Christine McKenna, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences
The American Academy of Arts & Sciences released a report this week entitled “The Heart of the Matter”, which examines the value of social sciences and humanities (SSH) in the pursuit of a strengthened economy and cohesive society. The report makes recommendations for improving American SSH education, and suggests that in combination with STEM disciplines (the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), a liberal arts education could promote innovation and improve understanding of the contexts in which science-based research is applied. An article in the Washington Post captured the report’s message perfectly: “A workforce lacking a robust humanities and social science education could be just as detrimental to the country’s future economic competitiveness as one deficient in science and technological expertise.” The Federation is monitoring the reactions of those at the top, and anticipates this report will encourage some positive policy developments.
Here at home, the International Journal of Canadian Studies has joined the University of Toronto Press publishing program, and is now available for purchase here. The IJCS is a bilingual, multidisciplinary, and peer-reviewed journal publishing the latest research in Canadian Studies from around the world.
Our friends at University Affairs produced a short video about Congress 2013, capturing some thoughts about the event from a selection of attendees. “Impressions of the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences 2013” can be viewed on Youtube here.