Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies

Canadian International Council

Formation	1928 (as Canadian Institute of International Affairs)
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Website	www.opencanada.org

The Canadian International Council (CIC) is Canada’s foreign relations council. It is an independent, member-based council established to strengthen Canada’s role in international affairs. The CIC uses its historical roots, cross-country network, and research to advance debate on international issues across academic disciplines, policy areas, and economic sectors.

The Council is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with 15 volunteer-run branches across Canada. CIC branches present offer CIC members speakers’ programs, study groups, conferences, and seminars. Branches are located in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, National Capital (Ottawa), Nipissing (North Bay), Saskatoon, South Saskatchewan (Regina), Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Waterloo, and Winnipeg.

The CIC’s foreign policy research program consists of an annual research project, the China Working Group, the Strategic Studies Working Group, the International Relations and Digital Technology Project (IRDTP), and International Journal, the Council’s academic publication.

The CIC’s digital media platform, OpenCanada.org is Canada’s hub for international affairs. Building on the CIC’s mandate to promote discussion on international affairs, the platform is the Canadian venue for those discussions.

The CIC has its roots in 1928, in the Canadian Institute of International Affairs (CIIA). In 1932, Escott Reid was appointed as the Institute’s first full-time National Secretary and began organizing annual study conferences where ideas could be exchanged. The conferences were largely round-table discussions and members of branch study groups were invited to participate. Reid also encouraged expansion of the CIIA’s membership and greater public participation in the work of the Institute. The CIC’s first corporate record dates to 1950, with the objective “to give attention to Canada’s position both as a member of the international community of nations and as a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.”