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2025 Cold War Speaker Series: Military Research in the Early Cold War
We invite you to join us this fall for the Diefenbunker’s Cold War Speaker Series! In this series of free events, hear from experts on a variety of topics to bring you new perspectives on Cold War themes and events.
Event 2
Topic: Duty or Opportunity? Canadian Scientists and Military Research in the Early Cold War
Speaker: Dr. Matthew Wiseman
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2025
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Event Details:
- Hosted virtually on Zoom. Advance registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
- Includes a presentation followed by a Q&A.
- Session will be recorded for educational purposes and made available after the event.
>> REGISTER NOW
Overview
In this talk, historian Matthew S. Wiseman will discuss his recent book, Frontier Science, highlighting newly declassified records about the size and scope of military research and development in Canada during the early Cold War to investigate the militarization of the country’s professional scientific community.
About the speaker
Dr. Matthew Wiseman
Matthew S. Wiseman is an assistant professor (teaching stream) in the Department of History at the University of Waterloo. His research and teaching concentrate on the history of twentieth-century Canada, with special emphasis on the development of science and medical research ethics. He is the author of Frontier Science: Northern Canada, Military Research, and the Cold War, 1945–1970 (UTP, 2024) and co-editor of Silent Partners: The Origins and Influence of Canada’s Military-Industrial Complex (UBC Press, 2023). With an eye to understanding the social and political dynamics of science, Wiseman’s publications examine the complex dimensions of military- and state-sponsored research conducted at government, private, and academic institutions. He also studies gender equity in the professional scientific community and is currently writing two books, one on the history of military medicine in Canada and a second on the history of women scientists at the National Research Council.
