Ross Manson is a Junior Research Fellow at the NATO Association of Canada, focusing on Canadian defense, national security, and the strategic changes in the Arctic. He earned a Master of Arts in Global Security and Strategy (Cum Laude) from the Brussels School of Governance. His academic work, including his thesis "Beyond Hard Security," examines the links between climate change, militarization, and human security in the North American Arctic.
In addition to his research, Ross actively leads in the international policy sphere as Co-Founder and Executive Director of the North Atlantic Policy Forum (NAPF). Established in 2025, the NAPF offers a platform for young professionals and academics to share a wide range of policy ideas with both public and private sectors on the future of the North Atlantic region.
Ross also brings a practical background in public service and operational strategy, having served as a Citizen Service Officer with Service Canada and as a wargaming intern at the Belgian Defence College. A native English speaker with proficiency in French, he is committed to integrating human-centric approaches into Arctic defence and to analyzing the strategic role of the Canadian Armed Forces within international frameworks.
How can Canada modernize its Arctic defence capabilities without repeating the environmental and social shortcomings of previous efforts?
Ross Manson examines how “decolonizing deterrence” is essential to countering increased Russian and
Chinese influence in a region increasingly vulnerable to hybrid threats. Drawing on the legacy of the DEW
Line as a cautionary tale, this article demonstrates why Indigenous partnership and “dual use” infrastructure
are strategic assets in building a resilient northern flank, and what NATO allies can do to integrate human security concerns into regional sovereignty.
