Toronto, Feb. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The renowned World Affairs Conference (WAC) is pleased to announce that Colonel Chris Hadfield and Mr. Martin Kon will be keynotes at this year’s student-led conference to be held at Upper Canada College in Toronto on Wednesday, February 25. The day-long conference is co-hosted with Branksome Hall and features thirteen speakers who will present on this year’s theme, Power in Perspective. Secondary students from schools across the GTA will participate in person, and a live broadcast will be available for viewing internationally.
As North America’s longest-running student-led conference, the World Affairs Conference aims to provide unforgettable opportunities for dialogue for thousands of inquisitive, curious, and globally minded high school students. Its mission is to motivate high school students to take initiative and proactively engage in world affairs, helping them recognize humanity’s most pressing challenges by exposing them to the diverse global perspectives of inspiring role models. In the past, the conference has hosted incredible speakers such as Edward Snowden, Martin Luther King III, Geoffrey Hinton, Dr. Roberta Bondar and others. Notably, the conference will expand its reach this year with a livestream broadcast internationally, furthering WAC’s commitment to engaging students in critical discussions and deepening their understanding of global issues.
Ruhani Mainra, WAC Co-Chair and student at Branksome Hall, notes that, “This year’s theme, Power in Perspective, allows students the chance to connect with role models who continue to challenge the status quo in their communities and beyond, exemplifying the importance of recognizing global viewpoints.” Alyssa Dhanji, the second Co-Chair from Branksome Hall, said, “We are truly honoured to host an incredible list of speakers ranging from our keynote speakers Colonel Chris Hadfield and Martin Kon, to plenary speakers including humanitarian advocates, environmentalists, and innovators.” The theme and the diverse, globally-minded speaker lineup further underscore WAC’s primary goal of achieving true international impact. In line with our goal of making the conference accessible to all, the conference is free for any interested grades 9–12 students from all school boards. Liyang Yin, WAC Co-Chair and student at Upper Canada College, says he “hopes that this year’s conference will inspire students to view existing challenges through novel lenses, allowing attendees to develop and pursue new, unexplored ideas.” Similarly, Karan Maheswari, the second Co-Chair from Upper Canada College, said “we aspire that students will use this unique opportunity to engage directly with role models, world leaders and industry experts to shape the future of global affairs.”
Keynote Speakers:
Colonel Chris Hadfield
A Canadian legend, Chris Hadfield’s opening keynote speech is not to be missed. Colonel Hadfield is an astronaut, leader, author, and speaker on leadership, technology, and change. As a former Commander of the International Space Station, having flown three space missions and completed two spacewalks, and as NASA’s Director of Operations in Russia, he brings years of experience to his work, sharing his expertise with young audiences. A renowned engineer and leader, Hadfield has contributed to the construction of numerous space stations and has received impressive awards from institutions such as NASA and the Order of Canada. Currently, Colonel Hadfield is also involved with the upcoming Artemis II mission to the moon, where CSA Astronaut Jeremy Hansen is part of the crew. With extensive leadership experience, Hadfield will leave WAC attendees with many stories and insights to reflect on and grow from.
Martin Kon
Martin Kon, an Upper Canada College alumnus and Branksome Hall parent, is the President Emeritus & Former COO of Cohere, a leading data-security-first AI company valued at over $7 billion, with offices in Toronto, Montreal, San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, and Seoul. Before joining Cohere, Martin served as CFO of YouTube, overseeing global strategy, finance, business operations and analytics. He previously served as Managing Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Head of the Global Communications, Media and Technology Practice at Oliver Wyman. With extensive leadership across a variety of endeavours and his insights into the geopolitical implications of technology and AI in our rapidly changing world, Mr. Kon’s keynote will leave a lasting impact on WAC attendees.
Media Opportunities
Interested media and press are invited to attend WAC throughout the day from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Upper Canada College. Interview opportunities can be coordinated with speakers and other WAC participants. These interviews must be organized in advance and are subject to our speaker’s availability and schedule throughout the conference day. Press and media will have access to and can listen to our keynotes and plenary speakers. This includes Colonel Hadfield’s keynote from 9:15 to 10:00 a.m. and Mr. Kon’s keynote from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Interested media should contact Shawna Delgaty or Sarah Baumann (see contacts below) for accreditation and additional details.
World Affairs Conference Background and Resources
Since the 1980s, WAC has reached over 10,000 students from more than 80 schools and 35 countries—and gained formal recognition from former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and City of Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. A detailed list of speakers is available on the WAC website. For more information, please visit the following:
● Website: https://worldaffairscon.org/
● LinkedIn: World Affairs Conference
● Instagram: @worldaffairscon
- Colonel Chris Hadfield, opening keynote speaker
- Martin Kon