Communiqué - June

June 29, 2022

Federation News

June is National Indigenous History Month — an important time to learn about the cultures, experiences, and histories of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across Canada.

Today, take a moment to learn about the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, whether by reading about Indigenous peoples who have helped shape Canadian history, finding out how Indigenous language are being revitalized and renewed across Canada, or learning how Indigenous artists are reclaiming space on university campuses.


Federation Board welcomes three new Directors

Following the Federation’s virtual Annual Meeting on June 1, we are pleased to announce the election of three new Directors to the Federation Board. In addition, Annie Pilote, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and of Research, Graduate and International Studies at the Université Laval, has been appointed Vice-Chair. Learn more about the Board.

New Directors:

  • Sylvia Bawa, Associate Professor of Sociology, York University

  • Charmain Levy, Professor, Université du Québec en Outaouais

  • David Malloy, President, King’s University College at Western University

Additionally, Jane Koustas, Professor of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Brock University, is the new Chair of the ASPP Academic Council. 


We are hiring: We have immediate openings for a Communications Lead, Event Coordinator, and Finance and Human Resources Officer to join the Federation team! Know someone who might be interested? Learn more here. 


Federation welcomes new Research Assistant – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization

We are pleased to announce that Kimberly Boissiere has joined the Federation in the role of Research Assistant – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID). Kimberly, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Immigration and Settlement Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University, will support the Federation’s commitment to EDID in its structures, policies, programs, human resources, governance procedures, and events.


Join the Publications Committee for the Awards to Scholarly Publications Program

Are you interested in helping to promote original Canadian research in the humanities and social sciences? The Federation is seeking experienced scholars, particularly those with French language proficiency, to join the ASPP Publications Committee. The committee evaluates grant applications for scholarly works, and issues funding recommendations continuously throughout the year. Please reach out to aspp-paes@federationhss.ca to find out more.


In memoriam: Lynn Thomas 

The Federation joins the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) in mourning the loss of Dr. Lynn Thomas, Université de Sherbrooke Professor and former President of CSSE. As a show of sympathy, a collection of donations is being made for ovarian cancer research with the CHUS foundation. Any donations will be greatly appreciated: https://tinyurl.com/3ws597y5


Congress News

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 91st annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences!

With the theme of Transitions in mind, members of the humanities and social sciences community and 37 participating associations shared research, refined ideas, and built partnerships that will help to solve our world’s most pressing issues and re-imagine our path forward. From events discussing the role of HSS disciplines in promoting social justice, to settler colonial history in Canada, to workshops on academic podcasting and engaging with policy-makers, the Congress 2022 program had something for everyone.


Congress by the numbers  

5,200+ participants joining from 81 countries

1,624 Zoom sessions and webinars over nine days

134 open events, resulting in over 165 hours of content

Over 215 team members behind the scenes bringing it all together

77% of participants rated Congress 2022 as excellent or good


Congress in the news 

We’re proud that the Congress media relations program helped HSS research from 8 associations and 16 academic institutions to be spotlighted in nearly 800 stories in print and online, and on radio & TV! Check out some of the coverage:

Struggle against “violent erasure” of Indigenous languages continues today - Toronto Star 

Calgary professor receives $1M federal grant for immigrant, refugee youth research - Calgary Herald 

Healthy young adults on P.E.I. lived as if they had chronic illness during pandemic, researchers say - CBC 

University of Saskatchewan study shows service dogs improve veteran mental health - Global News 

'Young, Gifted and Black': Dalhousie prof works to show Black students they're not alone - CBC

Violence sexiste: les hommes pourraient être la solution (in French only) – Le Journal de Montréal  


Learn about the Congress Graduate Merit Award recipients!


On the Congress blog...

Our team of bloggers covered a number of open events at Congress 2022. Discover them all in our Resource hub, and read a few of our favourites:

What does social justice mean to you?

Beyond Anthropocentrism in Ukrainian Studies: Proposals from the Environmental Humanities

Madly off in all directions: Canadian cities and the prospects for a just and sustainable transition

Shift in thinking: It all begins with decolonization

One Mind, One People: NEȾOLṈEW̱ and the radical reclamation of Indigenous languages

 

Congress was made possible by the support of our generous partners and sponsors:

SSHRC, Mitacs, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Universities Canada, SAGE Publishing


HSS Community News

HSS scholars discuss the war in Ukraine

Why Russia demonizes Ukrainian diasporas by Vic Satzewich and Ivan Kozachenko

Ukraine: international pressure needs to be on Moscow, not Kyiv by Stefan Wolff and Tatyana Malyarenko

Webinar: Teaching and Learning in Time of War hosted by the Ukrainian Language Education Centre, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies

July 8: Preserving Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage and Historical Record, hosted by the Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine (Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto)

Russian roulette in Ukraine: Is Vladimir Putin powerful, or just lucky? By Anton Oleinik


Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addresses Canadian students: On June 22, the Embassy of Ukraine and the University of Toronto co-hosted an address by the Ukrainian President focused on how Canada – and Canadian universities – can support Ukraine’s continued fight for survival. Watch the address.

Government of Canada invests in over 800 HSS research projects: The more than $175 million in funding recently announced by SSHRC will support research that addresses environmental inequality, economic sustainability, and Indigenous language revitalization. Read more.

Acfas receives $1.25 million in funding to support French-language research: The funding, issued by the Quebec’s French Language Minister, will support the production and outreach of scientific research in French. Read more.

Concordia professor curates historical exhibition of Black Canadian works: Dr. Joana Joachim, Assistant Professor of Black Studies at Concordia University, curated the exhibition “Blackity” to trace the major moments and gaps in the story of Black artists in Canada. Read more.

Do you know how to measure your research impact? Janice Kung breaks down the h-index and journal impact factor — two popular methods of determining research impact. Read more.

Education professor working with teachers to create new relationships with Indigenous knowledge: Cree educator and University of Alberta researcher Dwayne Donald has been appointed Canada Research Chair in reimagining teacher education with Indigenous wisdom traditions. Learn more.

Findings released from inaugural National Indigenous Identity Forum: The forum was convened virtually in March 2022 to discuss Indigenous perspectives on identity and citizenship and wise practices to validate Indigenous-specific opportunities at academic institutions. The First Nations University of Canada and the National Indigenous University Senior Leaders’ Association have now released initial findings. Read more.