A new series in the New York Times this week addressed “The Fate of the Humanities”, an issue that has been widely debated in the United States since the release of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Heart of the Matter report this past June. The New York Times has published a number of articles and op-eds about studying the humanities in recent months, and this latest installment sees six different members of the higher-ed community discuss a range of considerations for the state of the discipline.
But what about the social sciences? Science Magazine reported earlier this week that US Senator Elizabeth Warren has announced her support for social science funding from the National Science Foundation, which has faced efforts by other lawmakers to place restrictions on funding for academic research. Warren made a number of comments on the value of basic research and stated that “social science research is a compass for policymakers”.
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) recently launched the second edition of Research for a Better Life: the Storytellers, a competition aimed at highlighting the tangible results and practical applications of research in the humanities and social sciences. The contest opened on November 1st and runs until January 15th, and the top 25 finalists will present their work at the Storytellers showcase at Congress 2014.
The November 2013 Big Thinking lecture is being presented by Ron Deibert, Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. “After Snowden: What now for a free and open Internet?” will take place on November 21st, but please note that registration will be open only until November 15th.