April 29, 2022
Federation News
One year after the release of the “Igniting Change” report by the Congress Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization, the launch of the Federation’s five-point Action Plan, and the endorsement of the Charter on EDID in the Social Sciences and Humanities, the Federation is pleased to share the progress that has been made so far across the following key areas:
- Building our capacity to sustain deep and lasting change
- Transforming Congress today and for the future
- Strengthening member dialogue, engagement, and collaboration
The Progress Update also includes the Congress 2022 EDID Action Plan, which offers an overview of the initiatives, tools, and guidelines in place to ensure a more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and decolonized experience for all attendees of Congress 2022.
The work is ongoing, and we will continue to share periodic updates with our community. Join the conversation or send us your questions at contact@federationhss.ca.
Read the Federation EDID Progress Update
As the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine persists, scholars in the humanities and social sciences continue their role in providing context about the background and consequences of the conflict. Today, we would like to highlight various contributions by Canadian scholars of Ukraine in educating the public, analyzing the situation, and supporting Ukrainian academics.
Support for academics at Canadian institutions: The Canadian Association of Slavists, a member of the Federation, has assembled a list of resources, humanitarian initiatives, and accommodation and jobs for displaced persons. Learn more.
Did You Know? CIUS Answers: A Response to Your Questions about Russia’s War Against Ukraine: This video series prepared by the Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies aims to answer the public’s questions about the war against Ukraine. Explore the videos.
Events held by the Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine: The program at the University of Toronto is hosting various upcoming events on the topic of the war in Ukraine. Learn more.
On April 7, the federal government released its budget. Read the Federation’s response.
Tune into the Human Factor Podcast — a podcast that puts the social in science
In episode four, the Federation's President and CEO, Gabriel Miller, discusses how humanities and social sciences researchers work to better our lives. How are scholars addressing the emerging challenges brought about by new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and social media? And what role does the Federation play in supporting these researchers? Listen here.
Federation 2022 Annual Meeting
The 2022 Annual Meeting of members of the Federation will be held virtually on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 1:00 – 3:00pm (ET). An invitation to the Annual Meeting has been sent to Presidents of all member associations and member institutions. Questions? Please contact Lamis El-Zein at lelzein@federationhss.ca.
Did you know the Federation is on Instagram? Follow us (@federation_hss) for book recommendations, HSS news, Congress updates, and more!
Congress News
Are you presenting research at Congress this year?
Congratulations! Don't forget to register, in order to access the virtual platform and your presentation auditorium.
Congress 2023 theme announcement
Earlier this month, the Federation and York University announced that the theme of Congress 2023 will be Reckonings and Re-Imaginings. Under this theme, Congress will honour Black and Indigenous knowledges and cultures, and centre the diverse voices and ideas of scholars, graduate students, policymakers and community members to vital conversations about the most pressing issues facing our world. Read more.
Community passes to Congress 2022 now available to purchase!
Not attending an association’s conference this year? Purchase your community pass to Congress and access over 100 hours of open events on the virtual Congress 2022 platform from May 12 to June 3 – including the Big Thinking lecture series, Career Corner workshops, open events hosted by scholarly associations and partners, and Expo – all for just $55! If you identify as Black or Indigenous, this pass is complimentary for you in 2022. Purchase your pass today.
Introducing the Big Thinking line-up
Access to the Big Thinking lecture series is included in your registration. Read more.
Beyond “crimes of insolidarity”: Considerations for a transition based on economic and social rights
On May 13 at 12:00PM (EDT), Dr. Christine Vézina, associate professor at Université Laval’s Faculty of Law, will contend that any transition to a post-COVID-19 world must be based on economic and social rights. She argues that these violations of human rights result from deliberate choices made by governments and reflect a true “crime of insolidarity” that makes society vulnerable. Read more.
Shift in thinking: It all begins with decolonization
On May 16 at 12:00PM (EDT), Dr. Denise Ferreira da Silva will ask us to consider a shift in thinking, to transform how we understand and address global catastrophes – starting by acknowledging and confronting colonial and racial subjugation as constitutive of, and active in, our circumstances. Read more.
Petrocultures: Reflections on 10 years of research and advocacy for a world in crisis
On May 19 at 12:00PM (EDT), join the co-founders of the Petrocultures Research Group, Imre Szeman and Sheena Wilson, in exploring the field of energy humanities and imagining new ways of thinking about the past, present, and future of the cultures of energy. Learn more.
The Big Thinking lecture series is made possible thanks to the generosity of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Universities Canada, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
Explore Congress Expo
Love to read or looking to get published? Congress Expo at Congress 2022 will feature Canadian and international publishers, as well as university presses. Discover who is exhibiting this year and visit their virtual booth during Congress to browse all the new books available, talk about your research, and connect with exhibitors.
Enter to win our gift card draw!
How to enter:
- Post the “I’m attending Expo” graphic on your Twitter, Instagram, or Instagram story
- Add the #Congressh hashtag
- Tag us @federation_hss
On the Congress blog...
Connecting people, ideas, and disciplines at Congress 2022
"The opportunity to connect with one’s peers at Congress is certainly a highlight of any academic conference – but the chance to step outside of one’s own area of expertise sets Congress apart. Because where else could a student of philosophy dive into the world of Canadian cinema? Or a history scholar step into a session on micro-aggressions in higher education? Or an expert on international development learn from scholars of open access and education technology? Congress is a place to connect – not just people, but disciplines and ideas." Read more from the Federation team.
Reconsidering history at Congress 2022
“Because it’s our 100th anniversary, we are taking the opportunity to reflect – critically – on our first 100 years: if we found a lot in the archives, we missed a lot too. Claudine Bonner, Jim Walker, Adele Perry, and Allan Downey will speak to Black Canada, race, colonialism, and Indigeneity in a panel discussion on rethinking the writing of history in Canada. And while no one is audacious enough to predict the next year, let alone the next 100 years, we will tackle the future of the PhD in history and the practice of oral history in a post-COVID world,” writes Dr. Donald Wright. Read more about the Canadian Historical Association’s conference.
Launching a digital commons for the humanities and social sciences
“More than ever, digital commons can act as crucial gateways to open access research for academics and non-academics alike. With this goal in mind, the Implementing New Knowledge Environments (INKE) Partnership is hosting two interconnected sessions at this year’s Congress that explore issues related to digital commons and their potential as tools for effective scholarly communication and knowledge mobilization,” writes Dr. Graham Jensen. Read more.
Explore 100+ events in the open events calendar
Whether your interests lie in history, literature, politics, education, sociology, or film, there is something for you at Congress! Open programming can be accessed by all attendees, regardless of registration category.
Transforming our Educational Systems: Responding to the TRC and Federation’s “Igniting Change” EDID Recommendations in Education
May 15 | 12:45 – 14:00 EDT | CSSHE/CSSE/CSA
In this panel discussion, leaders in the area of EDID will be asked to discuss ways we might increase BIPOC and LGBTQI representation in education; explore ways we can address systemic privilege in our institutions; and consciously work to disrupt the status quo and clear pathways to transformative action, equity and justice on our campuses. Read more.
SSHRC Storytellers Challenge reveal
May 16 | 14:00 – 15:00 EDT | SSHRC
Tune in for the reveal of the final five winners of the 2022 SSHRC Storytellers Challenge! Hear directly from inspiring s8tudents about how SSHRC-funded research is changing the world, as well as from the judges who helped choose them. Read more.
Want to start an interdisciplinary project?
May 17 | 11:00 – 12:00 EDT | SSHRC
Social sciences and humanities researchers bring valuable contributions to interdisciplinary research projects. Join the conversation at Congress where SSH researchers leading projects funded through the New Frontiers in Research Fund Exploration stream will be there to share their experience and answer questions.
Congress is made possible by the support of our generous partners and sponsors:
SSHRC, Mitacs, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Universities Canada, SAGE Publishing
HSS Community News
Scholars of Ukraine provide context to war in Ukraine: In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, scholars of Ukraine in Canada and abroad have provided crucial analysis of the background and consequences of the conflict. From discussing the historical relationship between Russia and Ukraine, Putin’s motivations for the invasion, and the possibility of a war of attrition, to sharing commentary on Ukraine’s information warriors and the libraries that are safeguarding Ukrainian culture, HSS scholars are helping to elucidate these difficult times.
The next installment of In Conversation With: The series of public talks organized by SSHRC in partnership with The Conversation Canada will feature an interview and live Q and A with Banting postdoctoral fellow and assistant professor Maïka Sondarjee, moderated by Vinita Srivastava, podcast producer at The Conversation Canada. Tune in to In Conversation With Maïka Sondarjee on “How to integrate gender and race studies in the classroom” on May 3, 2022 at 2PM (EDT) via livestream. Register today.
Academic freedom can’t be separated from responsibility: “Academic freedom has become a polarizing topic. Recent issues at the University of Ottawa expose ongoing challenges of balancing academic freedom with university community members’ rights to respectful and safe classroom and campus spaces,” writes Karine Coen-Sanchez. Read more.
Government of Canada invests in innovative, interdisciplinary research: The government announced a total of over $45 million in support for research projects through the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF). Read more.
Canadian archivists working to help save Ukrainian culture: Out of concern that Russian attacks could destroy the digitized cultural history of Ukraine, a global team of around 1,300 librarians and archivists are volunteering to save Ukraine's cultural digital archives. Read more.
SSHRC and Global Affairs Canada launch the sixth International Policy Ideas Challenge: Aimed at graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers from Canadian postsecondary institutions, the challenge provides each of the top six winning entries with a $3,000 award to develop and transform their ideas into policy briefs. The submission deadline is May 20. Learn more.
Task force releases report on improvement of postsecondary opportunities for Northerners: The federal Task Force on Northern Post-Secondary Education has issued 37 calls to action for improving postsecondary opportunities for Northerners, after having found that many are wary of the education system due to colonial legacies. Read more.
Global Wales Postgraduate Scholarship now open to Canadian applicants: The Global Wales Postgraduate Scholarship programme offers scholarships worth up to £10,000 to study a full-time masters programme in Wales. Learn more.