May 2015

In the summer of 2014, University of Waterloo graduate student Ty Branch started a Mitacs Accelerate internship as a philosopher in residence at the architecture firm Philip Beesley Architect Inc. (PBAI). The project, a first-time partnership between Mitacs and the university’s Department of Philosophy, focused on how near-living architecture interacts with its environment.

Near-living architecture is an emerging style that incorporates biological features to make environments more responsive to occupants in that space. Ty’s research asked what it means to be living and what applications near-living architecture might have to theories of emergence. Even the terms used to define this architectural style are important because they speak to fundamental questions of what “living” means. During her internship, Ty...

Daniela Tuchel embarked on a Mitacs Accelerate internship with the Asia Pacific Foundation to explore recent immigrants’ impressions of Canada and the challenges they face after arrival. As a master’s student at Royal Roads University, Daniela’s research also provided recommendations to improve immigration processes between Canada and China.

As a result of her research project, Daniela was nominated for—and won—the Mitacs Master’s Award for Outstanding Innovation. This award is part of the Mitacs Awards, which honour the contributions of emerging researchers in Canada. Daniela accepted her award in November 2014; click the video to learn more about her project:

Mitacs is hosting the “...

Delphine Nakache

The On the Move Partnership is partnering with CBC Ideas and the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences to present: “On the Move: Temporary Foreign Worker Policy in Canada,” a panel discussion followed by an audience Q&A.

A 7-year, SSHRC-funded research study, the On the Move Partnership is investigating the spectrum of employment-related geographical mobility (ERGM) and its consequences for workers, families, employers, communities, and Canadian municipal, provincial and federal governments. Many workers...

Paul Davidson, President of Universities Canada

As President of Universities Canada, I always look forward to participating in Congress, and I congratulate the organizers on their formidable work in assembling one of ‎    the largest multidisciplinary academic conferences in the world. At Congress, I am continually reminded of how today’s researchers are thinking in connected and interdisciplinary ways, which is one of the great strengths of the social sciences and humanities. Many of this year’s Interdisciplinary symposia events examine issues with truly global impact, such as climate change, children’s rights, artificial intelligence, and...

Thom Kearney, Government of Canada – Open Government Secretariat

The 2015 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences is happening at a watershed moment for Open Government in Canada. In November 2014, the Government of Canada released its Action Plan on Open Government 2014-16, a series of commitments to sustain a more transparent and accountable government. More recently, the third International Open Data Conference, hosted by the Government of Canada, the World Bank, and the International Development Research Centre, took place on May 29, 2015, in Ottawa.

At its core, Open Government is about giving Canadians...

Carla Funk, Doctoral Candidate at Royal Roads University and a Top 25 finalist in the SSHRC Storytellers contest

gobbledegook
British Dictionary definition for gobbledegook
/ˈɡɒbəldɪˌɡuːk/
noun
1.       pretentious or unintelligible jargon, such as that used by officials

Has this happened to you?

You are out socializing when a friend asks you about your research, and you answer. They ask another question, and you reply again, this time a little more in-depth. Then, said friend turns to others and says, “Isn’t it funny? She just talked for 10 minutes and I don’t understand a word she just said!”

As a doctoral candidate I struggle to communicate with friends and family about something I am...

Simon Langlois, President of the Academy of Social Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada

As part of the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Academy of Social Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada is hosting a Big Thinking presentation by Joseph Yvon Thériault on the topic of contemporary challenges of francophone communities in Canada, specifically in Quebec and in minority settings. The Academy brings together the best social science experts in...

Here is our list of the most interesting news articles on the humanities, social sciences and higher education from the past week. Voici notre liste des plus intéressants articles concernant les sciences humaines, sciences sociales et l’enseignement supérieur de la semaine passée.

Humanities and Social Sciences | Sciences humaines et sociales

Arts Advantage: Why enrolling in the liberal arts is smarter than you think
April 2015 | Literary Review of Canada

How not to reform the humanities
May 4, 2021 | University Affairs

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