WAC 2026 will challenge students on pivotal issues

As North America’s largest — and Canada’s oldest — student-run current affairs symposium, WAC has built a reputation for bringing preeminent leaders to the College. This year’s theme, “Power in Perspective,” invites more than 1,200 student delegates to move beyond the headlines and explore the complex viewpoints behind the information they consume. 

“We hope to cultivate an interdisciplinary mode of thinking,” say WAC 2026 Executive Chairs Liyang Yin and Karan Maheshwari, both Class of 2026. “We want to challenge them to approach future problems from various angles, whether that is through the lens of economics, geopolitics, or climate change.”

The conference is a partnership with Branksome Hall and  features an extraordinary roster of speakers, headlined by Col. Chris Hadfield. The legendary astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station will share his unique vantage point on global — and orbital — unity. Joining Hadfield are several distinguished speakers who represent a broad range of industries and experiences, including Martin Kon ’89, the former CFO of YouTube and president emeritus of Cohere; Arwa Damon, a former CNN senior international correspondent and founder of INARA; and Malcolm McAdie, a wildlife veterinarian credited with saving Canada’s most endangered mammal.

One must-have discussion for 2026 is the ethics of Artificial Intelligence. “We’re the first generation growing up alongside frontier models,” says Karan. Adds Liyang, “We couldn’t let students leave WAC without confronting the tradeoffs between innovation and responsibility.”

The scale of student leadership behind the scenes is what truly defines WAC. The executive team has been working diligently since last May, a process that involved delivering 761 messages to potential speakers and logging hundreds of planning hours to ensure the day's success. 

“The students from UCC and Branksome have been working on this since they were selected as chairs,” says faculty adviser Alvin Jugoon, who provides support alongside co-adviser Suzanne Monir. “The school support we get is incredible, and seeing what the students are able to accomplish is so inspiring.”

WAC 2026 is also breaking new ground in accessibility. Building on a recent commitment to carbon neutrality, the conference will offer a live webinar for the first time in its history. This expansion allows WAC to reach a growing national and international audience, overcoming geographic constraints to inspire the next generation of changemakers.

Visit the WAC website to learn more.