The global security and academic communities are mourning the loss of Candyce Kelshall, a widely respected terrorism and security expert whose decades-long career helped shape understanding and policy around violent extremism, intelligence studies, and the recruitment of minors by terrorist organizations, who died on April 10, 2025.
Kelshall was President of CASIS Vancouver, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Intelligence, Conflict and Warfare, and an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham. She also held multiple teaching roles, including positions at Simon Fraser University, the Justice Institute of British Columbia, and the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute. A prolific lecturer and thought leader, she provided training and instruction on topics such as open-source intelligence, disinformation, and the psychology of terrorism.
Her work focused on some of the most pressing and sensitive global challenges, including child radicalization, maritime security, and 5th-generation warfare. She collaborated with institutions like NATO, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and various national governments.
Kelshall was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 in recognition of her service and contributions to public safety and national security, and also received the OPSA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 for her outstanding service in the security sector.
In response to her passing, Mubin Shaikh shared the following tribute: “Rest In Peace, Candyce Kelshall. Your incredible efforts to stand up and promote the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies – Vancouver has caused it to be built into one of the best institutions in Canada. It’s staff, some of the best and brightest minds we have. It’s work, more relevant than ever. Thank you for everything, my friend. With much, much love.”