Big Thinking

Federalism as a tool to rethink our relations

Jean Leclair, Trudeau Fellow and Professor of Constitutional Law at the Université de Montréal

In Canada as elsewhere, Indigenous peoples have long been marginalized by the law. Recently, however, judicial decisions recognizing the existence of “aboriginal rights” have given certain Indigenous groups leverage in negotiating territorial agreements.

Despite these recent successes in Canadian courts, much of Canadian law still reflects the policies of subjugation of individual and collective Indigenous existence that the country applied without batting an eyelid before the 1950s.

The most difficult stumbling block in establishing relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples – an obstacle that constitutionalizing aboriginal rights has not resolved – is...

Read more »

Congress for everyone: Big Thinking, Congress Expo, Career Corner, Interdisciplinary symposia and more

Nour Aoude, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Congress is a community of learning and exchanging ideas. Even if you are not an association member, you are invited to take part in Congress and benefit from the diverse opportunities for personal and professional enrichment on offer:

 

Big Thinking lecture series
Hear leading scholars and public figures from around the globe present forward-thinking research, ideas and solutions to the critical questions and issues of our time. ...

Read more »

SSH News: World Philosophy Day, Bartha Knoppers named Grande Montréalaise, recession sends graduates back to school according to study

World Philosophy Day

November 20 is World Philosophy Day, an initiative by UNESCO. The event has been celebrated since 2002. This year’s theme is “Social Transformation and Intercultural Dialogue”. Programmed events for the day, as well as suggestions for how everyone can join the celebration can be found here.

Big Thinking speaker Bartha Knoppers in media

Bartha Knoppers, McGill University professor and Director of the Centre for Genomics and Policy makes the...

Read more »

SSH News: Canada Research Chairs, quality of education, bringing Quebec back in, improved hiring for BAs, mental health on campus

The Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology) has announced 137 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 34 postsecondary institutions across the country.

Harvey P. Weingarten, President of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario has written an op-ed for The Globe and Mail presenting four recommendations to improve the quality of education at universities and colleges. Weingarten suggests less government micromanaging, funding based on outcomes, and a...

Read more »

SSH News: Measuring SSH impact, Guy Laforest at Big Thinking, SSHRC funds data analysis, and PhD completion

 

It has been an exciting week for the humanities and social sciences!

The Federation has launched a new working paper proposing impact metrics for humanities and social science research. Executive Director Jean-Marc Mangin led the French-language launch of the impacts project on October 6 at the “Mobilizing Knowledge for Social Innovation” colloquium at Concordia University.

Political science professor at Université Laval, Guy Laforest, spoke at the Federation’s Big Thinking lecture on Parliament Hill today, where he proposed that Quebec re-engage with Canadian politics after its long internal exile. Professor Laforest also wrote an...

Read more »

SSH News: Big Thinking video, Paul Davidson speech, university-college agreement, and IDRC-SSHRC awards

 

Jim Miller: Why Don’t We Get Along? (video available)

Jim Miller’s Big Thinking on the Hill lecture, Why Don’t We Get Along? is now available in full on our YouTube channel. Happy viewing!

Smarter Skills for a Smarter Canada

Paul Davidson, president of AUCC, spoke at the Economic Club of Canada on September 25th about the key role that university education plays in preparing students, including art grads, to succeed and innovate. Davidson pays special attention to the flexibility of options at Canadian...

Read more »

SSH News: Congress 2015 planning, reflecting on Jim Miller’s lecture, US-Canada academic exchange and the value of university education

Planning for Congress 2015 has begun

The planning cycle for Congress 2015 has officially begun! The Congress 2015 Planning Meeting took place September 24-25, jointly hosted by the Federation and the University of Ottawa. Program Chairs (PCs) and Local Arrangement Coordinators (LACs) from each member association attending Congress were present for a two-day meeting at uOttawa, to get planning underway and to learn how to get the most out of Congress for their associations.

Ruby Heap, Academic Convenor for Congress 2015 at uOttawa, and Jean-Marc Mangin, Executive Director of the...

Read more »

Sociologist Irene Bloemraad Speaks about Immigration in Canada

 

By Nour Aoude

Recent changes to immigration law in Canada drew criticism from legal and human rights groups, reminding us that immigration policy is an ongoing and heated conversation in which we all have a stake. In order to engage in this conversation as effectively as possible, it is important to benefit from the opinion of expert researchers on Canadian immigration.

What are the unique strengths of Canada’s immigration policy? How do we stack up against the US and other immigrant-attracting countries? Is our system beginning...

Read more »

The “SSH” is part of “S&T”

Our mission at the Federation is to promote the value of research and learning in the social sciences and humanities (SSH). Often we’re asked, don’t you feel  excluded when people  talk about “science and technology (S&T)” or “science” as a catch-phrase for all research? Of course we’d like a greater focus on the value of the SSH in conversations about research, and that’s something the secretariat works on in our discussions with policy makers. But the basic answer to the question is no, we do not feel excluded.   Today, “S&T” is increasingly defined to include the arts, humanities and social sciences, as well as the natural and health sciences and engineering. We know that SSH research in Canada is world-class, and believe that collaboration between the SSH and organizations in the natural and health sciences and engineering makes all research stronger.  

This type of interdisciplinary collaboration and understanding is something the Federation actively promotes....

Read more »

Pages