63rd Annual CAGS Conference
Graduate Education as a Public Good: Leadership, Advocacy, and Impact
4-7 November 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
Delta City Centre Hotel
In-Person Format with Selected Live-Streamed events
The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) will host its 63rd Annual Conference at the Delta City Centre Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario, from 4-7 November 2025. The title of this year’s conference is Graduate Education as a Public Good: Advocacy, Leadership, and Impact.
The conference will examine the shifting landscape of graduate education in Canada and beyond. As our society grapples with urgent challenges — from climate change and economic uncertainty to social cohesion and rapid technological change — graduate research remains essential in shaping solutions and preparing for an unpredictable future. Now more than ever, the graduate studies community must demonstrate leadership in difficult times, advocate for student success and well-being, and effectively communicate the immense value of graduate research and training to decision-makers and the public. By fostering a strong, engaged community, the 63rd CAGS Conference will reinforce graduate education’s vital role as a public good that drives innovation and strengthens communities.
For more than six decades deans, associate/vice deans, administrators, faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students have met at our annual conference to learn and share ideas about the future of graduate education in Canada.
The conference will be a primarily in-person event with selected sessions being live-streamed on Zoom. Presentations will be delivered in both English and French, with the goal of creating a truly bilingual environment. The conference hotel and event spaces are fully accessible and CAGS staff will be on site to assist with any accessibility requests. All necessary measures will be taken to ensure the health and safety of conference attendees.
The conference will feature a variety of practical, results-driven panel discussions, roundtables, lightning presentations, and workshops, as well as daily plenary sessions dedicated to exploring the pressing challenges and unique opportunities that confront the graduate studies ecosystem in Canada. The conference will feature CAGS’ annual general meeting (AGM) and the 2025 National 3MT Showcase. A pre-conference workshop for deans, associate deans, and directors will be held in afternoon on Tuesday, 4 November (separate registration required), followed by the conference opening ceremony. The annual CAGS Awards Banquet will be held in the evening on Wednesday, 5 November. Opportunities for networking and reconnecting with colleagues will be a feature of the conference experience.
Future CAGS Conferences
2025 – Ottawa (Delta City Centre Hotel)
4 – 7 November
2026 – Regina (Hotel Saskatchewan)
2027 – Moncton (Delta Beausejour Hotel)
2028 – Québec City (Hôtel Delta)
2029 – Calgary (Westin Hotel)
2030 – Halifax
