Under the stewardship of Paul Buteux, Professor of Political Studies and Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba, the Political Studies Students’ Conference (PSSC) was founded in 1984. Coordinated by students in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba and aided by faculty members, the Conference’s mandate is to explore issues of current relevance in international affairs by inviting several speakers from the academic, diplomatic, and government communities to present their views in a variety of academic panels. Every year the conference is eagerly anticipated by students, faculty, and the general public wishing to seize the opportunity to interact with leading thinkers and officials in an intimate, collegial setting.

In 1983 Rahul Aggarwall, an energetic University of Manitoba student with an interest in arms control and disarmament, came up with a concept of hosting a conference that would unite students, academics, and professionals from across Canada and eventually the world.  Mr. Aggarwall brought together fellow students John Skynner, Jeff Brown, and Aaron Hywarren and under the stewardship of Dr. Paul Buteux, Professor of Political Studies and former Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba, became the core group who put together the first annual Political Studies Students’ Conference.  Soon after the first conference in 1985, Mr. Aggarwall decided to travel back to his home country of India and was regrettably killed in the bombing of Air India’s flight 182.  The devastating terrorist attack and the loss of a close friend motivated Jeff Brown and Aaron Hywarren to keep Mr. Aggarwall’s dream and vision of a student conference alive.  These two students would Chair the second annual student conference.  During its third year the conference’s name started to become well known and it was no longer a conference strictly targeting International Relations students.  Students also became involved in the conference who were studying political administration and theory along with many other students not enrolled in the Political Studies Department.  The third conference would eventually be the staple that solidified and stabilized many conferences to come.

            Coordinated by students in Political Studies and the University of Manitoba and aided by faculty members, the conference mandate is to explore issues of current relevance in international affairs by inviting several speakers from the academic, diplomatic, and government communities to present their views in a variety of academic panels.  Every year the conference is eagerly anticipated by students, faculty, and the general public wishing to seize the opportunity to interact with leading thinkers and officials in an intimate, collegial setting.

The PSSC has invited numerous distinguished guests to present their views on a wide range of issues. Conference participants have included speakers from Canadian universities, as well as the London School of Economics, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Leningrad (St. Petersburg), the Royal Military College, and officials from the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), RAND Corporation, Department of National Defence (DND), and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) . Keynote speakers have included Romeo Dallaire, Commander of UN Peacekeeping Forces in Rwanda and Chief of Staff of the Canadian Forces; Susan Strange, prolific academic writer on globalisation and international political economy; the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs; and David Bercuson, historian and Globe and Mail columnist, just to name a few. Student "visitors" from the United States Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs), the University of Moscow, Bulgaria, and Singapore have also had the opportunity to take part in the three-day Conference.

            Although the range of topics has been diverse, the theme of each student conference has always centered on issues in international affairs and their implications for Canada.  Conference themes, such as 1990’s The End of the Cold War? Prospects for East-West Security, 1998’s Conflict in a New World: Is War Obsolete?, and 2006’s The State of the State: New Challenges in the 21st Century, explored the economic, social, cultural, and political implications of the dynamic changes taking place in the world.  The aim of the conference is to challenge conventional wisdom in the field and present policymakers with alternatives for the future. 

            Open to everyone and free of charge, the PSSC attracts hundreds of people over the course of three days.  Advertising for the Conference is widespread, consisting of posters, banners, brochures, and press releases to local media.  Conference supporters are given full recognition in all of our publicity.  At the conclusion of the Conference, papers presented will be edited and published as a Bison Paper under the auspices of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies and circulated internationally.  These proceedings are available for all Conference supporters.

At the conclusion of the Conference, papers presented will be edited and published as an Occasional Paper under the auspices of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies and circulated internationally. These proceedings are available for all Conference supporters.

In January of 2004, the PSSC adopted its formal logo:

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