Creating Adaptive Forces:
Building Military Resilience in a Changing International Landscape

Palermo, Sicily & Online

22–25 March 2026

Conference Overview:
The conference invites military academies to explore innovative strategies for developing adaptable, future-ready forces. Through expert panels, workshops, and a poster exhibition, participants will examine force structure, training, leadership education, and technological integration to navigate complex global security environments.

Forum Moderator: Dr. Katherine Rossy, Royal Military College of Canada / Queen’s University

During the IFPSP, please reflect on the following questions. Some will serve as the basis for the participant discussion during the Student Plenary on the final day. The Student Plenary is structured to encourage reflection throughout the forum. On Day 4, the first hour of the activity will be spent in national groups, where students will discuss these questions. In the second hour, each delegation will send up one representative to present a two-minute summary of their group’s insights. Detailed instructions for the Closing Student Plenary will be provided during the forum.

1. Which insights from the panels or workshops will most influence your evolving identity as a military leader?
2. What key takeaways from posters, panels, and workshops will help you better understand future operational environments?
3. What commitments will you make to further develop resilience in your own professional practice?
4. How can collaborative international learning— like this forum— strengthen global and alliance resilience?

Programme Overview

Day 1 – Sunday, 22 March 2026

• Arrival & Orientation
• Morning–Afternoon – Delegate and Cadet arrivals; registration at Forum HQ
• 17:00 – Welcome Reception – University of Palermo
  Remarks: IFPSP Chair, City of Palermo, Italian Armed Forces Representative
• 19:30 – Cultural Dinner
  Traditional Sicilian cuisine & music

Day 2 – Monday, 23 March 2026

• 08:30 – Opening Ceremony – Palazzo dei Normanni / University of Palermo (TBC)
• Group Photo (TBC)
• 09:00 – 10:00 Opening Keynote (TBC 15)
• 10:00 – Coffee & Networking
• 10:30–11:30 – Panel I: “Stand Firm, Even in Chaos!” – Military Leadership & Resilience

Please download and read Military Leadership and Resilience by Danny Boga before the Panel 1 presentation.

This panel explores the concept of resilience as a vital element of military leadership in contemporary armed forces. Through a series of comparative case studies and analytical presentations, it examines how different military organizations foster resilience among leaders and institutions to adapt to uncertainty, stress, and operational complexity.

Following the presentations, a moderated discussion will invite participants and audience members to reflect on the importance of resilience in maintaining effectiveness and ethical leadership amid an evolving global security landscape.

Speakers (15 minutes):

• Panel Chair: Ms. Sarah von Felten, Military Academy at ETH Zurich
• Ms. Sarah von Felten – Presentation of a Case Study (Switzerland)
• Colonel (Dr) Howard G. Coombs, Royal Military College of Canada/Queen’s University – Presentation of a Case Study (Canada)
• Speaker 3
• Speaker 4
  
  
• 11:30-11:45 – Break
• 11:45-12:30 – Discussion
• 12:30 – Lunch
• 14:00–16:00 – Panel II: Institutional Resilience

Panel 2 – Emerging varieties of societal and national resilience

Please download and read Introducing resilience by Maciej Stępka, Agata Mazurkiewicz, and Marco Krüger before the Panel 2 presentation.

This panel broadens the understanding of the concept of resilience to include societal and national perspectives. In this context, resilience implies the ability of a state, its institutions or population to function in the light of the uncertainty of contemporary security environment and to deal with a variety of shocks, ranging from natural disasters to hybrid and conventional warfare.

The panelists will present case studies illustrating different manifestations of national resilience in the face of contemporary threats, thus inviting the audience to reflect on and discuss their own national approaches and policies. The discussion will highlight comparative insights into how different governance systems, security doctrines, and societal structures influence the development of resilience.

Speakers (15 minutes):

• Panel chair: Dr. Agata Mazurkiewicz, Jagiellonian University at Krakow, Poland
• Dr. Agata Mazurkiewicz, Jagiellonian University at Krakow, Poland – Presentation of a Case Study (Poland)
• Captain Palesa Luzipo, Stellenbosch University, South Africa – Topic to be confirmed
• Dr. Alexandre Pelletier, Université Laval, Canada – Presentation of a Case Study (South Africa)
  Speaker 4
  
  
• 16:00 – Closing Announcements.
  16:00 – 18:00 – Student Poster Exhibition (Poster designers remain throughout.)
• Exhibition & Evaluation
• Evening – Social Activity (TBC)
  Hosted in Palermo

Day 3 – Tuesday, 24 March 2026

Workshops & Student Engagement

• 08:30 – March for Peace
• 10:00 – 13:00 Workshop I: Countering Human Trafficking: Building Military Resilience in Multicultural Contexts – University of Palermo

Military personnel often operate where human trafficking thrives amid conflict and instability. This workshop helps service members recognize, prevent, and respond to trafficking while maintaining operational effectiveness and cultural sensitivity. Traffickers exploit military presence through forced labour, sexual exploitation, and manipulation of vulnerable populations.

Participants will learn to identify indicators, report appropriately, and act ethically in complex cultural settings. This scenario-based workshop aims to build awareness of how trafficking undermines mission success and international norms. Integrating counter-trafficking awareness into readiness training strengthens ethical resilience and enhances the integrity and effectiveness of military operations.

• 13:00 – Lunch
• 14:30 – 17:30 Workshop II: Character-Based Emotional Intelligence: A Conceptual Mapping for Military Leadership – Royal Military College of Canada//Stellenbosch University, South Africa

This workshop explores how integrating character strengths (CS) and emotional intelligence (EI) enhances leadership, adaptability, and resilience in the Armed Forces. Using the Character-Based Emotional Intelligence (CBEI) Framework—which links Goleman’s EI competencies with Peterson and Seligman’s VIA Model of character strengths—participants will examine how character strengths like curiosity, perseverance, and self-regulation support emotional competencies such as empathy, adaptability, and teamwork.

Through applied exercises and case studies, Naval/Officer-Cadets will translate theory into practice, developing practical tools to strengthen leadership effectiveness and resilience in demanding military environments.

[During this afternoon, two other activities will run concurrently (1) HoD meeting and (2) Workshop for Graduate Students.]

• 17:45- 18:00 Workshop Synthesis & Closing Announcements

Day 4 – Wednesday, 25 March 2026

• 09:00-10:00 – Keynote Teatro Massimo
• 10:00 –12:00
  Poster Exhibition Awards
  High School Awards IFPSP Recognition Awards
• 12:00 – 14:00 Lunch
  (There will be a separately organized VIP lunch including HODs.)
• 14:00-16:00 – Closing Student Plenary: Resilience as the Foundation of Future Forces (or Key takeaways from activities, posters, and workshops) Palazzo dei Normanni (TBC)

Moderator – Dr. Katherine Rossy, Royal Military College of Canada/Queen’s University

• 16:00-17:00 – Closing Session

Moderator – Mr. Steve Gregory, Founder, International Forum on Peace, Security and Prosperity