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Events

The mission of the CIC is to promote an understanding of international affairs and Canada’s role in a changing world by providing Canadians with a non-partisan, nationwide forum for informed discussion, analysis and debate. Accordingly, the cornerstone of the CIC’s work is our events program. The CIC national office and our branches hold more than 150 events per year in cities across the country. In particular, our branch events give members an opportunity to directly engage with global issues that often intersect with local concerns. The CIC also supports events outside of Canada, often in partnership with other global think tanks, that can introduce Canadian perspectives to global audiences. CIC events take on many different forms, from academic lectures and panel discussions to town hall meetings and pub nights. Please consult our events calendar for a listing of CIC-organized and sponsored events.

If you have an idea for a CIC event, please contact us at info@thecic.org.

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CIC Vancouver Island: Politics in the Pub! Academic Freedom, Free Expression, and Free Society’

November 18, 2025 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm PST

We are pleased to welcome Professor David Livingstone as the host for our first Politics in the Pub event at Beach Acres Resort in Parksville.

What are the relationships among academic freedom, freedom of expression, and a free society? Do universities have a special obligation to promote all three? Join the Canadian International Council for a discussion of the historical foundations of these principles, current challenges facing universities and public discourse, and the responsibilities that come with intellectual and expressive freedom.

Through dialogue and debate, the event invites participants to reflect on how open inquiry sustains both higher education and the broader public good.

About our Speaker:

David Livingstone completed both a BA and MA in Political Science at the University of Alberta, and a PhD from the University of Dallas (Texas). He served as the Assistant Dean of the University of Dallas’ Institute for Philosophic Studies before becoming an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. He joined Malaspina University-College (now Vancouver Island University) in 2005 where he has served as the Chair of the Political Studies program, and the Chair of the liberal Studies program. He has published works in academic journals, the C2C Journal, The Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Policy Options, and the Epoch Times.

He is the editor and contributor to a volume titled Liberal Education and Civic Education in Canada published by McGill-Queen’s Press in October 2015. He is currently editing another collection of essays addressing the education systems in Canada and their influence on civic formation.

Details

Venue

  • Beach Acres Resort (Ellis Room)
  • 25-113 Resort Drive
    Parksville, British Columbia Canada     + Google Map

Organizer

  • CIC Vancouver Island Branch