Building Canada’s capacity to act
An independent institution built for a more competitive and fragmented world
About Us
Turning ambition into action
Strategic statecraft is the ability to connect national ambition to national capability. For Canada, that means sharper focus, strength at home, and partnerships that do real work.
The Centre for Strategic Statecraft works with government, industry and the expert community to build that connection. The result is a more capable, resilient and influential Canada, working with democratic partners to shape a secure and prosperous future.
The Centre for Strategic Statecraft works with government, industry and the expert community to build that connection. The result is a more capable, resilient and influential Canada, working with democratic partners to shape a secure and prosperous future.
What We Do
Areas of Work
CSS works across a connected set of issues central to Canada's security, prosperity and international influence.
In its initial phase, the Centre is concentrating on flagship initiatives where it can make the greatest impact and build the partnerships required for future growth.
In its initial phase, the Centre is concentrating on flagship initiatives where it can make the greatest impact and build the partnerships required for future growth.
Economic Resilience and Security Initiative
Strengthening Canada’s economic resilience and industrial position through strategic choices on supply chains, critical dependencies, investment and industrial capacity: identifying where Canada should build, diversify, protect and remain open.
AI and Quantum Initiative
Linking Canada’s research excellence in artificial intelligence and quantum to commercialization, industrial capacity and economic security, with trusted partners in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.
Arctic Security and Defence Initiative
Connecting Canada’s Arctic priorities across defence, economic security, infrastructure and foreign policy, while building the capabilities and partnerships needed to turn sovereignty and strategy into sustained action.
India Initiative
Deepening Canadian competence on India as its strategic and economic importance grows, and building a stronger bilateral relationship through executive education, strategic dialogue, practical sectoral cooperation and partnerships with leading Indian institutions.
Featured Publications
Centre for Strategic Statecraft | September 21, 2026
Why the Trump-Xi Washington Summit Matters to Canada
Centre for Strategic Statecraft | September 24, 2026
Canada and Vietnam: A Strategic Partnership Built on Economic Complementarity
As Canada and Vietnam prepare to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership, guest author Dr. Quynh Tran, Chief Trade Representative of Vietnam to Canada, argues that the most compelling reason isn’t about trading more with each other, but about building productive capacity together.
The Vietnamese president’s visit comes as Ottawa and Hanoi are both searching—from very different geopolitical positions—for greater resilience, diversified partnerships, and room to manoeuvre in a more contested world.
The Globe & Mail | September 17, 2026
In Strasbourg, a muted Carney reins in EU enthusiasm and gives no answers
Prime Minister Mark Carney walked to the European Parliament’s lectern Thursday morning in Strasbourg, France, fresh off a clear political victory. But his vision of closer European Union ties has also clashed with harsh reality.
Carney and his team indicated that they were ready to walk away from a deal and face the threatened tariffs.
Load More
Press Room
Photo: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
CTV News | September 24, 2026
Here’s why Trump’s visit with Xi JingPing is ‘a win for China’ amid AI race between both nations
Co-founder and CEO of the Centre for Strategic Statecraft Vina Nadjibulla on what message Trump is trying to convey during his trip to China.
AI and Quantum Initiative
Photo: Abdul Saboor/Pool Photo via AP
CTV News | September 24, 2026
Vietnam’s leader To Lam visits Ottawa as Carney reaches out to middle powers
“We have had visits by the prime minister but never by the leader of Vietnam,” said Vina Nadjibulla, CSS Co-founder & CEO. Nadjibulla said while Vietnam is a communist country, it’s also trade-dependent — like Canada — and seeks to preserve the rules-based international order and economic diversification.
Economic Resilience and Security Initiative
Photo: The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
The Hill Times | September 23, 2026
Wait grows for formal plan underpinning a new Canadian foreign policy
Vina Nadjibulla, co-founder and CEO of the Centre for Strategic Statecraft, said she isn’t surprised by the delay in releasing the plans given the current geopolitical shocks. “But having said that, I do believe that we need these documents to come out—or some versions of them to come out publicly—so that the Canadian public can clearly see what our priorities are, and also so that’s something that’s available to our allies,”
Economic Resilience and Security Initiative
Financial Times | September 23, 2026
Mark Carney and the limits of defying Donald Trump
Rapprochement with China is also delicate, not least because Canadian intelligence services deem Beijing an “enduring threat” and one of the “main perpetrators of foreign interference and espionage”. “There is a legitimate role for the Chinese capital in Canada,” says Vina Nadjibulla, an Asia policy expert and founder of the Centre for Strategic Statecraft. “But pragmatism cannot mean treating all capital as strategically neutral.”
Economic Resilience and Security Initiative
Load More
Who We Are
