UPEI faculty member speaks at international conference on cooperation and competition in space
Dr. Jeff Collins, assistant professor of political science, was invited by the Global and National Security Institute, University of South Florida, to speak at the St. Petersburg World Affairs Council Conference on Cooperation and Competition in Space, held at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus from February 10–11, 2026.
He participated in a panel titled “Orbital Tensions: Policing the Final Frontier” that addressed these questions: “With more space-faring nations and more telecommunications and military equipment in space, what agreements and international organizations protect space security and safety? How do space-based weapons increase tensions among geopolitical rivals on Earth? Who guarantees the peaceful uses of outer space?”
Dr. Collins provided a Canadian perspective on space defence cooperation with the United States. Regarding tensions, he made the case that Canadian-US defence cooperation in space is grounded in norms and institutions dating back to 1938, right before the Second World War.
“Tensions are impacting the relationship, but geography and a long history of successful cooperation means that neither country can afford to neglect the other,” he said. “Defence and security in the Arctic require cooperation in space, for example, satellite coverage for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; data feeds from ground and airborne sensors to satellites to detect hypersonic weapons.”
