Event Details
Date
October 15, 2026
Time
9:30am
Location
How can cultural diplomacy help navigate the shifting dynamics of North American relationships? As Canada, Mexico, and the United States confront an era of rising nationalism, transactional politics, and the fraying of the liberal international order, cultural diplomacy emerges as a powerful tool for dialogue and collaboration.
This two-day NACDI Institute brings together an interdisciplinary group of scholars, cultural leaders, practitioners, and students to explore how embracing a cultural relations approach to diplomacy can respond to contemporary challenges and reimagine the future of North America. Cultural diplomacy scholarship has largely focused on Cold War superpower dynamics, privileging the United States as a locus of activity and marginalizing “middle powers” like Canada and Mexico, as well as their links. Addressing shifts away from the dominant order since the Cold War, as well as contemporary issues such as the upending of the trade system, the challenge to democracies, and the emergence of China and other powers, this Institute will examine how cultural relations and diplomacy can foster new connections and shared visions for the region.
Join us as we discuss the role of culture in shaping North American futures in a multipolar and fragmented global landscape. This event continues the conversations started at the inaugural NACDI Institute held in Mexico City in 2025, hosted by Universidad Iberoamericana, Universidad Panamericana, and Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana.
The Institute will take place in person in Toronto, with all sessions also streamed online for those joining remotely.
SCHEDULE
Day 1 (Thursday Oct. 15), Room 519, Kaneff Tower, York University
Setting the stage: Shifting North American and global dynamics and their impact on culture and cultural diplomacy.
9:30-10:00 AM (EDT): Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Amir Asif, Vice President, Research and Innovation, York University
- Carolyn Podruchny, Director, Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies
- Lynda Jessup, Director, North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EDT) Panel 1: North American Cultural Diplomacy in a New World Order
- Asa McKercher, Steven K. Hudson Research Chair in Canada-US Relations and Associate Professor in Public Policy and Governance, St. Francis Xavier University
- César Villanueva, Professor, Universidad Iberoamericana
- Lynda Jessup, Vice Dean in the Faculty of Arts & Science and Professor of Screen Cultures and Curatorial Studies, Queen’s University
- Boyd Cothran, Professor of U.S. and Global History in the Department of History, York University
Moderated by Eduardo Luciano Tadeo Hernández, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Culture, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana- Xochimilco
1:00 - 2:30 PM (EDT) Panel 2: Liberal democracy under pressure: challenges for cultural expression
- Sascha Priewe, Director, Collections & Public Programs, Aga Khan Museum
- Lucan Way, Distinguished Professor of Democracy, Department of Political Science, University of Toronto
Moderator: Simge Erdogan-O’Connor, Director, Canadian Museum of Health Care
3:00 - 4:30 PM (EDT) Panel 3: Rupture: Canadian Perspectives on Cultural Diplomacy
- Mariya Afzal, Director of Granting, Ontario Arts Council
- Jeffrey Brison, Director of Cultural Studies, and Professor, Department of History, Queen’s University
- Kelly Langgard, Director and CEO, Toronto Arts Council & Toronto Arts Foundation
- Jean Michel Montsion, Professor, Social and Global Studies, York University
Moderator: Sarah Smith, Associate Professor and CRC in Art, Culture and Global Relations, Western University
4:30–4:45 PM (EDT): Closing Reflections
Sascha Priewe and Sarah Smith
Case studies in cultural relations and cultural diplomacy.
9:00–9:15 AM (EDT): Welcome and Opening Remarks
Sascha Priewe and Sarah Smith
9:15–10:30 AM (EDT) Panel 1: Trading Nations: The Future of Cultural Trade and Diplomacy
- Karen Thorne-Stone, President & CEO, Ontario Creates
- Ana Serrano, President & Vice-Chancellor, OCAD University
- Guadalupe Moreno Toscano, Director, Master in Arts Management and Cultural Policies, Universidad Panamericana
- Mary Elizabeth Luka, Associate Professor and Program Director, Arts Management, University of Toronto
Moderated by Robin Sokoloski, Director of Programs and Research, Mass Culture
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM (EDT) Panel 2: Rethinking Sports Diplomacy: From the World Cup to We the North
- Ige Egal, Founder & CEO, Play for Dignity
- Amy Parks, Cultural Studies, Queen’s University
- Emma "Zero" Bellante, Canadian Street Soccer Association
Moderated by Sascha Priewe
1:15–2:30 PM (EDT) Panel 3: Beyond the State: The Diplomacy and Networks of Non-State Actors and Activist Movements
- Eduardo Luciano Tadeo Hernández, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Culture, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco
- Anna Hudson, Professor, Department of Visual Art & Art History, York University
- Rhonda Zaharna, Professor Emerita, School of Communication, American University, Washington, D.C
Moderated by Jutta Brendemühl, Program Curator, Goethe-Institut Toronto
3:00-4:15 PM (EDT) Panel 4: Staging Diplomacy: Artistic, Curatorial, and Museum Perspectives
- Greg Houston, CEO, International Arts & Artists
- Tamara Ivanochko-Haney, Executive Administrator, Ukrainian Museum Toronto
- Sashar Zarif, Performing artist-scholar
Moderated by Sarah Smith
4:15–4:30 PM (EDT): Closing Reflections
Sascha Priewe and Sarah Smith
