Re-envisioning the humanities PhD
In their November issue of Policy Options, the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) shines the spotlight on the humanities PhD. Doctoral programs, according to the article, have not kept pace with the changing social, political and institutional contexts of postsecondary education in the last century. The authors try to envision what the humanities PhD of the future might look like.
SSHRC announces Impact Award recipients
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) has announced the five recipients of the 2014 Impact Awards, which recognize research, knowledge mobilization and scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. The winners represent diverse areas of academic research, including ethnomusicology and bullying.
Policy making suffering in Canada without the long-form census
A controversial topic especially among social scientists is the long-form census, cancelled by the government in 2010. Paul Jacobson, president of the Canadian Association of Business Economics, describes in The Globe and Mail the difficulty of making sound economic policy in the absence of the information provided by the census.
Engineering and applied sciences concentrators at Harvard now exceed arts and humanities concentrators
According the Dean’s Report of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, the number of undergraduates concentrating in engineering and applied sciences (775) now exceeds those concentrating in arts and humanities (746). This represents a decrease by about one third since the 2003-04 academic year, and may represent a broader shift in student interest. The number of concentrators in the social sciences is also decreasing.
Open house highlights benefits of university-private sector partnerships
Business leaders, government representatives, university officials and students gathered at Carleton University on October 31 to help launch the fourth annual national university open house. Open Doors, Open Knowledge – Big ideas for better business highlights the role of university and private sector partnerships in driving prosperity and innovation, creating jobs and preparing students for rewarding careers.
Other interesting news:
Do The Liberal Arts Today Serve Any Useful Public Function? (Minding the Campus)
Before you dismiss free universities, you should crunch the numbers (The Varsity)
Why is the Bank of Canada Governor promoting unpaid work? (The Globe and Mail)
HarperCollins Canada closes Toronto warehouse (The Globe and Mail)