all our distinguished guests for joining us. It was a pleasure to welcome you to this important occasion.

✨ Exciting Panel Update!
We are delighted to announce a new addition to our panel of distinguished speakers.
Join us for an engaging and timely discussion!!
👉 RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/e/9NC1C0KMTe

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⚡🌍 Energy Security in a Changing World
In times of geopolitical uncertainty, energy security has become more critical than ever, while also creating new opportunities for international cooperation.
Join us for a timely and insightful discussion on the role of Canada–Germany partnerships in shaping a resilient and sustainable energy future. 🇨🇦🤝🇩🇪

📅 Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

📍 Location: Global Centre for Pluralism, Ottawa

🕘 Program:
• 9:30 AM – Doors Open
• 10:00 AM – Opening Remarks
• 10:20 AM – 12:20 PM – Keynote Speech, Presentation & Panel Discussion
• 12:20 PM – Closing
• Until 2:00 PM – Networking Lunch

🎤 Opening Remarks:
H.E. Tjorven Bellmann, Ambassador of Germany to Canada
Dr. Bernd Althusmann, Director, KAS Canada

🎙 Keynote Speaker:
The Hon. Laurel Broten, CEO, Invest in Canada

💬 Panelists:
Amanda Wilson, Director General of Policy and Economics in the Lands and Minerals Sector, Natural Resources Canada
Bryan N. Detchou, Senior Director, Natural Resources, Environment and Sustainability
Dr. Stefan Kaufmann, Former Innovation Commissioner of the German Federal Government for Green Hydrogen, Clean World Hydrogen Consulting
Reinhard Stuth, Managing Partner, HanBao Neue Energien GmbH

🎤 Moderator:
Dr. Sabrina Schulz, Germany Director, European Initiative for Energy Security (EIES)

👉 RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/e/9NC1C0KMTe

✨ Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with key voices on one of the most pressing issues of our time.

The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Canada and Canadian International Council (CIC) organized the CIC Couchiching 2026 West Conference in Victoria, B.C., under the theme:

“Mobilizing Canada: Power, Partnerships and Purpose in the New Global Order”.

Key takeaways:

🇨🇦 Canada’s leadership and partnerships: The conference explored where Canada can lead and which countries it should partner with on economic, democratic, security, and civil society issues. Freedom is not guaranteed in a world of rising uncertainty.

🌍Melanie Walker, CEO of Canadian Internation Council pointed out the importance of Couchiching Conference 2026 as proper place for the Canadians to debate about Canada's future frankly and openly, a place to discuss the options for democracy. The backbone is the informed citizen.

🌍 Dr. B. Althusmann, Director of KAS Canada, emphasized the importance of democracies standing strong together and maintaining dialogue between Canada and Germany as a key pillar for the ‘Global West’. He called for peace, freedom, and respect for international law.

🤝 Panel 1, led by Melanie Walker (CIC), discussed Canada’s influence capital and leadership abroad.

🔎 Jodie Thomas, former deputy minister, described the challenges of security for sovereignty and the necessity to open new markets. The arctic infrastructure has to be strengthened.

🌐 Panel 2, led by Chris Kilford (Queen’s Centre for International Defense Policy), focused on how middle powers like Canada, Germany, Poland, and Mexico can influence larger powers through economic and technological expertise, trade partnerships, and diplomacy.

🔎 Dr. Althusmann highlighted the threats of populism, protectionism, and misinformation, and the need for middle powers to build stronger economic and security ties across the Atlantic. He referenced the importance of CETA and closer Canada-EU cooperation.

⚡🌍 Energy Security in a Changing World
In times of geopolitical uncertainty, energy security has become more critical than ever—while also creating new opportunities for international cooperation.
Join us for a timely and insightful discussion on the role of Canada–Germany partnerships in shaping a resilient and sustainable energy future. 🇨🇦🤝🇩🇪
We are pleased to bring together leading German and Canadian experts for this high-level exchange.

📅 Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

📍 Location: Global Centre for Pluralism, Ottawa

🕘 Program:
• 9:30 AM – Doors Open
• 10:00 AM – Opening Remarks
• 10:20 AM – 12:20 PM – Keynote Speech, Presentation & Panel Discussion
• 12:20 PM – Closing
• Until 2:00 PM – Networking Lunch

🎤 Opening Remarks:
H.E. Tjorven Bellmann, Ambassador of Germany to Canada
Dr. Bernd Althusmann, Director, KAS Canada

🎙 Keynote Speaker:
The Hon. Laurel Broten, CEO, Invest in Canada

💬 Panelists:
Samir Kassam, Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Policy to the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Tim Hodgson
Bryan N. Detchou, Senior Director, Natural Resources, Environment and Sustainability
Dr. Stefan Kaufmann, Former Innovation Commissioner of the German Federal Government for Green Hydrogen, Clean World Hydrogen Consulting
Reinhard Stuth, Managing Partner, HanBao Neue Energien GmbH

🎤 Moderator:
Dr. Sabrina Schulz, Germany Director, European Initiative for Energy Security (EIES)

👉 RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/e/9NC1C0KMTe

✨ Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with key voices on one of the most pressing issues of our time.

🌍 State of Democracy 2026
Honouring 150 Years of Konrad Adenauer’s Legacy

Join us for an insightful panel discussion and reception as we reflect on the state of democracy in an increasingly complex and uncertain world.
This year marks the 150th birthday of Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. In his legacy, we invite you to engage in a timely conversation on the challenges and future of democracy at a global crossroads.

🗓 Date: Thursday, April 23
📍 Location: Global Centre for Pluralism, 330 Sussex Drive, Ottawa
Program:
• 5:00 PM – Doors Open
• 5:30 PM – Opening & Keynote, Panel Discussion
• 7:00 PM – Closing
• Until 8:00 PM – Reception

🎤 Keynote Speaker:
Lars Hänsel, Head of Department Europe and Northa America, KAS

💬 Panelists:
• Daniel Kinderman, Professor, University of Delaware
• Svend-Erik Skaaning, Professor, Aarhus University
• Jean-Francois Daoust, Associate Professor, Universite de Sherbrooke

🎙 Moderator:
• Engi Abou-El-Kheir, PhD candidate, University of Ottawa

👉 RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/e/07Zi62d4eH

We look forward to welcoming you for an evening of thoughtful discussion and exchange.

🎙️ New Podcast Episode Out Now!

We’re excited to share the latest episode of KAS Canada Unfiltered featuring Vina Nadjibulla from the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

What do recent high-level diplomatic visits mean for global partnerships? 🌏
In this episode, we reflect on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 10-day visit to the Asia-Pacific, including Tokyo, alongside Friedrich Merz’s visit to China the previous month.

💡 We explore what these engagements signal for Canada and Germany and the evolving role of middle powers in strengthening security and economic resilience.

🎧 Tune in for valuable insights and expert analysis:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5AdgFuXPmgRbhrvm2bsvnL