//PRESS RELEASE
KINGSTON, ON / The Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen’s University announced the launch of two research projects bringing a focus on emerging technology and security issues. The research has been funded by two grants by the “Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security” (MINDS) program at the Department of National Defence, totalling nearly $100,000. Dr. Michael Murphy, a postdoctoral fellow at Queen’s, will be leading teams of student researchers.
The project Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier for Emerging Technologies (ClimateThreatX) examines how cyberattacks coinciding with extreme weather events can pose additional threats to critical infrastructure. The project will examine how cybersecurity policy can better prepare for weather-related attacks on infrastructure.
Quantum Threats and the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda (Q-WPS) will explore how threats emerging from the domain of quantum science and technology intersect with Canada’s feminist foreign policy and gender-responsive security policy, including commitments made through the United Nations’ Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. This project seeks to examine how threats emerging from quantum technology may disproportionately impact different population groups and how gender-related security policy can better incorporate emerging technology threats.
“For nearly fifty years, the Centre for International and Defence Policy has been a leading institution for research on defence and security issues,” said Dr. Howard Coombs, CIDP Director. “Dr. Murphy’s research projects will help ensure that our centre can continue to provide cutting-edge research on the important security implications of emerging technologies.”
“Queen’s University is a research-intensive institution known for its high-impact and innovative projects,” said Dr. Stéfanie von Hlatky, Vice-Dean (Research) and Canada Research Chair in Gender, Security, and the Armed Forces. “These new projects led by Dr. Murphy will not only continue the tradition of impactful research at Queen’s, but also provide important opportunities for students and emerging scholars to participate in research.”\
The Centre for International and Defence Policy, established in 1975 as the Queen's Centre for International Relations under the directorship of Nils Ørvik, has a mandate to conduct research in matters of national and international security and other aspects of international relations. It supports teaching in the field of security and defence and, through its publications and activities of its members, contributes to public debate on Canadian foreign and defence policy, and on issues of international peace and security. In 2011, the Centre's name was changed to reflect more clearly the range of its interests as a research unit in the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University.
The Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) program is designed to facilitate collaboration and mobilize knowledge between the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces, and academia and other experts on defence and security issues. Through its Targeted Engagement Grants, collaborative networks, scholarships, and expert briefings, MINDS works and collaborates with key partners to strengthen the foundation of evidence-based defence policy making. These partnerships drive innovation by encouraging new analyses of emerging global events, opportunities, and crises, while supporting a stronger defence and security dialogue with Canadians.
Michael Murphy is a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at Queen’s University, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Political Studies, as well as a Digital Policy Hub fellow at the Centre for International and Defence Policy. He is an award-winning teacher, receiving both institutional and international awards. Michael grew up in Kingston, Ontario, and received his PhD from the University of Ottawa.