October Communique
Federation news
Second EDID progress update available
From the appointment of three new members to the Standing Committee on EDID, to the development of the Congress 2023 EDID Action Plan, our fall progress update documents the recent steps taken in support of the Federation’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization. Read more.
Upcoming webinar: Publish in English or perish
On November 15 from 1 pm to 2 pm EST, the Federation and Acfas will co-host a free webinar discussing the challenges and opportunities of French-language research in Canada. Learn more and register now.
Federation presentation to the Standing Committee on Science and Research
On October 17, Vice-Chair of the Federation Board Annie Pilote was invited to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research to present the Federation’s recommendations on supporting research and publication in French in Canada. Watch the presentation (beginning at 19:42:00).
Big Thinking podcast to launch next month
It’s official: the Big Thinking podcast launches in November with a six-episode series featuring leading scholars in the humanities and social sciences in conversation about the pandemic, racism, bilingualism, the war in Ukraine, and much more. Stay tuned.
Budget recommendation for 2023
The Federation has submitted its written brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance’s Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2023 Budget, advocating an increase in funding for graduate scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships and additional support for open access publication of research. Read the full brief.
CPSA launches toolkit to create Indigenous content syllabus
Earlier this year, the Canadian Political Science Association’s Reconciliation Committee released the third version of its Indigenous Content Syllabus Materials, a resource intended for political science instructors, with the support of the Federation. Today, the CPSA releases a practical toolkit for any academic discipline to create an Indigenous content syllabus. Read more.
Congress news
Community engagement and connections: thinking relationally in Congress 2023
Andrea A. Davis, Academic Convenor for Congress 2023, discusses York University, its community, and the vision for Congress 2023 in this new post on the Congress blog. Read it here.
Association conferences announced for Congress 2023
Sixty-seven scholarly associations will come together to present their annual conferences at Congress 2023. These conferences span an array of disciplines, from Indigenous studies, Black studies, gender and sexuality studies, languages, religious studies and much more, ensuring something to captivate every Congress attendee. See the complete list of association conferences here.
HSS community news
The struggle for human rights in Iran is gaining support across the country and around the world, as Iranian women and millions of others demand justice in the face of authorities’ brutal crackdown on demonstrators following Mahsa Amini’s recent death while in police custody.
When an international crisis strikes, the humanities and social sciences have a critical role to play. That’s why, right now, our scholars are helping the world make sense of what’s happening in Iran.
Help us enrich the conversation by sharing relevant research contributions, blogs, articles and op-eds about the Iranian protests to be included in the next Communique or on the Federation’s blog. Please reach out to communications@federationhss.ca for more information.
Iranian women keep up the pressure for real change – but will broad public support continue? - The world has been transfixed by images of Iranian women shouting “women, life, liberty,” leading protest rallies, dancing in the streets and burning their headscarves while facing armed soldiers. Read more.
The protests in Iran are part of a long history of women’s resistance - While the protests started with anger over the enforcement of the hijab, they represent a much wider movement that now poses the greatest threat the theocratic regime has faced since the 1979 revolution. Read more.
Iran students abroad stand in solidarity as peers lead uprisings - Iranians studying abroad have taken to the streets in solidarity with the student-led, anti-government protests that erupted across Iran in September, while efforts have begun to protect Iranian scholars involved in the uprising. Read more.
Women's freedom, not hijab, is the issue in Iran - Iranian women are demanding the right to freedom and choice by refusing to let the state define what they should or should not wear. Read more.
How social sciences and humanities programs can prepare students for employment - The urgency of current global challenges — and the complexity of skills and capabilities needed to address them — has prompted a revisiting of the role of HSS programs in equipping students for civic engagement and as future leaders. Read more.
Now is the time for Canada to lead in fostering global research collaborations that drive innovative solutions to grand challenges - We must continue to inspire and create new ways of thinking and novel ideas that help us better understand and solve multi-dimensional grand challenge. Read more.
New Real Insight. Real Impact. Real Purpose. SSHRC campaign - This new digital campaign by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council focuses on topics of top priority and concern to Canadians, including economic vulnerability, climate change and environment, pandemic and wellness, Indigenous reconciliation and cybersecurity. Read more.
How Russian isolation due to its Ukraine invasion has halted Arctic co-operation - The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought about significant geopolitical shifts. Lines have been drawn and alliances solidified, leaving little space for ambiguity, especially among western states. Read more.
The war in Ukraine shows how libraries play a vital role in challenging disinformation - Literature plays a significant role in times of war. It can be used to justify or oppose conflict, and such content can take the form of scholarly analysis, journalistic investigation, fictional musing and even propaganda. Read more.
Ottawa International Book Expo 2023 call for exhibitors - Would you like information on how to apply to become an in-person or virtual exhibitor at the Ottawa International Book Expo 2023 on March 3 - 5, July 14 - 17 and Dec 22 – 24. Applications from Black and other visible minority authors, artisans and entrepreneurs encouraged. Apply here.